Durand Line facts for kids

The Durand Line is a long border that separates Afghanistan and Pakistan. It stretches for about 2,430 kilometers (1,510 miles). This border is in South-Central Asia.

The Durand Line (in red) between Afghanistan and British India. It was named after Mortimer Durand.

What is the Durand Line?

The Durand Line is the official border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was created a long time ago. This border is very important for both countries.

How the Border Was Created

Early Agreements

The Durand Line was set up in 1893. This happened after an agreement between Mortimer Durand and Afghan Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. Mortimer Durand was a British diplomat. He worked for British India at the time. The border is named after him.

Later, Abdur Rahman Khan's son, Amir Habibullah Khan, signed a new agreement. This agreement confirmed the border again.

Independence and Recognition

In 1919, Afghanistan became an independent country. King Amanullah Khan also accepted the Durand Line. He signed a treaty called the Treaty of Rawalpindi. This treaty said that Afghanistan agreed to all earlier border plans with British India. So, Afghanistan recognized the Durand Line as an international border.

Impact on People

The Durand Line goes through areas where many tribal groups live. It divides ethnic Pashtuns and Baloch people. These groups live on both sides of the border. This means families and communities are split by the line.

Disagreements About the Border

Most countries recognize the Durand Line as Pakistan's western border. However, Afghan governments since 1947 have not always accepted it.

Some Afghan Pashtun leaders say that parts of Pakistan belong to Afghanistan. They believe the Afghan people should decide on the border, not just the government. But many non-Pashtun Afghans and Pakistani Pashtuns do recognize the line. In 2017, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Afghanistan would "never accept" the Durand Line.

Images for kids

• 

  Arachosia and the Pactyans during the 1st millennium BC

• 

  Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, British diplomat and civil servant of colonial British India. The Durand Line is named in his honour.

• 

  Borki, a village at the border, with Mount Sikaram's peak in the background, the highest peak of the White Mountains

• 

  A view towards the border in Pakistan, taken in Paktia Province of Afghanistan

• 

  Afghan mujahideen representatives with President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1983

• 

  CIA-funded and ISI-trained mujahideen fighters crossing the Durand Line to fight the Soviet-backed Afghan government in 1985

• 

  A U.S. soldier at Torkham border crossing, 2007

• 

  An MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle, one of a unit which is launched from Afghanistan to engage targets on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line

• 

  Afghan customs officials check travellers' passports at Torkham Gate in Nangarhar province

See also

In Spanish: Línea Durand para niños