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 follows a line running generally westward from a fixed point near one of the peaks of the Sarikol Range to Lake Victoria, thence along the line of that branch of the Oxus which issues from the lake, and so, following the course of the Oxus, to Khamiab. From Khamiab, the line runs in a south-westerly direction to Zulfikar, on the river Harí-Rúd, and thence south to Koh-i-Malik Siah, a conspicuous peak south-west of the Helmand river. Hero the boundary turns round and runs generally east-wardly to the Kwája Amran range. The eastern and southern boundaries of Afghánistán long remained uncertain, but the basis of a delimitation was settled, in 1893, at a conference between the Amír, Abdur Rahmán, and Sir Mortimer Durand, and the boundary agreed upon, with the exception of the Khaibar-Asmar section, has since been demarcated. The Amír agreed that Chitral, Bajaur and Swat should be included within the British sphere of political influence, while he himself was to retain Asmar and the Kunar valley above it, as far as Arnawai, and the tract of Birmal, west of Wazíristán. In the subsequent demarcation, Kafivistán was included within the countries under Afghán control, and has since been partially garrisoned by the Amír’s troops.