Afghanistan (2032: Collapse)

**Afghanistan**, officially the **Republic of Afghanistan**, is a landlocked country located in Central Asia, just at the edge of South Asia. It borders Pakistan to the east, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to the north and East Turkestan and Tajikistan to the northeast. Occupying 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 sq mi) of land, most of the country is mountainous, although there are notable plains in the north and southwest of the country that are divided by the Hindu Kush mountain range. As of 2100, the country's population is estimated near 60 million, making it the most populous country in Central Asia, and the country's population is composed mostly of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks. The country's capital and largest city, Kabul is located partially within the Hindu Kush mountain range, and is one of the largest cities in Asia, with a population near 4 million as of 2100. Afghanistan's modern history has been marked by a series of coups, civil wars and other conflicts that ravaged the country in the period between 1978 and 2075, putting Afghanistan well behind its neighbors in terms of life expectancy, infrastructure, economic capabilities and other such things.

The Taliban, a extreme Islamic fundamentalist rebel group ruled the country twice under extremely totalitarian implementations of Sharia law, first from 1996 to 2001 and later from 2021 until 2065, and the country was noted for its extremely high poverty rate, child malnutrition and terrorism during this time. Elam Masood, a Muslim inam notable for his very progressive teachings of Islam would lead several uprisings against the Taliban starting in 2043, briefly taking over the country in 2046 to 2048 as they forced the Taliban to Mazar-i-Sharif and the north of the country. However, after more moderate rebel groups that had supported Masood's movement defected back to the Taliban in 2047, his government began to rapidly collapse and the Taliban soon was restored to power. However, Masood would be restored to power again after another civil war in 2065, establishing the new Republic of Afghanistan and planning radical democratic and social reforms. However, he would die the following year, and his son, Elam Diar Masood would be appointed president. As president, Elam Diar oversaw massive reforms that led to the implementation of numerous democratic institution and sweeping anti-corruption legislation being implemented, while the 2070 Afghan constitution was written by Elam Diar and was regarded as by far the most progressive in the region, declaring Afghanistan to be a "democratic, secular, and free state" while also introducing laws that aimed to reduce discrimination within the country.

Afghanistan's economy has massively grown from being valued at a meager 15.56 billion euro in 2060 to around 48.68 billion euro by 2100, while the poverty rate has dramatically dropped from over 60% in 2060 to around 25% in 2100. The literacy rate has also massively gone up from 19.97% in 2060 to 92.30% by 2100, and Afghanistan has consistently been ranked as the freest and most democratic nation in Central Asia since 2080. The life expectancy of Afghanistan surpassed 70 years for the first time in its history in 2100, and the country has one of the fastest growing economies and quickest developing infrastructure systems in the world.

**THIS IS A WORK-IN PROGRESS!**