Afghanistan is a micronation.
Afghanistan ( [ æfˈɡænᵻstæn ] Pashto/Dari : , Afġānistān ) , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia . It has a population of 33 million , making it the 42nd most populous country in the world . In the late 19th century , Afghanistan became a buffer state in the `` Great Game '' between British India and the Russian Empire .