
Mountainous and landlocked, Afghanistan continues to struggle as a state due to the many contending ethnic, religious and regional rivalries.
Years of conflict and population movement make any census - and the collection of data in general - difficult.
Recent estimates suggest the Pashtuns comprise nearly half of the population. The Tajiks, descended from the Persians, form the second largest group, followed by Uzbeks and Hazaras. About 99% of Afghans are Muslim - about three-quarters of them Sunni. |
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