Afghanistan

Afghanistan was founded in 1747 after the Pashtun tribes unified, and the country gained independence in 1919 when nominal British control ended. The Soviets invaded in 1979, starting a long and destructive war. After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the UN Bonn Conference established a process for political reconstruction, including the drafting of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004 and National Assembly elections in 2005. A resurgent Taliban threatens to undermine the progress toward stable democracy in Afghanistan, and Counterpart International (Counterpart) partners with the country's civil society organizations to further political stability and democracy, advocacy and civic education.

Map and country information, The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009.