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History | Geography | The people | Who are the Taliban?
Afghanistan's turbulent history stretches back over 4,000 years. In ancient times, its neighbours were the powerful civilisations of Mesopotamia and Persia; the Silk Route from China to Europe passed through it, bringing diverse cultural and religious influences.
In the 19th century, after bitter warfare, Afghanistan eventually lost much independence to Britain, then engaged in a power struggle (known as 'the Great Game') with Russia. By the 1920s, the British had lost control and Afghanistan remained neutral throughout the Second World War.
From the 1950s, Afghanistan's government drew closer to the Soviet bloc. In the 1970s, the Mujahideen guerrilla movement was formed in response to an ideology they saw as alien to the Islamic nature and independence of Afghanistan.
In 1978 the Mujahideen carried out a full-scale rebellion, following a Communist coup. This led to the Soviet Union's ill-fated invasion of 1979. Ten years later, having lost around 50,000 soldiers to the now US-backed Mujahideen, Soviet troops withdrew.
By 1994, Afghanistan had disintegrated, with rival war-lords stripping the country of the little wealth it had. About 5 million refugees had fled in successive waves to neighbouring Pakistan and Iran.
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