UPSC Prelims 2022 Question:

Consider the following countries:

1. Azerbaijan
2. Kyrgyzstan
3. Tajikistan
4. Turkmenistan
5. Uzbekistan
   
   

Which of the above have borders with Afghanistan?

Learn more about Afghanistan’s land borders in the given explanation below.

Explanation:

Afghanistan is bounded to the east and south by Pakistan to the west by Iran, and to the north by the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

Afghanistan’s Land Borders

• The total length of Afghanistan's land borders is 5,529 kilometers (3,435 mi). The longest border is with Pakistan, at 2,430 kilometers (1,510 mi). The shortest border is with Turkmenistan, at 744 kilometers (463 mi).
• The Afghanistan–Pakistan border is known as the Durand Line. It was drawn in 1893 by Sir Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat, and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan, the Emir of Afghanistan. The Durand Line divided the Pashtun people into two, with a majority living in Pakistan and a minority living in Afghanistan. The Durand Line has been a source of tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan since its inception.
• The Afghanistan–Iran border is known as the Sistan border. It was drawn in 1935 by a British-Iranian commission. The Sistan border is a desert border, and there are a number of nomadic tribes that live in the area.
• The Afghanistan–Turkmenistan border is known as the Amu Darya border. It is formed by the Amu Darya River, which flows from the Pamir Mountains to the Aral Sea. The Amu Darya River is a major source of irrigation for both Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
• The Afghanistan–Uzbekistan border is known as the Syr Darya border. It is formed by the Syr Darya River, which flows from the Tian Shan mountains to the Aral Sea. The Syr Darya River is a major source of irrigation for both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
• The Afghanistan–Tajikistan border is known as the Panj River border. It is formed by the Panj River, which flows from the Pamir Mountains to the Amu Darya River. The Panj River is a major source of irrigation for both Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
• The Afghanistan–China border is known as the Wakhan Corridor. It is a narrow strip of land that extends from the Pamir Mountains to the Karakoram Mountains. The Wakhan Corridor is the only part of Afghanistan that borders China.
  
  

Therefore, option (3) is the correct answer.