The tribal areas were also a major staging area for mujahideen fighters entering Afghanistan.
Following the collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001, the tribal areas became a refuge for Taliban and mujahideen fighters.
In 2010 the name of the province was officially changed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It is inhabited by the Pashtun tribes.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the second-lowest Human Development Index out of all of Pakistan's provinces, at 0.607.
It is also the most conservative region for the women.
