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Bookmark & shareAfghanistan's beauties have been swamped by tyranny and war.
Friendly, beautiful Afghanistan was once well known on the backpacking circuit as the place to stop for unparalleled hospitality, fantastic food, great hiking and...um...OK, we'll say it, that legendary hashish. Things, sadly, have changed a lot.
More than 25 years of war and Taliban rule left the dramatic countryside peppered with landmines and reduced many of the finest monuments and minarets to rubble. The poverty left in war's wake has taken an impossible human toll and encouraged the theft and sale of priceless national treasures.
Travel Warning: Extreme Danger
Large areas of Afghanistan remain extremely dangerous, particularly during fighting season. NATO-led military operations are ongoing against the remnants of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and Pakistan's army is fighting pro-Taliban militants on the Afghan border. There are regular reports of NATO soldiers killed either by bomb blasts or during fighting with insurgents. Recent US air strikes on villages in western Afghanistan have allegedly resulted in dozens of civilian deaths.
Acts of violence, often targeting foreigners, continue to occur regularly in Kabul and elsewhere. On July 7, a bomb attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul killed 41 people. On 17 April, a suicide bomber killed at least 20 people and injured about 30 in Zaranj. A suicide bombing killed more than 100 people watching a dog fight just outside Kandahar on 17 February; the following day, another bomb blast in the same province killed a further 35 civilians and injured dozens more.
Visitors should maintain a very high level of security awareness, avoid demonstrations and political gatherings, avoid travelling alone or at night, and contact their consular representative for the latest information.
Afghanistan is highly contaminated with land mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO); it's one of the worst affected countries in the world. Extreme caution should be taken when venturing into areas that may be contaminated.
severity: Extreme Danger
Fast Facts
Country Full Name
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Population
31,056,997
Currency
Name: Afghani
Code: AFN
Symbol: Afg
Electrical Plugs
220V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Persian, Pashto
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +4.5
Country Dialing Code
+93
Weights & Measures
Metric
Afghanistan - Free Guidebook Chapter
Download the free Getting Started chapter or buy individual chapters from our Afghanistan guide, in our online Shop.
› Go to the Afghanistan download page.
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Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
