"Afghanistan settled around 7000 B.C. and has been in transition for most of its history. Alexander the Great conquered Afghanistan in 330 B.C. and brought the Greek language and culture to the region. Genghis Khan's invaded in the 13th century. In 1747, Pashtun elders held a council meeting called a Loya Jirga and created the kingdom of the Afghans. The British and Afghans fought in three wars in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the Afghans finally defeated the British in 1919 and formed an independent monarchy in 1921. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 and the Afghan fighters called Mujaheddin were aided by the United States, Pakistan, China, and Iran. In 1996, Soviet troops left Afghanistan and the Taliban took control of the capital Kabul. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States began searching for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and invaded Afghanistan, along with an international coalition to remove the Taliban. A Loya Jirga wrote a new constitution in 2004 and the people elected their first president, Hamid Karzai. In September 2014, a new president, Ashraf Ghani, was elected."
- National Geographic Kids - Afghanistan
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/afghanistan/#afghanistan-blue-mosque.jpg
- National Geographic Kids - Afghanistan
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/afghanistan/#afghanistan-blue-mosque.jpg