UPSC Prelims 2022 Q27: Countries Bordering Afghanistan — Explained
Consider the following countries:
1. Azerbaijan
2. Kyrgyzstan
3. Tajikistan
4. Turkmenistan
5. Uzbekistan
Which of the above have borders with Afghanistan?
- 1, 2 and 5 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
- 3, 4 and 5 only
- 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: (c) 3, 4 and 5 only
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — Azerbaijan is in the South Caucasus, on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan lies on the eastern shore, and Iran lies to the south, so Azerbaijan is nowhere near Afghanistan. The two countries share no border.
- 2: incorrect — Kyrgyzstan is close to Afghanistan, but Tajikistan sits between them. Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region lies north of Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, and Kyrgyzstan lies beyond it. Kyrgyzstan therefore has no border with Afghanistan.
- 3: correct — Tajikistan has Afghanistan's longest northern border, about 1,206 km (Library of Congress country profile, 2008). Most of it follows the Panj and Amu Darya rivers. It runs along the north of Badakhshan and the Wakhan Corridor.
- 4: correct — Turkmenistan borders north-western Afghanistan for about 744 km (Library of Congress, 2008). Its eastern end follows the Amu Darya.
- 5: correct — Uzbekistan has the shortest border with Afghanistan of the three Central Asian neighbours, about 137 km (Library of Congress, 2008). The whole border follows the Amu Darya. The Hairatan–Termez 'Friendship Bridge' crosses the river on this stretch.
How to eliminate
Start with the statement that basic map knowledge settles. Azerbaijan is a Caucasus country west of the Caspian Sea, so statement 1 is out. That removes three options: 1, 2 and 5; 1, 2, 3 and 4; and all five. Only one option is left, and it is the answer. You can also reach it from the other side. Afghanistan's only Central Asian neighbours are the three 'stans' south of the Amu Darya: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan is the usual trap because it looks close on a small map, but Tajikistan lies between them. Remember this fact: Afghanistan has six neighbours, namely Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China (via the Wakhan Corridor). India also claims a border through Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan.
Know more
Afghanistan's neighbourhood
Afghanistan is landlocked. Most of its northern border follows the Amu Darya (Oxus) and its upper course, the Panj. The Amu Darya rises from glaciers in the Wakhan area and flows towards the Aral Sea basin.
| Neighbour | Direction | Approx. border (km)* | Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | East & south | ~2,430 | Durand Line (1893) |
| Tajikistan | North-east | 1,206 | Panj / Amu Darya |
| Iran | West | 936 | Harirud, Helmand (Sistan) |
| Turkmenistan | North-west | 744 | Partly Amu Darya |
| Uzbekistan | North | 137 | Amu Darya, Termez–Hairatan |
| China | Far north-east | 76 | Tip of the Wakhan Corridor |
*Library of Congress country profile (2008). Durand Line figures differ between sources.
Wakhan Corridor. This narrow panhandle was drawn in the 1890s as a buffer between the Russian and British empires. It keeps Tajikistan away from today's Pakistan-administered territory, and its eastern tip gives Afghanistan a short border with China.
The five Central Asian republics. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were all once Soviet republics. Only three of them touch Afghanistan. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan do not. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are doubly landlocked, Uzbekistan being the classic example.
Caspian littoral states. Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan border the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia make up the South Caucasus, not Central Asia.
Exam angle. UPSC often asks about neighbours of countries in the news, such as Afghanistan, Ukraine and Syria. For each one, learn the full ring of neighbours and the one 'near-miss' country that does not share a border (here, Kyrgyzstan).
In the news
The Taliban took Kabul in August 2021. Then, on 27 January 2022, India hosted the first India–Central Asia Summit, where Afghanistan was a central agenda item and the leaders agreed to set up a Joint Working Group on Afghanistan. This put Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbours in the news in the months before Prelims 2022.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Wakhan Corridor: The Wakhan Corridor decides which countries can or cannot touch Afghanistan's far north-east, the key to the Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan statements.
- Durand Line: The Durand Line is Afghanistan's longest border; knowing its full ring of neighbours starts with this boundary.