Afghanistan is the ancient intersection of human migration along the Silk Road. Archaeological findings testify to people inhabiting the lands of present-day Afghanistan as early as 50,000 BC. It is estimated that urban development in the area began between 3000 and 2000 BC. Situated strategically between the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan has been home to many different peoples over the centuries and witnessed many military campaigns, including those of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Western countries in the modern age.
