Afghanistan’s history, internal political development, foreign relations, and very existence as an independent state have largely been determined by its geographic location at the crossroads of Central, West, and South Asia. Over the centuries, waves of migrating peoples passed through the region—described as a "roundabout of the ancient world," by historian Arnold Toynbee—leaving behind a mosaic of ethnic and linguistic groups. This collection provides an opportunity to peer into the mountains, valleys, villages, and cities that is called Afghanistan.