Hindu Kush
Central Asian range
The Hindu Kush is a mountain range stretching approximately 500 miles across Afghanistan and into Pakistan, forming the western extension of the Himalayas.
Its peaks reach over 25,000 feet, and the range has historically served as a formidable barrier between South and Central Asia.
The name likely derives from Persian meaning "Hindu killer," referencing the treacherous passes that claimed lives of travelers and slaves being transported from India.
The ancient trade routes wound through the Hindu Kush.
Peak or diplomatic gathering
- elevationHeight above reference point
- massifUnified mountain group
- ridgeNarrow raised strip
- glacierSlow-moving ice mass
snowcapped · alpine · high-altitude · mountaineering · ascent · base camp · expedition · climbing
Linked mountain ranges
- HimalayasAsia's highest range
- KarakoramCentral Asian mountain range
- plateauFlat highland area
- valleyLow ground between heights
watershed · Indus · tectonics · orogeny · erosion · sediment · glacier · moraine
Historic transcontinental trade network
- AlexanderMasculine Greek-origin name
- BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- caravanTraveling group with goods
- trade routePath for commerce
invasion · empire · conquest · Mughal · British · archaeology · ancient · migration
Afghanistan's capital city
- PashtunAfghan ethnic majority
- TajikPerson from Dushanbe's country
- DariAfghanistan's Persian language
- PashtoAfghan national language
Taliban · mujahideen · Khyber Pass · lapis lazuli · Afghan · Bagram
Pakistani provincial district
- PeshawarPakistani frontier city
- Khyber PakhtunkhwaNorthwestern province of Pakistan
- Indus RiverAsian watercourse to Arabian Sea
- PashtunAfghan ethnic majority
summit
Peak or diplomatic gathering
glacier · snowcapped · alpine · high-altitude · mountaineering · ascent · base camp · expedition · climbing · icefall
cordillera
Linked mountain ranges
valley · watershed · Indus · tectonics · orogeny · erosion · sediment · glacier · moraine · avalanche
Silk Road
Historic transcontinental trade network
- AlexanderMasculine Greek-origin name
- BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- caravanTraveling group with goods
trade route · invasion · empire · conquest · Mughal · British · archaeology · ancient · migration · passes
Kabul
Afghanistan's capital city
Pashto · Taliban · mujahideen · Khyber Pass · lapis lazuli · Afghan · Bagram
Swat
Pakistani provincial district
- PeshawarPakistani frontier city
- Khyber PakhtunkhwaNorthwestern province of Pakistan
- Indus RiverAsian watercourse to Arabian Sea
Pashtun
Afghan ethnic majority
- nomadHomeless wanderer by choice
- tribeSocial group sharing ancestry
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
village · shepherd · yak · ibex · snow leopard · juniper · cedar · terraced · irrigation · hospitality
- mountainsmountain, peaks, peak, summit, summits
- Eurasian GeographyHimalayas, Tibetan Plateau, Gobi Desert, Ganges River, Yangtze River
- South AsiaIndia, Indian states, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hindustan
- mountain rangesAlps, Andes, Himalayas, Rockies, Pyrenees
- World RegionsEurope, Asia, Africa, Australia, Oceania
- AfghanistanKabul, Kandahar, Pashtun, Tajik, Helmand
Hindu KushHimalayas
Asia's highest range
Andes · Alps · Rocky Mountains · Atlas Mountains · Appalachian Mountains
Hindu KushDeath Valley
Below-sea-level California desert
lowlands · plains · sea level · Mariana Trench · flatlands
Hindu KushGreat Plains
Central North American grassland
savanna · prairie · steppe · polder · Netherlands