Afghanistan is a republic in southwestern Asia, bounded by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, Pakistan, and Iran. Afghanistan lies across ancient trade and invasion routes from Central Asia into India and Iran. Modern-day Afghanistan’s strategic location has been influenced throughout history by the invaders who often settled there. Today the population includes many different ethnic groups. Most of the present borders of the country were drawn up in the 19th century, with the implication of having the country serve as a buffer state, or neutral zone, between Russia and British India. War and unrest have plagued Afghanistan over the past several decades. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a U.S., Allied, and Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama Bin Laden. In late 2001, a conference in Bonn, Germany, established a process for political reconstruction that ultimately resulted in the adoption of a new constitution and presidential election in 2004. In October 2004, Hamid Karzai became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan. The new government faces the formidable challenges of rebuilding state institutions, restructuring the economic infrastructure, and maintaining security.