Helmand Province is in the Middle East.
Afghanistan -LRB- -LSB- æfˈɡænᵻstæn -RSB- Pashto / Dari  : , Afganistan -RRB- , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia .. Pashto. Pashto. Dari. Dari language. landlocked country. landlocked country. South Asia. South Asia. Central Asia. Central Asia. It has a population of 33 million , making it the 42nd most populous country in the world .. 42nd. list of countries by population. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east ; Iran in the west ; Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan in the north ; and China in the far northeast .. Pakistan. Pakistan. Iran. Iran. Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan. Tajikistan. Tajikistan. China. China. Its territory covers 652,000 km2 , making it the 41st largest country in the world .. 41st largest. List of countries and dependencies by area. Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era , and the country 's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia .. Middle Paleolithic. Middle Paleolithic. strategic. Geostrategy. Silk Road. Silk Road. Through the ages the land has been home to various peoples and witnessed numerous military campaigns , notably by Alexander the Great , Mauryas , Muslim Arabs , Mongols , British , Soviet , and in the modern era by Western powers .. Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great. Mauryas. Maurya Empire. Muslim Arabs. Islamic conquest of Afghanistan. Mongols. Mongol invasion of Khwarezmia and Eastern Iran. British. First Anglo-Afghan War. Soviet. Soviet war in Afghanistan. Western powers. War in Afghanistan ( 2001–present ). The land also served as the source from which the Kushans , Hephthalites , Samanids , Saffarids , Ghaznavids , Ghorids , Khiljis , Mughals , Hotaks , Durranis , and others have risen to form major empires .. others. Ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Kushans. Kushan Empire. Hephthalites. Hephthalite Empire. Samanids. Samanid Empire. Saffarids. Saffarid Empire. Ghaznavids. Ghaznavids. Ghorids. Ghorids. Khiljis. Khilji dynasty. Mughals. Mughal Empire. Hotaks. Hotak Empire. Durranis. Durrani dynasty. The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century .. In the late 19th century , Afghanistan became a buffer state in the `` Great Game '' between British India and the Russian Empire .. British. First Anglo-Afghan War. buffer state. buffer state. Great Game. The Great Game. British India. British Raj. Russian Empire. Russian Empire. Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 , King Amanullah unsuccessfully attempted to modernize the country .. Afghan. Demography of Afghanistan. Third Anglo-Afghan War. Third Anglo-Afghan War. King Amanullah. Amanullah Khan. It remained peaceful during Zahir Shah 's forty years of monarchy .. Zahir Shah. Mohammed Zahir Shah. A series of coups in the 1970s was followed by a series of civil wars that devastated much of Afghanistan and continues to this day .. series of civil wars. War in Afghanistan ( 1978–present ). Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic with Islam as an official state religion .. presidential. presidential system. Islamic republic. Islamic republic. unitary. unitary state. Islam. Islam in Afghanistan. state religion. state religion. It is a member of the United Nations , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the Group of 77 , the Economic Cooperation Organization , and the Non-Aligned Movement .. United Nations. United Nations. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Group of 77. Group of 77. Economic Cooperation Organization. Economic Cooperation Organization. Non-Aligned Movement. Non-Aligned Movement. The country 's economy is ranked 108th in the world with the GDP of $ 64.08 billion .. GDP. Gross domestic product