Afghánistán

Abstract

Afghánistán is a country of Asia lying between parallels 30° and 38° 20 of north latitude, and 60° 30′ and 74° 30′ of east longitude. On the north-east, the boundary is uncertain; but. from about longitude 70° westward to Khamiab the Oxus is the northern limit. From Khamiab, the line, as drawn by the Afghán Boundary Commission, runs in a south-westerly direction to Zulfikar, on the river Harí-Rúd, and thence south to Kuh Malik-i-Siyah, a conspicuous peak south-east of the Helmand river. Here the boundary turns round and runs generally eastwardly to the Kwája Amran range. The eastern boundary of Afghánistán has long remained uncertain, but the basis of a delimitation was settled, in 1893, at a conference between the Ameer, Abdur Rahmán, and Sir Mortimer Durand, The Ameer agreed that Chitral, Bajaur, Swat and Chilas should be included within the British sphere of political influence, while he himself was to retain the Kunar valley as far north as Asmar. The Ameer also withdrew his pretensions over Wazíristán. The extreme breadth of Afghánistán from north to south is about 500 miles; its length from the Herát frontier to the Kháibar Pass, about 600 miles. The surrounding countries are, on the north, the Central Asian States, under the influence of Russia; on the west, Persia; on the south. British Balúchistán; and on the east, the mountain tribes scattered along The north-western frontier of India.