facet_of 1901 in afghanistan
Indonesia ( or ; Indonesian : ), officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a unitary sovereign state and transcontinental country located mainly in Southeast Asia with some territories in Oceania . Situated between the Indian and Pacific oceans , it is the world ' s largest island country , with more than seventeen thousand islands . At , Indonesia is the world ' s 14th - largest country in terms of land area and world ' s 7th - largest country in terms of combined sea and land area . It has an estimated ___MASK60___ of over 260 million people and is the world ' s fourth most populous country , the most populous Austronesian nation , as well as the most populous Muslim - majority country . The world ' s most populous island of ___MASK24___ contains more than half of the country ' s ___MASK60___ . Ahmedabad ( also known as Amdavad ) is the largest city and former capital of Gujarat , which is a state in India . It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court . With a ___MASK60___ of more than 6 . 3 million and an extended ___MASK60___ of 7 . 8 million , it is the sixth largest city and seventh largest metropolitan area of India . Ahmedabad is located on the banks of the Sabarmati River , from the state capital Gandhinagar , which is its twin city . Mumbai ( also known as Bombay , the official name until ___MASK82___ ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra . It is the most populous city in India and the ninth most populous agglomeration in the world , with an estimated city population of 18 . 4 million . Along with the neighbouring regions of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region , it is one of the most populous urban regions in the world and the second most populous metropolitan area in India , with a population of 20 . 7 million . Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour . In 2009 , Mumbai was named an alpha world city . It is also the wealthiest city in India , and has the highest GDP of any city in South , West , or Central Asia . Mumbai has the highest number of billionaires and millionaires among all cities in India . A Muslim is someone who follows or practises ___MASK2___ , a monotheistic Abrahamic ___MASK66___ . Muslims consider the Quran ( Koran ), their holy book , to be the verbatim word of ___MASK30___ as revealed to the Islamic prophet and messenger Muhammad . They also follow the teachings and practices of Muhammad (" sunnah ") as recorded in traditional accounts (" hadith "). " Muslim " is an Arabic word meaning " one who submits ( to ___MASK30___ )". The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest and second - most populous island in England . It is located in the ___MASK94___ Channel , about 4 miles ( 6 km ) off the coast of Hampshire , separated by the Solent . The island has resorts that have been holiday destinations since Victorian times , and is known for its mild climate , coastal scenery , and verdant landscape of fields , downland and chines . A country is a region that is identified as a distinct national entity in political ___MASK38___ . A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state , as a non - sovereign or formerly sovereign political division , or a geographic region associated with sets of previously independent or differently associated people with distinct political characteristics . Regardless of the physical ___MASK38___ , in the modern internationally accepted legal definition as defined by the League of Nations in 1937 and reaffirmed by the United Nations in ___MASK83___ , a resident of a country is subject to the independent exercise of legal jurisdiction . Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal , is a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia . It has a ___MASK60___ of 26 . 4 million and is the 93rd largest country by area . Bordering China in the north and India in the south , east , and west , it is the largest sovereign Himalayan state . Nepal does not border Bangladesh , which is located within only 27 km ( 17 mi ) of its southeastern tip . It neither borders Bhutan due to the Indian state of Sikkim being located in between . Nepal has a diverse ___MASK38___ , including fertile plains , subalpine forested hills , and eight of the world ' s ten tallest mountains , including Mount Everest , the highest point on ___MASK27___ . Kathmandu is the nation ' s capital and largest city . It is a multiethnic nation with Nepali as the official language . Yekaterinburg , alternatively romanised as " Ekaterinburg ", is the fourth - largest city in Russia and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast , located in the middle of the Eurasian continent , on the border of Europe and Asia . At the ___MASK90___ Census , it had a ___MASK60___ of 1 , 349 , 772 . ___MASK52___ is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain . It is bordered by England to the east , the Irish Sea to the north and west , and the Bristol Channel to the south . It had a population in 2011 of 3 , 063 , 456 and has a total area of . ___MASK52___ has over of coastline and is largely mountainous , with its higher peaks in the north and central areas , including Snowdon , its highest summit . The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable , maritime climate . Great Britain , also known as Britain , is a large island in the north Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe . With an area of , Great Britain is the largest European island and the ninth - largest in the world . In ___MASK65___ the island had a ___MASK60___ of about 61 million people , making it the world ' s third - most populous island after ___MASK24___ in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan . The island of Ireland is situated to the west of it , and together these islands , along with over 1 , 000 smaller surrounding islands , comprise the British Isles archipelago . Urbanization refers to the ___MASK60___ shift from rural to urban areas , " the gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas ", and the ways in which each society adapts to the change . It is predominantly the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas . The United Nations projected that half of the world ' s ___MASK60___ would live in urban areas at the end of ___MASK75___ . It is predicted that by 2050 about 64 % of the developing world and 86 % of the developed world will be urbanized . That is equivalent to approximately 3 billion urbanites by 2050 , much of which will occur in Africa and Asia . Notably , the United Nations has also recently projected that nearly all global ___MASK60___ growth from 2016 to 2030 will be absorbed by cities , about 1 . 1 billion new urbanites over the next 14 years . The North Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean located between Great Britain , Scandinavia , Germany , the Netherlands , Belgium , and ___MASK40___ . An epeiric ( or " shelf ") sea on the European continental shelf , it connects to the ocean through the ___MASK94___ Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north . It is more than long and wide , with an area of around . Hyderabad (; often ) is the capital of the southern Indian state of Telangana and " de jure " capital of Andhra Pradesh . Occupying along the banks of the Musi River , it has a ___MASK60___ of about and a metropolitan ___MASK60___ of about , making it the fourth most populous city and sixth most populous urban agglomeration in India . At an average altitude of , much of Hyderabad is situated on hilly terrain around artificial lakes , including Hussain Sagar  predating the city ' s founding  north of the city centre . Pakistan ( or ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , is a federal parliamentary republic in South Asia on crossroads of Central Asia and Western Asia . It is the sixth - most populous country with a ___MASK60___ exceeding 200 million people . It is the 36th largest country in the world in terms of area with an area covering . Pakistan has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east , ___MASK23___ to the west , Iran to the southwest and China in the far northeast respectively . It is separated from Tajikistan by ___MASK23___ ' s narrow Wakhan Corridor in the north , and also shares a maritime border with Oman . Sunnah (, , plural ) is the verbally transmitted record of the teachings , deeds and sayings , silent permissions ( or disapprovals ) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , as well as various reports about Muhammad ' s companions . Along with the Quran ( the holy book of ___MASK2___ ), the Sunnah makes up the two primary sources of Islamic ___MASK67___ and law . The " Sunna " is also defined as " a path , a way , a manner of life "; " all the traditions and practices " of the Islamic prophet that " have become models to be followed " by Muslims . The amir Abdor Rahman Khan dies at Kabul . During his reign of twenty years he effectually got rid of all possible rivals or persons likely to give trouble ; he transformed his army from a mere rabble into a well - armed and efficient force ; religious fanaticism was brought under control ; a regular system of judicial and general administration was created ; and the industries of the country were greatly developed by the establishment of factories under European supervision at Kabul . As regards his foreign policy , he could hardly be expected to have any real love for England . His ideal would have been a really independent Muslim kingdom , free from the control or influence alike of England and of Russia , and he was much disappointed at the failure of his efforts to be allowed direct representation at the Court of St . James ' s . Although there was occasional friction between the amir and the government of India , he valued the ___MASK94___ alliance and was faithful to it . His eldest son , Habibullah Khan , succeeds to the throne with an absence of disturbance or even excitement that is almost unexpected . Habibullah has been carefully trained by his father in all branches of the administration . Since 1897 he has had control of the State Treasury and Exchequer , and has been the Supreme Court of Appeal from all courts , ecclesiastical and secular . He acted as regent for his father during his prolonged absence in Turkestan , and distinguished himself by the intelligence and sobriety of his administration . He is said to be popular with the people and with the army ; he knows ___MASK94___ fairly well and is believed to entertain very friendly sentiments towards the British government . After his accession he raises the pay of the army , and he is said to be going to adopt a much more liberal trade policy than his father and to reduce the poll tax on Hindus . His reception of Muslim gentlemen sent by the government of India in November to condole with him on the death of his father and to congratulate him on his own accession is cordial in the extreme . He also issues a proclamation inviting the return of exiles from India , and many of them are expected to go back . The immediate prospects of the new amir are decidedly favourable . The possible competitors for the throne are few in number , and none of them are at present dangerous . Habibullah Khan ' s position has been much strengthened by the marriages his father made for him with the families of the leading chiefs . Nasrullah Khan , the late amir ' s next son , is his full brother , and is destitute of ability , ambition , or influence . His half - brother , Mohammad Omar , whose mother is of high rank and of much ability and ambition , might give trouble , but he is only a boy of twelve , and his mother ' s great supporter , the commander - in - chief , Gholam Haidar Khan , has lately died . The nearest collateral heir is Ishak Khan , the son of amir Azim Khan , and consequently the first cousin once removed of the new amir . Much was heard of him in his early days ; he was notorious for his debauchery and cruelty , and he was hated in Kabul , where he was regarded as a maniac . The late amir endeavoured to conciliate him , but he rebelled against him , and after showing conspicuous cowardice and incompetency fled to Russian territory . He is now a man of fifty ; he is not likely to attempt , or to be allowed to attempt , any movement , and should he do so , he would hardly be dangerous . The two sons of the amir Shir Ali Khan , Yakub Khan , who was allowed to succeed his father , but was deposed for not preventing Louis Cavagnari ' s murder , and Ayub Khan , who defeated the British at Maiwand , are still political prisoners in India , and are not likely to be let loose . England . England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom . It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and ___MASK52___ to the west . The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest . England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the ___MASK94___ Channel to the south . The country covers five - eighths of the island of Great Britain ( which lies in the North Atlantic ) in its centre and south ; and includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly , and the Isle of Wight . Kolkata (, also known as Calcutta , the official name until ___MASK57___ ) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal . Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River , it is the principal commercial , cultural , and educational centre of East India , while the Port of Kolkata is India ' s oldest operating port and its sole major riverine port . In 2011 , the city had population of 4 . 5 million , while the population of the city and its suburbs was 14 . 1 million , making it the third - most populous metropolitan area in India . In 2008 its gross domestic product ( adjusted for purchasing power parity ) was estimated to be 104 billion , which was the third highest among Indian cities , behind Mumbai and Delhi . Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny , is a city in the administrative center of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and Volga Federal District in Russia . From ___MASK20___ to 1990 , it was known as Gorky , after the writer Maxim Gorky , who was born there . The city is an important economic , transportation , scientific , educational and cultural center in Russia and the vast Volga - Vyatka economic region , and is the main center of river tourism in Russia . In the historical part of the city there are a large number of universities , theaters , museums and churches . Nizhny Novgorod is located about 400 km east of Moscow , where the Oka empties into the Volga . Population : The United ___MASK21___ and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland , it includes the island of Great Britain ( the name of which is also loosely applied to the whole country ), the north - eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland . Apart from this land border , the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the ___MASK94___ Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south - south - west , giving it the 12th - longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of , the UK is the 78th - largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th - largest in Europe . It is also the 21st - most populous country , with an estimated 65 . 1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth most densely populated country in the European Union . Pashto (; " Pax  t " ), also known in older ___MASK39___ as Afghn or Pahn , is the South - Central Asian language of the Pashtuns . Its speakers are called Pashtuns or Pukhtuns and sometimes Afghans or Pathans . It is an Eastern Iranian language , belonging to the Indo - European ___MASK92___ . Pashto is one of the two official languages of ___MASK23___ , and it is the second - largest regional language of Pakistan , mainly spoken in the west and northwest of the country . Pakistan ' s Federally Administered Tribal Areas ( FATA ) are almost 100 % Pashto - speaking , while it is the majority language of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern districts of Balochistan . Pashto is the main language among the Pashtun diaspora around the world . The total number of Pashto - speakers is estimated to be 45  60 million people worldwide . India , officially the Republic of India (" Bhrat Gaarjya "), is a country in South Asia . It is the seventh - largest country by area , the second - most populous country ( with over 1 . 2 billion people ), and the most populous ___MASK33___ in the world . It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south , the Arabian Sea on the southwest , and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast . It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west ; China , Nepal , and Bhutan to the northeast ; and Myanmar ( Burma ) and Bangladesh to the east . In the Indian Ocean , India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives . India ' s Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia . Its capital is New Delhi ; other metropolises include Mumbai , Kolkata , Chennai , Bangalore , Hyderabad and Ahmedabad . The Quran (; ', literally meaning " the recitation "; also romanized Qur ' an or Koran "') is the central religious text of ___MASK2___ , which Muslims believe to be a revelation from ___MASK30___ (" Allah "). It is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature . The Quran is divided into chapters (" surah " in Arabic ), which are then divided into verses (" ayah "). ___MASK2___ (' ;) is a ___MASK66___ articulated by the Quran , a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of ___MASK30___ ('), and , for the vast majority of adherents , the teachings and normative example ( called the " sunnah ", composed of accounts called " hadith ") of Muhammad ( 570  8 June 632 CE ). It is the world ' s second - largest ___MASK66___ and the fastest - growing major ___MASK66___ in the world , with over 1 . 7 billion followers or 23 % of the global population , known as Muslims . ___MASK2___ is an Abrahamic monotheistic ___MASK66___ that upholds that ___MASK30___ is one and incomparable and that the purpose of existence is to worship ___MASK30___ . Muslims consider Muhammad to be the last prophet of ___MASK30___ . ___MASK33___ ("" literally " rule of the commoners "), in modern usage , is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body , such as a parliament . ___MASK33___ is sometimes referred to as " rule of the majority ". ___MASK33___ was originally conceived in Classical Greece , where political representatives were chosen by a jury from amongst the male citizens : rich and poor . Chennai ; formerly known as Madras or ) is the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal , it is one of the biggest cultural , economic and educational centres in South India . According to the ___MASK65___ Indian census , it is the sixth - largest city and fourth - most populous urban agglomeration in India . The city together with the adjoining regions constitute the Chennai Metropolitan Area , which is the 36th - largest urban area by ___MASK60___ in the world . Chennai is among the most visited Indian cities by foreign tourists . It was ranked 43rd most visited city in the world for year ___MASK37___ . The Quality of Living Survey rated Chennai as the safest city in India . Chennai attracts 45 percent of health tourists visiting India , and 30 to 40 percent of domestic health tourists . As such , it is termed " India ' s health capital ". As a growing metropolitan city in a developing country , Chennai confronts substantial ___MASK12___ and other logistical and socio - economic problems . Delhi ( Dilli )       , officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi , is a city and a union territory of India . It is bordered by Haryana on three sides and by Uttar Pradesh to the east . It is the most expansive city in India  about . It has a ___MASK60___ of about 25 million , making it the second most populous city after Mumbai and most populous urban agglomeration in India and 3 largest urban area in the world . Urban expansion in Delhi has caused it to grow beyond the NCT to incorporate towns in neighbouring states . At its largest extent , there is a ___MASK60___ of about 25 million residents . According to data released by Oxford ___MASK32___ , Delhi NCR urban agglomeration has replaced Mumbai Metropolitan Region urban agglomeration as the economic capital of India . However the comparison of the figures specific to the Metropolis of Delhi and Metropolis of Mumbai was not provided by this institution . These figures however did not match with those revealed by the reserve bank of India , The economic survey of India , The economic survey of Delhi and Maharashtra . Russia ( from the  Rus '), also officially known as the Russian Federation , is a country in Eurasia . At , Russia is the largest country in the world by surface area , covering more than one - eighth of the ___MASK27___ ' s inhabited land area , and the ninth most populous , with over 140 million people at the end of March 2016 . The European western part of the country is much more populated and urbanised than the eastern , about 77 % of the population live in European Russia . Russia ' s capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world , other major urban centers include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod and Samara . Novosibirsk is the third - most populous city in Russia after Moscow and St . Petersburg . It is the most populous city in Asian Russia , with a ___MASK60___ of 1 , 473 , 754 as of the 2010 Census . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District . The city is located in the southwestern part of Siberia on the banks of the Ob River adjacent to the Ob River Valley , near the large ___MASK22___ reservoir formed by the dam of the Novosibirsk Hydro Power Plant , and occupies an area of . Kabul ( Pashto /) is the capital of ___MASK23___ as well as its largest city , located in the eastern section of the country . According to a 2015 estimate , the population of the city was around 3 , 678 , 033 which includes all the major ethnic groups . Rapid urbanization had made Kabul the world ' s 64th largest city and the fifth fastest - growing city in the world . China , officially the People ' s Republic of China ( PRC ), is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia . With a ___MASK60___ of over 1 . 381 billion , it is the world ' s most populous country . The state is governed by the Communist Party of China , and its capital is Beijing . It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , five autonomous regions , four direct - controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ), and two mostly self - governing special administrative regions ( Hong Kong and Macau ), and claims sovereignty over Taiwan . The country ' s major urban areas include Shanghai , Guangzhou , Beijing , Chongqing , Shenzhen , Tianjin and Hong Kong . China is a great power and a major regional power within Asia , and has been characterized as a potential superpower . Saint Petersburg is Russia ' s second - largest city after Moscow , with five million inhabitants in ___MASK98___ , and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea . It is politically incorporated as a federal subject ( a federal city ). Situated on the Neva River , at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea , it was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May . In 1914 , the name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd , in 1924 to Leningrad , and in 1991 back to Saint Petersburg . Between 1713  1728 and 1732  1918 , Saint Petersburg was the imperial capital of Russia . In 1918 , the central government bodies moved to Moscow . Russia is not proportionately populated between the smaller western portion ( almost 25 %) of the country that is considered part of Europe , and the larger eastern portion ( more than 75 %) that is part of Asia . European Russia contains about 77 % of the country ' s ___MASK60___ ( 110 , 000 , 000 people out of about 144 , 000 , 000 ) in an area comprising almost 4 million km ( 1 . 54 million mi ); an average of 27 . 5 persons per km ( 70 per mi ). This territory makes up 38 % of Europe . Its eastern border is defined by the Ural Mountains and in the south , it is defined by the border with Kazakhstan . This area includes Moscow and Saint Petersburg , the two largest cities in Russia . Asia is ___MASK27___ ' s largest and most populous continent , located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres and sharing the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe . Asia covers an area of , about 30 % of ___MASK27___ ' s total land area and 8 . 7 % of the ___MASK27___ ' s total surface area . The continent , which has long been home to the majority of the human population , was the site of many of the first civilizations . Asia is notable for not only its overall large size and population , but also dense and large settlements as well as vast barely populated regions within the continent of 4 . 4 billion people . A hadith ( or plural : ahadith , ) is one of various reports describing the words , actions , or habits of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . The term comes from Arabic meaning a " report ", " account " or " narrative ". Hadith are second only to the Quran in developing Islamic jurisprudence , and regarded as important tools for understanding the Quran and commentaries (" tafsir ") written on it . Some important elements of traditional ___MASK2___ , such as the five salat prayers , are mentioned in hadith . Myanmar , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma , is a sovereign state in South East Asia bordered by Bangladesh , India , China , Laos and Thailand . About one third of Myanmar ' s total perimeter of 5 , 876 km ( 3 , 651 miles ), forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1 , 930 km ( 1 , 200 miles ) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea . The country ' s ___MASK19___ census revealed a much lower population than expected , with 51 million people recorded . Myanmar is 676 , 578 square kilometres ( 261 , 227 sq mi ) in size . Its capital city is Naypyidaw and its largest city is Yangon ( Rangoon ). Afghan ( Pashto also Persian :  ; see " etymology ") refers to someone or something from ___MASK23___ , in particular a citizen of that country . Prior to the rise of the nation as ___MASK23___ , it was used by Persian speakers and those influenced by the Persian language to denote the Pashtun people . In modern times , " Afghan " is rarely used as an ethnic term for the Pashtuns , but is rather used as the national demonym for all citizens of ___MASK23___  Pashtuns , Tajiks , and also a large number of Hazaras , Uzbeks , Aimaqs , Turkmens , Balochs , Nuristanis , Pashayis , Pamiris , Arabs , and others . According to the " Encyclopædia Iranica ", the word Afghan ( afn ) in current political usage means any citizen of ___MASK23___ , regardless of their tribal or religious affiliation . According to the 1964 Constitution of ___MASK23___ , all Afghans are equal in rights and obligations before the law . The fourth article of the current Constitution of ___MASK23___ states that citizens of ___MASK23___ consist of Pashtuns , Tajiks , Hazara , Uzbek , Turkmen , Aymaq , Arab , Baluch , Pashayi , Nuristani , Qezelbash , Gujjars , Brahui , and members of other tribes . The Maldives (, or ), officially the Republic of Maldives (""), is a South Asian island country , located in the Indian Ocean . It lies southwest of India and Sri Lanka . The chain of twenty - six atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to the Addu City in the south . Comprising a territory spanning roughly , the Maldives is one of the world ' s most geographically dispersed countries , as well as the smallest Asian country by both land area and ___MASK60___ , with a little over 393 , 500 inhabitants . Malé is the capital and most populated city , traditionally called the " King ' s Island " for its central location . The Celtic Sea (; ) is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the south coast of Ireland bounded to the east by Saint George ' s Channel ; other limits include the Bristol Channel , the ___MASK94___ Channel , and the Bay of Biscay , as well as adjacent portions of Wales , Cornwall , Devon , and Brittany . The southern and western boundaries are delimited by the continental shelf , which drops away sharply . The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago of small islands in the sea . The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world ' s oceanic divisions , covering ( approximately 20 % of the ___MASK22___ on the ___MASK27___ ' s surface ). It is bounded by Asia on the north , on the west by Africa , on the east by Australia , and on the south by the Southern Ocean or , depending on definition , by Antarctica . It is named after the country of India . The Indian Ocean is known as " Ratnkara ", "" the mine of gems "" in ancient Sanskrit literature , and as " Hind Mahsgar ", "" the great Indian sea "", in Hindi . ___MASK23___ ( Pashto / Dari : , " Afnistn "), officially the Islamic Republic of ___MASK23___ , is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia . It has a population of approximately 32 million , making it the 42nd most populous country in the world . It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east ; Iran in the west ; Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan in the north ; and China in the far northeast . Its territory covers , making it the 41st largest country in the world . The ___MASK94___ Channel (" the Sleeve " [ hence ] " Sea of Brittany " " British Sea "), also called simply the Channel , is the body of ___MASK22___ that separates southern England from northern France , and joins the southern part of the North Sea to the rest of the Atlantic Ocean .