AFGHANISTAN, af-ganii-stan, Asia, lit The country of the Afghans" is the term which, in the present day, designates those regions governed by the Amir of Kabul. The name ((Afghan" is supposed to signify °noisy or tumultuous." It is very ancient in its origin and has gradually been assumed by the subjects of the Amir. During the Afghan conquest of India they were known as Pathans and Ro hillas, terms which are still used in India to denote people of Afghan origin.
Topography.—Afghanistan, as it now ex ists, embraces the country between the River Oxus and the ndus, and consists of ranges of snow-covered mountains, deep ravines and valleys. Many of the valleys are well watered and very fertile. The surface on the northeast is covered with the lofty ranges of the Hindu Kush which reach 20,000 feet above the level of the sea. The total length of this range of mountains is estimated at 365 miles. The do minions of the Amir as now defined by various boundary commissions lie on the northwest frontier of India, and are bounded on the north by Russian Turkistan, on the west by Persia, on the south by Baluchistan and on the east by Cashmere and British India. It has an area of about 250,000 square miles and a mixed popula tion estimated at 6,000,000. The rivers are very numerous. Among them are the Oxus, or Amu-daria, which separates Afghanistan from Russian territory; the Murghab, which rises in the Afghan hills and flows through the city of Merv; the Helmund watering the valleys of Afghan Turkistan; the Hari Rud, which waters the valley of Herat and runs a course of 245 miles to the Seistan Lake; the Kabul River, which flows from the city of Kabul and enters the Indus at Attok; the Kuram and the Gomal rivers, which enter the Indus in British terri tory; the Lora which flows through the Peshin valley and is 200 miles in length. The only lake of importance is the Ab-i-Stada on the Ghilzai plateau about 65 miles from Ghazni. It standp at a height of 7,000 feet. It is about 44 miles in circuit and very shallow.
Provinces and Cities.— Afghanistan is divided into five provinces — Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, with chief cities of the same name, Afghan-Turkistan and Badakshan; and two territories —Kafiristan and Wakhan. The province of Kabul is bounded on the northwest by Koh-i-Baba, on the north by the Hindu Kush, on the northeast by the Pangsher River and on the east by Jagdalik. It is very moun tainous, but it also has large sections of rich arable land. A very large portion of the popu lation live in tents during the summer months. Herat extends from near the sources of the Hari Rud River on the east to the Persian frontier on the west. The Herat valley is most fertile, and it has been estimated that it is capable of supplying an army of 150,000 men. Kandahar is a most important province of the country. It extends over a wide area from Ghazni to the Persian frontier, and includes that part of Seistan which belongs to the Amir. Afghan-Turkistan was formerly the ancient province of Balkh but has now assumed its present condition through the treaty arrange ments with Russia and Great Britain. The province of Badakshan lies to the extreme east of the kingdom and is bounded on the north east by the River Oxus and on the south by the Hindu Kush. It consists of lofty moun tain ranges and deep rugged valleys in which there is but little agricultural development. In the winter the climate is severe and the moun tain passes are blocked by snow. Wakhan con sists of two valleys watered by the Panja River. It is too elevated and sterile for tillage. Its lowest hamlet is 8,000 feet above the level of the sea.
Lines of From India to Afghanistan there are four well-known lines of communication. The first is from the rail way terminus at Peshawar through the Khybar Pass. The second from Thul through Bannu over the Paiwar and Shutturgardan passes to Kabul. The third through the Gullair Sur wandi and Sargo passes to Ghazni. The fourth from the railway terminus at Quetta to Kan dahar via the Bolan Pass.