Difficult Times for Afghanistan's Neighbors
Throughout history, the countries of Central Asia have seen rulers and invaders come and go. During the last half of the 20th century, most of the Central Asian countries were part of the Soviet Union.
15 Countries in total achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Among them are many countries bordering on Afghanistan: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, for instance.
After having been part of the atheistic Soviet Union for many decades, Islam is now making a strong come-back in most of these former Soviet republics.
Most of the Central Asian countries today are poverty stricken after years of war. They fought for their independence or endured bitter civil wars in which opposing factions tried to gain control over the country.
Most of the Central Asian countries are heavily dependent on agriculture. Natural resources like minerals and oil can also be found in some.
But foreign investors tend to shy away from these countries because of political instability, corruption and territorial disputes.