Afghanistan - 1-World-11-world-1.com/af/pdf/World_doc.pdf · 2018. 9. 7. · [11][12] Afghanistan...
Transcript of Afghanistan - 1-World-11-world-1.com/af/pdf/World_doc.pdf · 2018. 9. 7. · [11][12] Afghanistan...
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
(Dari) جمھوری اسلامی افغانستان
Jomhūrīyyeh Eslāmīyyeh Afġānestān
د افغانستان اسلامي(Pashto) جمھوریت
Da Afġānistān Islāmī Jumhoryat
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: لا إله إلا االله، محمد رسول االله"Lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh, Muhammadun rasūlu llāh"
"There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger
of Allah. (Shahada)
Anthem: Millī Surūdملي سرود
(English: "National Anthem")
Capitaland largest city
Kabul34°32′N 69°08′E
Officiallanguages
Dari · Pashto[1]
Ethnic groups Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek,and others[2]
Religion Islam
Demonym Afghan[Note 1]
Government Unitary presidential Islamicrepublic
• President Ashraf Ghani
• Chief ExecutiveOfficer
Abdullah Abdullah
Legislature National Assembly
• Upper house House of Elders
• Lower house House of the People
Formation
• Hotak Empire April 1709
• Durrani Empire October 1747
• Emirate 1823
• Recognized 19 August 1919
Afghanistan
Afghanistan (/æfˈɡænɪstæn, -ɡɑːnɪstɑːn/ ( listen); Pashto/Dari: افغانستان , Pashto:
Afġānistān [avɣɒnisˈtɒn, ab-],[10] Dari: Afġānestān [avɣɒnesˈtɒn]), officially the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located within South
Asia.[11][12] Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east; Iran in the west;
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the north; and in the far northeast, China.
Its territory covers 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi) and much of it is
covered by the Hindu Kush mountain range, which experience very cold winters. The
north consists of fertile plains, whilst the south-west consists of deserts where
temperatures can get very hot in summers.[13] Kabul serves as the capital and its
largest city .
Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era, and the
country 's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the
Middle East and other parts of Asia. The land has historically been home to various
peoples and has witnessed numerous military campaigns, including those by
Alexander the Great, Mauryas, Muslim Arabs, Mongols, British, Soviet, and since 2001
by the United States with NATO-allied countries. It has been called "unconquerable"[14]
[15] and nicknamed the "graveyard of empires".[16] The land also served as the source
from which the Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids,
Khaljis, Mughals, Hotaks, Durranis, and others have risen to form major empires.[17]
The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and
Durrani dynasties in the 18th century. In the late 19th century, Afghanistan became a
buffer state in the "Great Game" between British India and the Russian Empire. Its
border with British India, the Durand Line, was formed in 1893 but it is not recognized
by the Afghan government and it has led to strained relations with Pakistan since the
latter's independence in 1947 . Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 the
country was free of foreign influence, eventually becoming a monarchy under King
Amanullah, and later for 40 years under Zahir Shah. In the late 197 0s, Afghanistan in
a series of coups first became a socialist state and then a Soviet Union protectorate.
This evoked the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s against rebels. By 1996 most of
Afghanistan was captured by the fundamentalist Islamic group the Taliban, who ruled
most of the country as a totalitarian regime for almost five years. The Taliban were
forcibly removed by the NATO-led coalition, and a new democratically-elected
government political structure was formed.
Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic with a population of 35 million,
mostly composed of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks. It is a member of the
United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 7 7 , the
Economic Cooperation Organization, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Afghanistan's
economy is the world's 108th largest, with a GDP of $64.08 billion; the country fares
much worse in terms of per-capita GDP (PPP), ranking 167 th out of 186 countries in a
2016 report from the International Monetary Fund.[18]
Etymology
HistoryPre-Islamic period
Islamization and Mongol invasion
Hotak dynasty and Durrani Empire
British influence and independent kingdom
PDPA coup d'état and Soviet war
Proxy and civil war and Islamic jihad 1989–96
Taliban Emirate and Northern Alliance
Recent history (2002–present)
Geography
Coor din a tes: 3 3 °N 6 5 °E
Contents
0:00 MENU
• Kingdom 9 June 1926
• Republic 17 July 1973
• Currentconstitution
26 January 2004
Area
• Total 652,864[5] km2 (252,072 sq mi)(40th)
• Water (%) negligible
Population
• 2016 estimate 34,656,032[6] (40th)
• Density 49.88/km2 (129.2/sq mi)(150th)
GDP (PPP) 2017 estimate
• Total $70 billion[7]
• Per capita $1,888[7]
GDP (nominal) 2017 estimate
• Total $21 billion[7]
• Per capita $572[7]
Gini (2008) 29[8]
low
HDI (2014) 0.465[9]
low · 171st
Currency Afghani (Afs) (AFN)
Time zone D† (UTC+4:30 Solar Calendar)
Drives on the right
Calling code +93
ISO 3166 code AF
Internet TLD .af افغانستان.
DemographicsEthnic groups
Languages
Religions
GovernanceElections and parties
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations and military
Law enforcement
EconomyMining
Transportat ionAir
Rail
Roads
Health
Education
CultureMedia and entertainment
Communication
Cuisine
Poetry
Sports
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External l inks
The name Afghānistān (Pashto: افغانستان ) is believed to be as old as the ethnonym
Afghan, which is documented in the 10th-century geography book Hudud ul-'alam.
The root name "Afghan" was used historically in reference to a member of the ethnic Pashtuns, and the suffix "-stan" means "place of" in
Persian. Therefore, Afghanistan translates to land of the Afghans or, more specifically in a historical sense, to land of the Pashtuns.
However, the modern Constitution of Afghanistan states that "[t]he word Afghan shall apply to every citizen of Afghanistan."[19]
Excavations of prehistoric sites by Louis Dupree and others suggest that humans were living in
what is now Afghanistan at least 50,000 years ago, and that farming communities in the area were
among the earliest in the world. An important site of early historical activities, many believe that
Afghanistan compares to Egypt in terms of the historical value of its archaeological sites.[20][21]
The country sits at a unique nexus point where numerous civilizations have interacted and often
fought. It has been home to various peoples through the ages, among them the ancient Iranian
peoples who established the dominant role of Indo-Iranian languages in the region. At multiple
points, the land has been incorporated within large regional empires, among them the
Achaemenid Empire, the Macedonian Empire, the Indian Maurya Empire, and the Islamic
Empire.[22]
Many empires and kingdoms have also risen to power in Afghanistan, such as the Greco-Bactrians, Kushans, Hephthalites, Kabul Shahis,
Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Khaljis, Kartids, Timurids, Mughals, and finally the Hotak and Durrani dynasties that marked the
political origins of the modern state.[23]
Archaeological exploration done in the 20th century suggests that the geographical area of Afghanistan has been closely connected by
culture and trade with its neighbors to the east, west, and north. Artifacts typical of the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron
ages have been found in Afghanistan. Urban civilization is believed to have begun as early as 3000 BCE, and the early city of Mundigak (near
Kandahar in the south of the country) may have been a colony of the nearby Indus Valley Civilization. More recent findings established that
the Indus Valley Civilisation stretched up towards modern-day Afghanistan, making the ancient civilisation today part of Pakistan,
Afghanistan and India. In more detail, it extended from what today is northwest Pakistan to northwest India and northeast Afghanistan. An
Indus Valley site has been found on the Oxus River at Shortugai in northern Afghanistan.[24][25] There are several smaller IVC colonies to be
Etymology
History
Citadel of Herat
Pre-Islamic period
found in Afghanistan as well.
After 2000 BCE, successive waves of
semi-nomadic people from Central Asia
began moving south into Afghanistan;
among them were many Indo-European-
speaking Indo-Iranians. These tribes later
migrated further into South Asia, Western
Asia, and toward Europe via the area
north of the Caspian Sea. The region at the
time was referred to as Ariana.[20][26][27]
The religion Zoroastrianism is believed by
some to have originated in what is now
Afghanistan between 1800 and 800 BCE,
as its founder Zoroaster is thought to have
lived and died in Balkh. Ancient Eastern
Iranian languages may have been spoken in the region around the time of the rise of Zoroastrianism. By the middle of the 6th century BCE,
the Achaemenids overthrew the Medes and incorporated Arachosia, Aria, and Bactria within its eastern boundaries. An inscription on the
tombstone of Darius I of Persia mentions the Kabul Valley in a list of the 29 countries that he had conquered.[28]
Alexander the Great and his Macedonian forces arrived to Afghanistan in 330 BCE after defeating Darius III of Persia a year earlier in the
Battle of Gaugamela. Following Alexander's brief occupation, the successor state of the Seleucid Empire controlled the region until 305 BCE,
when they gave much of it to the Maurya Empire as part of an alliance treaty . The Mauryans controlled the area south of the Hindu Kush
until they were overthrown in about 185 BCE. Their decline began 60 years after Ashoka's rule ended, leading to the Hellenistic reconquest
by the Greco-Bactrians. Much of it soon broke away from them and became part of the Indo-Greek Kingdom. They were defeated and
expelled by the Indo-Scythians in the late 2nd century BCE.[29][30]
During the first century BCE, the Parthian Empire subjugated the region, but lost it to their Indo-Parthian vassals. In the mid-to-late first
century CE the vast Kushan Empire, centered in Afghanistan, became great patrons of Buddhist culture, making Buddhism flourish
throughout the region. The Kushans were overthrown by the Sassanids in the 3rd century CE, though the Indo-Sassanids continued to rule
at least parts of the region. They were followed by the Kidarite who, in turn, were replaced by the Hephthalites. By the 6th century CE, the
successors to the Kushans and Hepthalites established a small dynasty called Kabul Shahi. Much of the northeastern and southern areas of
the country remained dominated by Buddhist culture.[31]
Arab Muslims brought Islam to Herat and Zaranj in 642 CE and began spreading eastward; some of the native inhabitants they encountered
accepted it while others revolted. The land was collectively recognized by the Arabs as al-Hind due to its cultural connection with Greater
India. Before Islam was introduced, people of the region were mostly Buddhists and Zoroastrians, but there were also Surya and Nana
worshipers, Jews, and others. The Zunbils and Kabul Shahi were first conquered in 87 0 CE by the Saffarid Muslims of Zaranj. Later, the
Samanids extended their Islamic influence south of the Hindu Kush. It is reported that Muslims and non-Muslims still lived side by side in
Kabul before the Ghaznavids rose to power in the 10th century.[32][33][34]
Bilingual (Greek and Aramaic) edict by
Emperor Ashoka from the 3rd century
BCE discovered in the southern city
of Kandahar The taller Buddha of Bamiyan. Buddhism was widespread before the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan.
The smaller Buddha.
Islamization and Mongol invasion
By the 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni defeated the remaining Hindu rulers and effectively
Islamized the wider region, with the exception of Kafiristan. Afghanistan became one of the main
centers in the Muslim world during this Islamic Golden Age. The Ghaznavid dynasty was
overthrown by the Ghurids, who expanded and advanced the already powerful Islamic empire.
In 1219 AD, Genghis Khan and his Mongol army overran the region. His troops are said to have
annihilated the Khorasanian cities of Herat and Balkh as well as Bamyan.[35] The destruction
caused by the Mongols forced many locals to return to an agrarian rural society .[36] Mongol rule
continued with the Ilkhanate in the northwest while the Khalji dynasty administered the Afghan
tribal areas south of the Hindu Kush until the invasion of Timur, who established the Timurid
Empire in 137 0.
In the early 16th century, Babur arrived from Fergana and captured Kabul from the Arghun
dynasty. In 1526, he invaded Delhi in India to replace the Lodi dynasty with the Mughal Empire.
Between the 16th and 18th century, the Khanate of Bukhara, Safavids, and Mughals ruled parts of
the territory. Before the 19th century, the northwestern area of Afghanistan was referred to by the
regional name Khorasan. Two of the four capitals of Khorasan (Herat and Balkh) are now located in Afghanistan, while the regions of
Kandahar, Zabulistan, Ghazni, Kabulistan, and Afghanistan formed the frontier between Khorasan and Hindustan.[37][38][39]
In 17 09, Mirwais Hotak, a local Ghilzai tribal leader, successfully rebelled against the Safavids. He defeated
Gurgin Khan and made Afghanistan independent.[40] Mirwais died of a natural cause in 17 15 and was
succeeded by his brother Abdul Aziz, who was soon killed by Mirwais' son Mahmud for treason. Mahmud led
the Afghan army in 17 22 to the Persian capital of Isfahan, captured the city after the Battle of Gulnabad and
proclaimed himself King of Persia.[40] The Afghan dynasty was ousted from Persia by Nader Shah after the
17 29 Battle of Damghan.
In 17 38, Nader Shah and his forces captured Kandahar, the last Hotak stronghold, from Shah Hussain Hotak,
at which point the incarcerated 16-year-old Ahmad Shah Durrani was freed and made the commander of an
Afghan regiment. Soon after the Persian and Afghan forces invaded India. By 17 47 , the Afghans chose Durrani
as their head of state.[41] Durrani and his Afghan army conquered much of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan,
the Khorasan and Kohistan provinces of Iran, and Delhi in India.[42] He defeated the Indian Maratha Empire,
and one of his biggest victories was the 17 61 Battle of Panipat.
In October 17 7 2, Durrani died of a natural cause and was buried at a site now adjacent to the Shrine of the
Cloak in Kandahar. He was succeeded by his son, Timur Shah, who transferred the capital of Afghanistan from
Kandahar to Kabul in 17 7 6. After Timur's death in 17 93, the Durrani throne passed down to his son Zaman
Shah, followed by Mahmud Shah, Shuja Shah and others.[43]
The Afghan Empire was under threat in the early 19th century by the Persians in the west and the Sikh Empire in the east. Fateh Khan, leader
of the Barakzai tribe, had installed 21 of his brothers in positions of power throughout the empire. After his death, they rebelled and divided
up the provinces of the empire between themselves. During this turbulent period, Afghanistan had many temporary rulers until Dost
Mohammad Khan declared himself emir in 1826.[44] The Punjab region was lost to Ranjit Singh, who invaded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in
1834 captured the city of Peshawar.[45] In 1837 , during the Battle of Jamrud near the Khyber Pass, Akbar Khan and the Afghan army failed
to capture the Jamrud fort from the Sikh Khalsa Army, but killed Sikh Commander Hari Singh Nalwa, thus ending the Afghan-Sikh Wars. By
this time the British were advancing from the east and the first major conflict during "The Great Game" was initiated.[46]
In 1838, the British marched into Afghanistan and arrested Dost Mohammad, sent him into exile in India and replaced him with the
previous ruler, Shah Shuja.[47][48] Following an uprising, the 1842 retreat from Kabul of British-Indian forces and the annihilation of
Elphinstone's army, and the Battle of Kabul that led to its recapture, the British placed Dost Mohammad Khan back into power and withdrew
their military forces from Afghanistan. In 187 8, the Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought over perceived Russian influence, Abdur Rahman
Khan replaced Ayub Khan, and Britain gained control of Afghanistan's foreign relations as part of the Treaty of Gandamak of 187 9. In 1893,
Mortimer Durand made Amir Abdur Rahman Khan sign a controversial agreement in which the ethnic Pashtun and Baloch territories were
divided by the Durand Line. This was a standard divide and rule policy of the British and would lead to strained relations, especially with the
later new state of Pakistan. Shia-dominated Hazarajat and pagan Kafiristan remained politically independent until being conquered by
Abdur Rahman Khan in 1891-1896.
After the Third Anglo-Afghan War and the signing of the Treaty of Rawalpindi on 19 August 1919, King Amanullah Khan declared
Afghanistan a sovereign and fully independent state. He moved to end his country 's traditional isolation by establishing diplomatic relations
with the international community and, following a 1927 –28 tour of Europe and Turkey, introduced several reforms intended to modernize
The Friday Mosque of Herat is one of
the oldest mosques in Afghanistan.
(March 1962 photo)
Hotak dynasty and Durrani Empire
Ahmad Shah Durrani,
founder of the last
Afghan empire and viewed
as Father of the Nation
British influence and independent kingdom
his nation. A key force behind these reforms was Mahmud Tarzi,
an ardent supporter of the education of women. He fought for
Article 68 of Afghanistan's 1923 constitution, which made
elementary education compulsory. The institution of slavery was
abolished in 1923.[49]
Some of the reforms that were actually put in place, such as the
abolition of the traditional burqa for women and the opening of a
number of co-educational schools, quickly alienated many tribal
and religious leaders. Faced with overwhelming armed
opposition, Amanullah Khan was forced to abdicate in January
1929 after Kabul fell to rebel forces led by Habibullah Kalakani.
Prince Mohammed Nadir Shah, Amanullah's cousin, in turn
defeated and killed Kalakani in November 1929, and was declared
King Nadir Shah. He abandoned the reforms of Amanullah Khan
in favor of a more gradual approach to modernisation but was
assassinated in 1933 by Abdul Khaliq, a fifteen-year-old Hazara
student.
Mohammed Zahir Shah, Nadir Shah's 19-year-old son, succeeded to the throne and reigned from 1933
to 197 3. Until 1946, Zahir Shah ruled with the assistance of his uncle, who held the post of Prime
Minister and continued the policies of Nadir Shah. Another of Zahir Shah's uncles, Shah Mahmud
Khan, became Prime Minister in 1946 and began an experiment allowing greater political freedom,
but reversed the policy when it went further than he expected. He was replaced in 1953 by
Mohammed Daoud Khan, the king's cousin and brother-in-law. Daoud Khan sought a closer
relationship with the Soviet Union and a more distant one towards Pakistan.
The King built close relationships with the Axis powers in the 1930s - but Afghanistan remained
neutral and was neither a participant in World War II nor aligned with either power bloc in the Cold
War thereafter. However, it was a beneficiary of the latter rivalry as both the Soviet Union and the
United States vied for influence by building Afghanistan's main highways, airports, and other vital
infrastructure. On per capita basis, Afghanistan received more Soviet development aid than any other
country. Afghanistan had therefore good relations with both Cold War enemies. In 197 3, while King
Zahir Shah was on an official overseas visit, Daoud Khan launched a bloodless coup and became the first President of Afghanistan, abolishing
the monarchy. In the meantime, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto got neighboring Pakistan involved in Afghanistan. Some experts suggest that Bhutto
paved the way for the April 197 8 Saur Revolution.[50]
In April 197 8, the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) seized power in the Saur
Revolution, a coup d'état against then-President Mohammed Daoud Khan. The PDPA declared
the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, with its first President named as
Nur Muhammad Taraki.
Opposition to PDPA reforms, such as its land redistribution policy and modernization of
(traditional Islamic) civil and marriage laws, led to unrest which aggravated to rebellion and
revolt around October 197 8, first in eastern Afghanistan (see Initiation of the insurgency in
Afghanistan 197 8). That uprising quickly expanded into a civil war waged by guerrilla
mujahideen against regime forces countrywide. The Pakistani government provided these
rebels with covert training centers, while the Soviet Union sent thousands of military advisers
to support the PDPA regime.[51] As early as mid-197 9 (see CIA activities in Afghanistan), the
United States were supporting Afghan mujahideen and foreign "Afghan Arab" fighters through
Pakistan's ISI.[52]
Meanwhile, increasing friction between the competing factions of the PDPA — the dominant Khalq and the more moderate Parcham —
resulted (in July–August 197 9) in the dismissal of Parchami cabinet members and the arrest of Parchami military officers under the pretext
of a Parchami coup.
In September 197 9, President Taraki was assassinated in a coup within the PDPA orchestrated by fellow Khalq member Hafizullah Amin,
who assumed the presidency. The Soviet Union was displeased with Amin's government, and decided to intervene and invade the country
on 27 December 197 9, killing Amin that same day.
British and allied forces at Kandahar
after the 1880 Battle of Kandahar,
during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.
The large defensive wall around the
city was removed in the early 1930s
by the order of King Nadir.Zahir Shah, the last king of
Afghanistan, who reigned
from 1933 to 1973.
King Amanullah Khan and Queen
Soraya Tarzi on a visit to Berlin in
1928
PDPA coup d'état and Soviet war
Soviet troops in Gardez, Afghanistan in
1987
A Soviet-organized regime, led by Parcham's Babrak Karmal but inclusive of both factions (Parcham and
Khalq), filled the vacuum. Soviet troops in more substantial numbers were deployed to stabilize
Afghanistan under Karmal, and as a result the Soviets were now directly involved in what had been a
domestic war in Afghanistan (of mujahideen against PDPA government),[53] which war from December
197 9 until 1989 is therefore also known as the Soviet–Afghan War. The United States, supporting the
Afghan mujahideen and foreign "Afghan Arab" fighters since mid-197 9 through Pakistan's ISI,[52] and Saudi
Arabia, from now on delivered for billions in cash and weapons, including two thousand FIM-92 Stinger
surface-to-air missiles, to Pakistan as support for the anti-Soviet mujahideen.[54][55]
The PDPA prohibited usury, declared equality of the sexes,[56] and introduced women to political life.[56]
During this war from 197 9 until 1989, Soviet forces, their Afghan proxies and rebels killed between
562,000[57] and 2 million Afghans,[58][59][60][61][62][63][64] and displaced about 6 million people who
subsequently fled Afghanistan, mainly to Pakistan and Iran.[65] Many countryside villages were bombed
and some cities such as Herat and Kandahar were also damaged from air bombardment. Pakistan's North-
West Frontier Province functioned as an organisational and networking base for the anti-Soviet Afghan
resistance, with the province's influential Deobandi ulama playing a major supporting role in promoting the 'jihad'.[66] Meanwhile, the
central Afghan region of Hazarajat, which in this period was free of Soviet or PDPA government presence, experienced an internal civil war
from 1980 to 1984.
Faced with mounting international pressure and numerous casualties, the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, but continued to
support Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah until 1992.[67]
Mujahideen (Islamic resistance) forces in October 197 8 (see above) had started a guerrilla or civil war against the PDPA's government of
Afghanistan. After the Soviet invasion, December 197 9, replacing one PDPA President for another PDPA President, the mujahideen
proclaimed to be battling the hostile PDPA "puppet regime".[68] In 1987 , Mohammad Najibullah had become Afghan President, and after the
Soviet withdrawal in 1989 he was still sponsored by the Soviet Union,[68] and fought by the mujahideen.
President Najibullah therefore tried to build support for his government by moving away from socialism to pan-Afghan nationalism,
abolishing the one-party state, portraying his government as Islamic, and in 1990 removing all signs of communism.
Nevertheless, Najibullah did not win any significant support. In March 1989, two mujahideen groups launched an attack on Jalalabad,
instigated by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) who wanted to see a mujahideen Islamic government established in Afghanistan,
but the attack failed after three months. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 and the ending of Russian support,
President Najibullah was left without foreign aid. In March 1991, mujahideen forces attacked and conquered the city of Khost.
In March 1992, President Najibullah agreed to step aside and make way for a mujahideen coalition government. Mujahideen leaders came
together in Peshawar, Pakistan, to negotiate such a government, but mujahideen Hezbi Islami's leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, presumably
supported by ISI, refused to meet other leaders. On 16 April 1992, four Afghani government Generals ousted President Najibullah. Little
later, Hezbi Islami invaded Kabul. This ignited war in Kabul on 25 April with rivalling groups Jamiat and Junbish in which soon two more
mujahideen groups mingled; all groups except Jamiat were supported by an Islamic foreign government (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Uzbekistan) or
intelligence agency (Pakistan's ISI).[69][70][71] In 1992–95, Kabul was heavily bombarded and considerably destroyed, by Hezbi Islami,
Jamiat, Junbish, Hizb-i-Wahdat, and Ittihad; in that period, half a million Kabuli fled to Pakistan.[72] In January–June 1994, 25,000 people
died in Kabul due to fighting between an alliance of Dostum's (Junbish) with Hekmatyar's (Hezbi Islami) against Massoud’s (Jamiat)
forces.[73] Also other cities turned into battleground.
In 1993–95, (sub-)commanders of Jamiat, Junbish, Hezbi Islami and Hizb-i-Wahdat descended to
rape, murder and extortion.[70][74][72] The Taliban emerged in September 1994 as a movement and
militia of Pashtun students (talib) from Islamic madrassas (schools) in Pakistan,[72][75] pledged to
rid Afghanistan of 'warlords and criminals',[76] and soon had military support from Pakistan.[77] In
November 1994 the Taliban took control of Kandahar city after forcing local Pashtun leaders who
had tolerated complete lawlessness.[72] The Taliban in early 1995 attempted to capture Kabul but
were repelled by forces under Massoud. Taliban, having grown stronger, in September 1996
attacked and occupied Kabul after Massoud and Hekmatyar had withdrawn their troops from
Kabul.[78][79]
In late September 1996, the Taliban, in control of Kabul and most of Afghanistan,[80] proclaimed their Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They
imposed a strict form of Sharia, similar to that found in Saudi Arabia. According to Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) in 1998, "no other
regime in the world has methodically and violently forced half of its population into virtual house arrest, prohibiting them on pain of
physical punishment from showing their faces, seeking medical care without a male escort, or attending school"[81] The brutality of the
Taliban's totalitarian regime was comparable to those of Stalin's Russia or the Khmer Rouge rule of Cambodia.[82]
Hezb-i Islami Khalis fighters
in the Sultan Valley of Kunar
Province, 1987
Proxy and civil war and Islamic jihad 1989–96
A section of Kabul during the civil war
in 1993, which caused significant
damage to the capital
Taliban Emirate and Northern Alliance
After the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, Massoud and Dostum formed the Northern Alliance. The Taliban defeated Dostum's forces during the
Battles of Mazar-i-Sharif (1997 –98). Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Pervez Musharraf, began sending thousands of Pakistanis to help the
Taliban defeat the Northern Alliance.[83][77][84][85][86][87] From 1996 to 2001, the al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-
Zawahiri was also operating inside Afghanistan.[88] This and the fact that around one million Afghans were internally displaced made the
United States worry.[84][89] From 1990 to September 2001, around 400,000 Afghans died in the internal mini-wars.[90]
On 9 September 2001, Massoud was assassinated by two Arab suicide attackers in Panjshir province of Afghanistan. Two days later, the
September 11 attacks were carried out in the United States. The US government suspected Osama bin Laden as the perpetrator of the
attacks, and demanded that the Taliban hand him over.[91] The Taliban offered to hand over Bin Laden to a third country for trial, but not
directly to the US. Washington refused that offer.[92] Instead, the US launched the October 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom. The majority
of Afghans supported the American invasion of their country.[93][94] During the initial invasion, US and UK forces bombed al-Qaeda training
camps. The United States began working with the Northern Alliance to remove the Taliban from power.[95]
In December 2001, after the Taliban government was overthrown, the Afghan Interim
Administration under Hamid Karzai was formed, in which process the Taliban were typecast as 'the
bad guys' and left out. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was established by the UN
Security Council to help assist the Karzai administration and provide basic security .[96][97] Taliban
forces meanwhile began regrouping inside Pakistan, while more coalition troops entered Afghanistan
and began rebuilding the war-torn country.[98][99]
Shortly after their fall from power, the Taliban began an insurgency to regain control of Afghanistan.
Over the next decade, ISAF and Afghan troops led many offensives against the Taliban, but failed to
fully defeat them. Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world due to a lack of
foreign investment, government corruption, and the Taliban insurgency.[100][101]
Meanwhile, the Afghan government was able to build some democratic structures, and the
country changed its name to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Attempts were made, often
with the support of foreign donor countries, to improve the country 's economy, healthcare,
education, transport, and agriculture. ISAF forces also began to train the Afghan National
Security Forces.
In the decade following 2002, over five million Afghans were repatriated, including some
who were deported from Western countries.[102][103]
By 2009, a Taliban-led shadow government began to form in parts of the country.[104] In
2010, President Karzai attempted to hold peace negotiations with the Taliban leaders, but the
rebel group refused to attend until mid-2015 when the Taliban supreme leader finally decided
to back the peace talks.[105]
After the May 2011 death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, many prominent Afghan figures
were assassinated.[106] Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes intensified and many large
scale attacks by the Pakistan-based Haqqani Network also took place across Afghanistan. The
United States blamed rogue elements within the Pakistani government for the increased
attacks.[107][108]
The U.S. government spent tens of billions of dollars on development aid over 15 years and
over a trillion dollars on military expenses during the same period.[109][110] Following the
2014 presidential election President Karzai left power and Ashraf Ghani became President in September 2014.[111] The United States' war in
Afghanistan – by then the longest in its history – officially ended on 28 December 2014. However, thousands of US-led NATO troops have
remained in the country to train and advise Afghan government forces.[112] The 2001–present war has resulted in over 90,000 direct war-
related deaths, which includes insurgents, Afghan civilians and government forces. Over 100,000 have been injured.[113]
A landlocked mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest, Afghanistan is located within South Asia[12][114] and Central
Asia.[115] It is part of the US-coined Greater Middle East Muslim world, which lies between latitudes 29° N and 39° N, and longitudes 60° E
and 7 5° E. The country 's highest point is Noshaq, at 7 ,492 m (24,580 ft) above sea level. It has a continental climate with harsh winters in
the central highlands, the glaciated northeast (around Nuristan), and the Wakhan Corridor, where the average temperature in January is
below −15 °C (5 °F), and hot summers in the low-lying areas of the Sistan Basin of the southwest, the Jalalabad basin in the east, and the
Turkestan plains along the Amu River in the north, where temperatures average over 35 °C (95 °F) in July .
Recent history (2002–present)
Hamid Karzai dominated Afghan
politics after the Taliban's fall
From upper left, clockwise – Canadian
troops in Kandahar; American president
Barack Obama meets Afghan leader Hamid
Karzai in March 2010; US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton with female politicians
in Kabul in October, 2011; An officer of the
RAF explains a C-27 of the Afghan air
force to 'Thunder Lab' students in July
2011
Geography
Despite having numerous rivers and reservoirs,
large parts of the country are dry. The
endorheic Sistan Basin is one of the driest
regions in the world.[116] Aside from the usual
rainfall, Afghanistan receives snow during the
winter in the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains,
and the melting snow in the spring season
enters the rivers, lakes, and streams.[117][118]
However, two-thirds of the country 's water
flows into the neighboring countries of Iran,
Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. The state needs
more than US$2 billion to rehabilitate its
irrigation systems so that the water is properly
managed.[119]
The northeastern Hindu Kush mountain range, in and around the Badakhshan Province of
Afghanistan, is in a geologically active area where earthquakes may occur almost every year.[120]
They can be deadly and destructive sometimes, causing landslides in some parts or avalanches
during the winter.[121] The last strong earthquakes were in 1998, which killed about 6,000 people
in Badakhshan near Tajikistan.[122] This was followed by the 2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes in
which over 150 people were killed and over 1,000 injured. A 2010 earthquake left 11 Afghans
dead, over 7 0 injured, and more than 2,000 houses destroyed.
The country 's natural resources include: coal, copper, iron ore, lithium, uranium, rare earth
elements, chromite, gold, zinc, talc, barite, sulfur, lead, marble, precious and semi-precious
stones, natural gas, and petroleum, among other things.[123][124] In 2010, US and Afghan
government officials estimated that untapped mineral deposits located in 2007 by the US
Geological Survey are worth at least $1 trillion.[125]
At over 652,230 km2 (251,830 sq mi),[126] Afghanistan is the world's 41st largest country,[127] slightly bigger than France and smaller than
Burma, about the size of Texas in the United States. It borders Pakistan in the south and east; Iran in the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
and Tajikistan in the north; and China in the far east.
The population of Afghanistan was estimated at 29.2 million in 2017 .[129] Of this, 15 million
are males and 14.2 million females. About 22% of them are urbanite and the remaining 7 8%
live in rural areas.[130] An additional 3 million or so Afghans are temporarily housed in
neighboring Pakistan and Iran, most of whom were born and raised in those two countries.
This makes the total Afghan population at around 33,332,025, and its current growth rate is
2.34%.[11] This population is expected to reach 82 million by 2050 if current population
trends continue.[131]
The only city with over a million residents is its capital, Kabul. Due to a lack of census there
is no clear indication of what the largest cities in the country are, with various national and
international estimates and without always acknowledging the differentiation of city
municipalities and urban areas that go beyond city limits. After Kabul the other five large
cities are Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz and Jalalabad. Other major cities include
Lashkar Gah, Taloqan, Khost, Sheberghan, and Ghazni.
Afghanistan's population is divided into several ethnolinguistic groups, which are listed in the chart below:
Landscapes of Afghanistan, from left to right: 1.
Band-e Amir National Park; 2. Salang Pass in
Parwan Province; 3. Korangal Valley in Kunar
Province; and 4. Kajaki Dam in Helmand Province
Afghanistan map of Köppen climate
classification.
Topography
Demographics
Map of major cities as identified by
governmental organizations[128]
Kabul
HeratJalalabad
Kandahar
Mazar-i-Sharif
Kunduz
Lashkargah
Taloqan
Pul-e-Khomri
Sheberghan
Maimana
Ghazni
Khost
Zaranj
Ethnic groups
Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
Ethnic group World Factbook c . 2013 estimate [2]
Pashtun 42%
Tajik 33%
Hazara 9%
Uzbek 9%
Aimak 4%
Turkmen 3%
Baloch 2%
Others (Pashayi, Nuristani, Pamiri,Arab, etc.)
4%
Dari and Pashto are the official languages of Afghanistan; bilingualism is very
common.[1] Dari, which is a variety of and mutually intelligible with Persian (and very
often called 'Farsi' by some Afghans like in Iran) functions as the lingua franca in
Kabul as well as in much of the northern and northwestern parts of the country.[1]
Pashto is the native tongue of the Pashtuns, although many of them are also fluent in
Dari while some non-Pashtuns are fluent in Pashto.
There are a number of smaller regional languages, they include Uzbek, Turkmen,
Balochi, Pashayi, and Nuristani. Uzbek, Turkmen, Pashayi, Nuristani, Balochi and
Pamiri declared third official in areas where the majority speaks them. A number of
Afghans are also fluent in Urdu, English, and other foreign languages.
Schoolgirls from various ethnicities in Ghazni province
Children in the street of Qala-i-Shada, Kabul
Afghan boys wearing traditional headgear in Kunduz
Ethnolinguistic groups of Afghanistan as of
2001
Languages
Languages of Afghanistan[11]
Dari (Afghanistan Persian) 80%Pashto 47%Uzbek 11%English 5%Turkmen 2%Urdu 2%Pashayi 1%Nuristani 1%Arabic 1%
An estimated 99.7 % of the Afghan population is Muslim.[11] There has never been a
nationwide census of any kind in Afghanistan,[133] so the proportions of different religious
groups are estimates by different organisations.
Source Sunni Shia Islam Other Just aMuslim
Noth ing,do notknow, or no
answer
Pew ResearchCenter[134] 90% 7% 0% 3% 0%
CIA Factbook (2009
estimate)[11]84.7 -89.7%
10 - 15% 0.3%
Source HanafiSunni
ImamiShia
Ismail iShia
Other
Dr Michael Izady[133] 70% 25% 4.5% 0.5%
Thousands of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus are also found in the major cities.[135][136] There was a small Jewish community in Afghanistan who
had emigrated to Israel and the United States by the end of the twentieth century; at least one Jew, Zablon Simintov, remained.[137] There is
also at least one known Christian, current First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani,[138] apart from Christian foreigners.
Afghanistan is an Islamic republic consisting of three branches, the executive, legislative, and
judicial. The nation is led by President Ashraf Ghani with Abdul Rashid Dostum and Sarwar Danish
as vice presidents. Abdullah Abdullah serves as the chief executive officer (CEO). The National
Assembly is the legislature, a bicameral body having two chambers, the House of the People and
the House of Elders. The Supreme Court is led by Chief Justice Said Y usuf Halem, the former
Deputy Minister of Justice for Legal Affairs.[139][140]
According to Transparency International, Afghanistan remains in the top most corrupt countries
list.[141] A January 2010 report published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
revealed that bribery consumed an amount equal to 23% of the GDP of the nation.[142] A number of
government ministries are believed to be rife with corruption, and while then-President Karzai
vowed to tackle the problem in 2009 by stating that "individuals who are involved in corruption will have no place in the government",[143]
top government officials were stealing and misusing hundreds of millions of dollars through the Kabul Bank.
The 2004 Afghan presidential election was relatively
peaceful, in which Hamid Karzai won in the first round with
55.4% of the votes. However, the 2009 presidential election
was characterized by lack of security , low voter turnout, and
widespread electoral fraud.[144] The vote, along with
elections for 420 provincial council seats, took place in
August 2009, but remained unresolved during a lengthy
period of vote counting and fraud investigation.
Two months later, under international pressure, a second
round run-off vote between Karzai and remaining challenger
Abdullah was announced, but a few days later Abdullah announced that he would not participate
in 7 November run-off because his demands for changes in the electoral commission had not been met. The next day, officials of the election
commission cancelled the run-off and declared Hamid Karzai as President for another five-year term.[144]
In the 2005 parliamentary election, among the elected officials were former mujahideen, Islamic fundamentalists, warlords, communists,
reformists, and several Taliban associates.[145] In the same period, Afghanistan reached to the 30th highest nation in terms of female
representation in the National Assembly.[146] The last parliamentary election was held in September 2010, but due to disputes and
investigation of fraud, the swearing-in ceremony took place in late January 2011. The 2014 presidential election ended with Ashraf Ghani
winning by 56.44% votes.
Religions
Religion in Afghanistan[133]
Hanafi Sunni 70%Imami Shia 25%Ismaili Shia 4.5%Others 0.5%
Governance
The National Assembly of Afghanistan
in 2016
Elections and parties
From left to right: Abdullah Abdullah,
John Kerry and Ashraf Ghani during
the 2014 presidential election
The Arg (Presidential Palace)
Administrative divisions
Afghanistan is administratively divided into 34 provinces (wilayats). Each province is the size of a U.S. county, having a governor and a
capital. The country is further divided into nearly 400 provincial districts, each of which normally covers a city or a number of villages.
Each district is represented by a district governor.
The provincial governors are appointed by the President of Afghanistan and the district governors are selected by the provincial
governors.[147] The provincial governors are representatives of the central government in Kabul and are responsible for all administrative
and formal issues within their provinces. There are also provincial councils that are elected through direct and general elections for a
period of four years.[148] The functions of provincial councils are to take part in provincial development planning and to participate in the
monitoring and appraisal of other provincial governance institutions.
According to article 140 of the constitution and the presidential decree on electoral law, mayors of cities should be elected through free and
direct elections for a four-year term. However, due to huge election costs, mayoral and municipal elections have never been held. Instead,
mayors have been appointed by the government. In the capital city of Kabul, the mayor is appointed by the President of Afghanistan.
The following is a list of all the 34 provinces in alphabetical order:
Afghanistan became a member of the United Nations in 1946. It enjoys cordial relations with a
number of NATO and allied nations, particularly the United States, Canada, United Kingdom,
Germany, Australia, and Turkey. In 2012, the United States and Afghanistan signed their Strategic
Partnership Agreement in which Afghanistan became a major non-NATO ally . Afghanistan also has
friendly diplomatic relations with neighboring China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan, including with regional states such as Bangladesh, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Nepal,
Russia, South Korea, the UAE, and so forth. The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to
develop diplomatic relations with other countries around the world.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was established in 2002 in order
to help the country recover from the decades of war and neglect. Today, a number of NATO
member states deploy about 20,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of the Resolute Support
Mission. Its main purpose is to train the Afghan National Security Forces. The Afghan Armed
Forces are under the Ministry of Defense, which includes the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and the
Afghan National Army (ANA). The Afghan Defense University houses various educational establishments for the Afghan Armed Forces,
including the National Military Academy of Afghanistan.[149]
1. Badakhshan
2. Badghis
3. Baghlan
4. Balkh
5. Bamyan
6. Daykundi
7. Farah
8. Faryab
9. Ghazni
10. Ghor
11. Helmand
12. Herat
13. Jowzjan
14. Kabul
15. Kandahar
16. Kapisa
17. Khost
18. Kunar
19. Kunduz
20. Laghman
21. Logar
22. Nangarhar
23. Nimruz
24. Nuristan
25. Oruzgan
26. Paktia
27. Paktika
28. Panjshir
29. Parwan
30. Samangan
31. Sar-e Pol
32. Takhar
33. Wardak
34. Zabul
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces, and every province
is further divided into a number of districts
Foreign relations and military
Black Hawks of the Afghan Air Force
at Kandahar Airfield. As a major non-
NATO ally, the Afghan Armed Forces
receive most of their equipment and
training from the United States.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) is Afghanistan's domestic intelligence agency, which
operates similar to that of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or UK's Scotland Y ard. The
Afghan National Police (ANP) is under the Ministry of Interior Affairs and serves as a single law
enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan National Civil Order Police is the main
branch of the ANP, which is divided into five Brigades, each commanded by a Brigadier General.
These brigades are stationed in Kabul, Gardez, Kandahar, Herat, and Mazar-i-Sharif. There is one
Chief of Police in every province.
All parts of Afghanistan are considered dangerous due to militant activities and terrorism-related
incidents. Kidnapping for ransom and robberies are common in major cities. Every year hundreds
of Afghan police are killed in the line of duty. The Afghan Border Police (ABP) is responsible for
protecting the nation's airports and borders, especially the disputed Durand Line border, which is often used by terrorists and criminals for
their illegal activities. Drugs from Afghanistan are smuggled to neighboring countries by various nationals but mostly by Afghans, Iranians,
Pakistanis, Tajikistanis, Turkmenistanis and Uzbekistanis. The Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics is responsible for the monitoring and
eradication of the illegal drug business.
Afghanistan's GDP is around $64 billion with an exchange rate of
$18.4 billion, and its GDP per capita is $2,000. Despite having $1
trillion or more in mineral deposits,[150] it remains as one of the least
developed countries. The country imports over $6 billion worth of
goods but exports only $658 million, mainly fruits and nuts. It has
less than $1.5 billion in external debt.[11]
Agricultural production is the backbone of Afghanistan's
economy.[151] The country is known for producing some of the finest
pomegranates, grapes, apricots, melons, and several other fresh and
dry fruits. It is also known as the world's largest producer of opium.
Sources indicate that as much as 11% or more of the nation's
economy is derived from the cultivation and sale of opium.
While the nation's current account deficit is largely financed with donor money, only a small
portion is provided directly to the government budget. The rest is provided to non-budgetary
expenditure and donor-designated projects through the United Nations system and non-
governmental organizations.[152] The Afghan Ministry of Finance is focusing on improved revenue
collection and public sector expenditure discipline. For example, government revenues increased
31% to $1.7 billion from March 2010 to March 2011.
Da Afghanistan Bank serves as the central bank of the
nation and the "Afghani" (AFN) is the national currency,
with an exchange rate of about 60 Afghanis to 1 US
dollar. A number of local and foreign banks operate in
the country, including the Afghanistan International Bank,
New Kabul Bank, Azizi Bank, Pashtany Bank, Standard
Chartered Bank, and the First Micro Finance Bank.
One of the main drivers for the current economic recovery
is the return of over 5 million expatriates, who brought with
them fresh energy, entrepreneurship and wealth-creating
skills as well as much needed funds to start up businesses. Many Afghans are now involved in
construction, which is one of the largest industries in the country.[153] Some of the major national
construction projects include the $35 billion New Kabul City next to the capital, the Aino Mena
project in Kandahar, and the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Town near Jalalabad.[154][155][156] Similar development projects have also begun in
Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, and other cities.[157] An estimated 400,000 people enter the labor market each year.[158]
A number of small companies and factories began operating in different parts of the country, which not only provide revenues to the
government but also create new jobs. Improvements to the business environment have resulted in more than $1.5 billion in telecom
investment and created more than 100,000 jobs since 2003.[159] Afghan rugs are becoming popular again, allowing many carpet dealers
around the country to hire more workers.
Law enforcement
Afghan National Police (ANP) in Kunar
Province
Economy
Seller of Afghan carpets
Workers processing pomegranates
(anaar), which Afghanistan is famous
for in Asia
Afghan women at a textile factory in
Kabul
Afghanistan, Trends in the Human
Development Index, 1970–2010
A bustling market street in central
Kabul, 2009
Afghanistan is a member of WTO, SAARC, ECO, and OIC. It holds an observer status in SCO. Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul told the media
in 2011 that his nation's "goal is to achieve an Afghan economy whose growth is based on trade, private enterprise and investment".[160]
Experts believe that this will revolutionize the economy of the region. In June 2012, India advocated for private investments in the
resource rich country and the creation of a suitable environment therefor.[161]
Telecommunications company Roshan is the largest private employer in the country as of 2014.[162]
Year [163] 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
GDP in $ (PPP)
18.76Bil.
20.81Bil.
21.52Bil..
24.84Bil.
26.97Bil.
31.39Bil.
33.24Bil.
40.39Bil.
44.33Bil.
48.18Bil.
55.92Bil.
60.05Bil.
62.78Bil.
64.29Bil.
66.65Bil.
69.55Bil.
GDP percapita in $
(PPP)845 900 896 999 1,052 1,191 1,230 1,458 1,561 1,655 1,875 1,966 2,007 2,009 1,923 1,957
GDP growth(real)
... 8.7 % 0.7 % 11.8 % 5.4 % 13.3 % 3.9 % 20.6 % 8.6 % 6.5 % 14.0 % 5.7 % 2.7 % 1.3 % 2.4 % 2.5 %
Governmentdebt
(Percentage ofGDP)
346 % 271 % 245 % 206 % 23 % 20 % 19 % 16 % 8 % 8 % 7 % 7 % 9 % 9 % 8 % 7 %
Michael E. O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution estimated that if Afghanistan generates about $10
billion per year from its mineral deposits, its gross national product would double and provide long-
term funding for Afghan security forces and other critical needs.[164] The United States Geological
Survey (USGS) estimated in 2006 that northern Afghanistan has an average 2.9 billion (bn) barrels
(bbl) of crude oil, 15.7 trillion cubic feet (440 bn m3 ) of natural gas, and 562 million bbl of natural gas
liquids.[165] In 2011, Afghanistan signed an oil exploration contract with China National Petroleum
Corporation (CNPC) for the development of three oil fields along the Amu Darya river in the
north.[166]
The country has significant amounts of lithium, copper, gold, coal, iron ore, and other
minerals.[123][124][167] The Khanashin carbonatite in Helmand Province contains 1,000,000 metric
tons (1,100,000 short tons) of rare earth elements.[168] In 2007 , a 30-year lease was granted for the
Aynak copper mine to the China Metallurgical Group for $3 billion,[169] making it the biggest foreign
investment and private business venture in Afghanistan's history.[170] The state-run Steel Authority
of India won the mining rights to develop the huge Hajigak iron ore deposit in central Afghanistan.[171]
Government officials estimate that 30% of the country 's untapped mineral deposits are worth at least
$1 trillion.[125] One official asserted that "this will become the backbone of the Afghan economy" and a Pentagon memo stated that
Afghanistan could become the "Saudi Arabia of lithium".[172] In a 2011 news story, the CSM reported, "The United States and other Western
nations that have borne the brunt of the cost of the Afghan war have been conspicuously absent from the bidding process on Afghanistan's
mineral deposits, leaving it mostly to regional powers."[173]
Air transport in Afghanistan is provided by the national carrier, Ariana Afghan Airlines (AAA),
and by private companies such as Afghan Jet International, East Horizon Airlines, Kam Air, Pamir
Airways, and Safi Airways. Airlines from a number of countries also provide flights in and out of
the country. These include Air India, Emirates, Gulf Air, Iran Aseman Airlines, Pakistan
International Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.
The country has four international airports: Hamid Karzai International Airport (formerly Kabul
International Airport), Kandahar International Airport, Herat International Airport, and Mazar-e
Sharif International Airport. There are also around a dozen domestic airports with flights to Kabul
and other major cities.
As of 2017 , the country has three rail links, one a 7 5 kilometres (47 mi) line from Mazar-i-Sharif to the Uzbekistan border;[174] a 10
kilometres (6.2 mi) long line from Toraghundi to the Turkmenistan border (where it continues as part of Turkmen Railways); and a short link
from Aqina across the Turkmen border to Kerki, which is planned to be extended further across Afghanistan.[175] These lines are used for
freight only and there is no passenger service as of yet. A rail line between Khaf, Iran and Herat, western Afghanistan, intended for both
Mining
Lapis lazuli stones
Transportation
Air
An Ariana Afghan Airlines (AAA)
Airbus A310 in 2006
Rail
freight and passengers, is under construction and due to open by 2018. About 125 kilometres
(7 8 mi) of the line will lie on the Afghan side.[176][177] There are various proposals for the
construction of additional rail lines in the country.[178]
Traveling by bus in Afghanistan remains dangerous due to militant activities.[179] The buses
are usually older model Mercedes-Benz and owned by private companies. Serious traffic
accidents are common on Afghan roads and highways, particularly on the Kabul–Kandahar
and the Kabul–Jalalabad Road.[180]
Newer automobiles have recently become more widely available after the rebuilding of roads
and highways. They are imported from the United Arab Emirates through Pakistan and Iran. As of 2012, vehicles more than 10 years old are
banned from being imported into the country. The development of the nation's road network is a major boost for the economy due to trade
with neighboring countries. Postal services in Afghanistan are provided by the publicly owned Afghan Post and private companies such as
FedEx, DHL, and others.
According to the Human Development Index, Afghanistan is the 15th least developed country in
the world. The average life expectancy is estimated to be around 60 years.[181][182] The country 's
maternal mortality rate is 396 deaths/100,000 live births and its infant mortality rate is 66[182] to
112.8 deaths in every 1,000 live births.[11] The Ministry of Public Health plans to cut the infant
mortality rate to 400 for every 100,000 live births before 2020. The country has more than
3,000 midwives, with an additional 300 to 400 being trained each year.[183]
There are over 100 hospitals in Afghanistan, with the most advanced treatments being available in
Kabul. The French Medical Institute for Children and Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital in Kabul
are the leading children's hospitals in the country. Some of the other main hospitals in Kabul
include the Jamhuriat Hospital and the under-construction Jinnah Hospital. In spite of all this,
many Afghans travel to Pakistan and India for advanced treatment.
It was reported in 2006 that nearly 60% of the Afghan population lives within a two-hour walk of the nearest health facility .[184] Disability
rate is also high in Afghanistan due to the decades of war.[185] It was reported recently that about 80,000 people are missing limbs.[186][187]
Non-governmental charities such as Save the Children and Mahboba's Promise assist orphans in association with governmental
structures.[188] Demographic and Health Surveys is working with the Indian Institute of Health Management Research and others to
conduct a survey in Afghanistan focusing on maternal death, among other things.[189]
Education in Afghanistan includes K–12 and higher education, which is overseen by the Ministry
of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education. There are over 16,000 schools in the country
and roughly 9 million students. Of this, about 60% are males and 40% females. Over 17 4,000
students are enrolled in different universities around the country. About 21% of these are
females.[190] Former Education Minister Ghulam Farooq Wardak had stated that construction of
8,000 schools is required for the remaining children who are deprived of formal learning.[191]
The top universities in Afghanistan are the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) followed
by Kabul University (KU), both of which are located in Kabul. The National Military Academy of
Afghanistan, modeled after the United States Military Academy at West Point, is a four-year
military development institution dedicated to graduating officers for the Afghan Armed Forces.
The Afghan Defense University was constructed near Qargha in Kabul. Major universities outside
of Kabul include Kandahar University in the south, Herat University in the northwest, Balkh
University and Kunduz University in the north, Nangarhar University and Khost University in the
east. The United States is building six faculties of education and five provincial teacher training colleges around the country, two large
secondary schools in Kabul, and one school in Jalalabad.[190]
The literacy rate of the entire population is 38.2% (males 52% and females 24.2%).[11] In 2010, the United States began establishing a
number of Lincoln learning centers in Afghanistan. They are set up to serve as programming platforms offering English language classes,
library facilities, programming venues, internet connectivity , and educational and other counseling services. A goal of the program is to
reach at least 4,000 Afghan citizens per month per location.[192][193] The Afghan National Security Forces are provided with mandatory
literacy courses.[194] In addition to this, Baghch-e-Simsim (based on the American Sesame Street) serves as a means to attract Afghan
children into learning.
Rail crossing in northern Afghanistan on
the line towards Uzbekistan
Roads
Health
A hospital in Kabul
Education
UNESCO Institute of Statistics
Afghanistan Literacy Rate population
plus15 1980–2015
In 2017 , Kazakhstan launched an official development assistance program (ODA) to Afghanistan that involved providing training and
education to the Afghan women in Kazakh universities. The project aims to strengthen the economic independence of Afghan women by
providing education from Kazakhstan’s top educational institutions in public administration and healthcare.[195]
Afghanistan is mostly a tribal society with different regions of the country having its own subculture. Their history is traced back to at least
the time of the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BCE.[196] In the southern and eastern region, the people live according to the Pashtun culture by
following Pashtunwali (Pashtun way).[197] The Pashtuns (and Baloch) are largely connected to the culture of South Asia. The remaining
Afghans are culturally Persian and Turkic. Some non-Pashtuns who live in proximity with Pashtuns have adopted Pashtunwali in a process
called Pashtunization, while some Pashtuns have been Persianized. Those who have lived in Pakistan and Iran over the last 30 years have
been further influenced by the cultures of those neighboring nations.
Afghans are regarded with mingled apprehension and condescension, for their high regard for
personal honor, for their tribe loyalty and for their readiness to use force to settle disputes.
As tribal warfare and internecine feuding has been one of their chief occupations since time
immemorial, this individualistic trait has made it difficult for foreigners to conquer them. One
writer considers the tribal system to be the best way of organizing large groups of people in a
country that is geographically difficult, and in a society that, from a materialistic point of
view, has an uncomplicated lifestyle.[198] There are various Afghan tribes, and an estimated
2–3 million nomads.[199]
The nation has a complex history that has survived either in its current cultures or in the
form of various languages and monuments. However, many of its historic monuments have
been damaged in modern times.[200] The two famous Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by
the Taliban, who regarded them as idolatrous. Despite that, archaeologists are still finding
Buddhist relics in different parts of the country, some of them dating back to the 2nd
century.[201][202][203] This indicates that Buddhism was widespread in Afghanistan. Other historical
places include the cities of Herat, Kandahar, Ghazni, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Zaranj. The Minaret of Jam in
the Hari River valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. A cloak reputedly worn by Islam's prophet
Muhammad is kept inside the Shrine of the Cloak in Kandahar, a city founded by Alexander and the
first capital of Afghanistan. The citadel of Alexander in the western city of Herat has been renovated
in recent years and is a popular attraction for tourists. In the north of the country is the Shrine of Ali,
believed by many to be the location where Ali was buried. The National Museum of Afghanistan is
located in Kabul.
Afghanistan has around 150 radio stations and over 50 television stations, which includes the
state-owned RTA TV and various private channels such as TOLO and Shamshad TV. The first
Afghan newspaper was published in 1906 and there are hundreds of print outlets today. By the
1920s, Radio Kabul was broadcasting local radio services. Television programs began airing in the
early 197 0s. Voice of America, BBC, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcast in
both of Afghanistan's official languages.
Since 2002, press restrictions have been gradually relaxed and private media diversified.
Freedom of expression and the press is promoted in the 2004 constitution and censorship is
banned, although defaming individuals or producing material contrary to the principles of Islam is
prohibited. The Afghan government cited the growth in the media sector as one of its achievements.[204] In 2017 , Reporters Without
Borders ranked Afghanistan 120th in the Press Freedom Index out of 180 countries, a better rating than all its neighbors.[205] According to
Freedom of the Press as of 2015, Afghanistan is "partly free", whereas most countries in Asia are "not free".
The city of Kabul has been home to many musicians who were masters of both traditional and modern Afghan music. Traditional music is
especially popular during the Nowruz (New Y ear) and National Independence Day celebrations. Ahmad Zahir, Nashenas, Ustad Sarahang,
Sarban, Ubaidullah Jan, Farhad Darya, and Naghma are some of the notable Afghan musicians, but there are many others.[206] Afghans have
long been accustomed to watching Indian Bollywood films and listening to its filmi songs. Many Bollywood film stars have roots in
Afghanistan, including Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), Aamir Khan, Feroz Khan, Kader Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Zarine
Khan, Celina Jaitly , and a number of others. Several Bollywood films have been shot inside Afghanistan, including Dharmatma, Khuda
Gawah, Escape from Taliban, and Kabul Express.
Culture
Men wearing traditional Afghan (Pashtun)
dress in Faryab Province
Ethnic Tajik girls in traditional
clothing in Mazar-i-Sharif
Media and entertainment
Studio of TOLOnews in Kabul
Communication
Telecommunication services in Afghanistan are provided by Afghan Telecom, Afghan Wireless, Etisalat, MTN Group, and Roshan. The
country uses its own space satellite called Afghansat 1, which provides services to millions of phone, internet and television subscribers. By
2001 following years of civil war, telecommunications was virtually a non-existent sector, but by 2016 it had grown to a $2 billion industry,
with 22 million mobile phone subscribers and 5 million internet users. The sector employs at least 120,000 people nationwide.[207]
Afghanistan has a wide varying landscape allowing for many different crops. Afghan food is
largely based upon cereals like wheat, maize, barley and rice, which are the nation's chief
crops. Fresh and dried fruits is the most important part of Afghan diet. Afghanistan is well
known for its fine fruits, especially pomegranates, grapes, and its extra-sweet jumbo-size
melons.
Classic Persian and Pashto poetry are a cherished part
of Afghan culture. Thursdays are traditionally "poetry
night" in the city of Herat when men, women and
children gather and recite both ancient and modern
poems.[208] Poetry has always been one of the major
educational pillars in the region, to the level that it has
integrated itself into culture. Some notable poets include Rumi, Rabi'a Balkhi, Sanai, Jami, Khushal
Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba, Khalilullah Khalili, and Parween Pazhwak.[209]
Afghanistan's sports teams are increasingly celebrating titles
at international events. Its basketball team won the first
team sports title at the 2010 South Asian Games. Later that
year, the country 's cricket team followed as it won the
2009–10 ICC Intercontinental Cup. In 2012, the country 's
3x3 basketball team won the gold medal at the 2012 Asian
Beach Games. In 2013, Afghanistan's football team followed as it won the SAFF Championship.
Cricket and association football are the most popular sports in the country. The Afghan national
cricket team, which was formed in the last decade, participated in the 2009 ICC World Cup
Qualifier, 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One and the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. It won
the ACC Twenty20 Cup in 2007 , 2009, 2011 and 2013. The team eventually made it to play in the
2015 Cricket World Cup. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is the official governing body of the
sport and is headquartered in Kabul. The Alokozay Kabul International Cricket Ground serves as
the nation's main cricket stadium. There are a number of other stadiums throughout the country,
including the Ghazi Amanullah Khan International Cricket Stadium near Jalalabad. Domestically ,
cricket is played between teams from different provinces.
The Afghanistan national football team has been competing in international football since 1941. The
national team plays its home games at the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul, while football in Afghanistan is
governed by the Afghanistan Football Federation. The national team has never competed or qualified
for the FIFA World Cup, but has recently won an international football trophy in 2013. The country
also has a national team in the sport of futsal, a 5-a-side variation of football.
Other popular sports in Afghanistan include basketball, volleyball, taekwondo, and bodybuilding.[210]
Buzkashi is a traditional sport, mainly among the northern Afghans. It is similar to polo, played by
horsemen in two teams, each trying to grab and hold a goat carcass. The Afghan Hound (a type of running dog) originated in Afghanistan
and was originally used in hunting.
Bibliography of Afghanistan
Index of Afghanistan-related articles
Outline of Afghanistan
Cuisine
Some of the popular Afghan dishes
Poetry
Abdul Hadi Dawai, famous Afghan
poet of the early 20th century
Sports
The Afghanistan national football team
(in red uniforms) before its first win
over India (in blue) during the 2011
SAFF Championship.
The traditional national sport of
Afghanistan, Buzkashi
See also
Notes
1. Incorrect names that have been used as demonyms are Afghani [3] and Afghanistani .[4]
1. "Article Sixteen of the 2004 Constitution of Afghanistan" (https://web.archive.org/web/20131028065437/http://www.afghan-web.com/politics/cu
rrent_constitution.html). 2004. Archived from the original (http://www.afghan-web.com/politics/current_constitution.html#preamble) on 28 October
2013. Retrieved 13 June 2012. "Pashto and Dari are the official languages of the state. Uzbek, Turkmen, Baluchi, Pashai, Nuristani and Pamiri are –
in addition to Pashto and Dari – the third official language in areas where the majority speaks them"
2. "Ethnic groups" (https://web.archive.org/web/20131014200908/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html?co
untryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af®ionCode=sas&). The World Factbook. CIA. Archived from the original (https://www.cia.gov/library/publi
cations/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af®ionCode=sas&#af) on 14 October 2013. Retrieved
18 September 2010. "Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, other (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui,
Qizilbash, Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz) note: current statistical data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghanistan is not available, and ethnicity
data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a reliable alternative; Afghanistan's 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups:
Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai (2015)"
3. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Reference.com (http://
dictionary.reference.com/browse/afghani) (Retrieved 13 November 2007).
4. Dictionary.com. WordNet 3.0. Princeton University. Reference.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/afghanistani) (Retrieved 13 November
2007). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20140328102257/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/afghanistani) 28 March 2014 at the
Wayback Machine.
5. "Central Statistics Organization" (http://cso.gov.af/en). cso.gov.af.
6. "World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision" (https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DataQuery/). ESA.UN.org (custom data acquired via website).
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
7. "Afghanistan" (http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2017/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=83&pr.y=10&sy=2017&ey=2017&scsm=1&ssd=1&sor
t=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512&s=NGDPD%2CPPPGDP%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a=). International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
8. "Gini Index" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140511044958/http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI). World Bank. Archived from the
original (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI/) on 11 May 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
9. "2015 Human Development Report" (http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr_2015_statistical_annex.pdf) (PDF). United Nations Development
Programme. 14 December 2015. p. 18. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
10. The phoneme /f/ ف occurs only in loanwords in Pashto, it tends to be replaced with /p/ پ. [b] is also an allophone of /p/ before voiced
consonants; [v] is an allophone of /f/ before voiced consonants in loanwords.
11. "Afghanistan" (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html). The World Factbook. www.cia.gov. Retrieved 22 August
2018.
12. * "U.S. maps" (https://web.archive.org/web/20131225134851/http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-470/OF97-470C/asiaGmap.html).
Pubs.usgs.gov. Archived from the original (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-470/OF97-470C/asiaGmap.html) on 25 December 2013. Retrieved
19 May 2012.
"South Asia: Data, Projects, and Research" (http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar). Retrieved 2 March 2015.
"MAPS SHOWING GEOLOGY, OIL AND GAS FIELDS AND GEOLOGICAL PROVINCES OF SOUTH ASIA (Includes Afghanistan)" (http://pubs.usgs.g
ov/of/1997/ofr-97-470/OF97-470C/asiaGmap.html). Retrieved 2 March 2015.
"University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies: The South Asia Center" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150402100846/ht
tp://jsis.washington.edu/advise/catalog/soasia-b.html). Archived from the original (http://jsis.washington.edu/advise/catalog/soasia-b.html) on
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www.bbc.co.uk.
15. "Afghanistan: Most invaded, yet unconquerable - Times of India" (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Afghanistan-Most-invaded-
yet-unconquerable/articleshow/5542209.cms).
16. Diplomat, Akhilesh Pillalamarri, The. "Why Is Afghanistan the 'Graveyard of Empires'?" (https://thediplomat.com/2017/06/why-is-afghanistan-the-g
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17. Griffin, Luke (14 January 2002). "The Pre-Islamic Period" (https://web.archive.org/web/20011103002246/http://www.gl.iit.edu/govdocs/afghanista
n/PreIslamic.html). Afghanistan Country Study. Illinois Institute of Technology. Archived from the original (http://www.gl.iit.edu/govdocs/afghanista
n/PreIslamic.html) on 3 November 2001. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
18. "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects" (http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2017/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=43&pr.y=5&sy=2016
&ey=2016&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512,672,914,946,612,137,614,546,311,962,213,674,911,676,193,548,122,556,912,678,313,181,419,86
7,513,682,316,684,913,273,124,868,339,921,638,948,514,943,218,686,963,688,616,518,223,728,516,836,918,558,748,138,618,196,624,278,522,692,6
22,694,156,142,626,449,628,564,228,565,924,283,233,853,632,288,636,293,634,566,238,964,662,182,960,359,423,453,935,968,128,922,611,714,321,
862,243,135,248,716,469,456,253,722,642,942,643,718,939,724,644,576,819,936,172,961,132,813,646,199,648,733,915,184,134,524,652,361,174,36
2,328,364,258,732,656,366,654,734,336,144,263,146,268,463,532,528,944,923,176,738,534,578,536,537,429,742,433,866,178,369,436,744,136,186,3
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killed by Soviet forces and their proxies- the four Communist regimes in Kabul, and the East Germans, Bulgarians, Czechs, Cubans, Palestinians,
Indians and others who assisted them. These were not battle casualties or the unavoidable civilian victims of warfare. Soviet and local Communist
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these Afghan provinces: Ghazni, Nagarhar, Lagham, Qandahar, Zabul, Badakhshan, Lowgar, Paktia, Paktika and Kunar...There is considerable evidence
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Further reading
s://books.google.com/books?id=FOMUAQAAIAAJ) on 12January 2014.
Johnson, Robert (2011). The Afghan Way of War: How andWhy They Fight (https://books.google.com/books?id=lNuH5YQJr6UC). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-979856-8.
Articles
Meek, James. Worse than a Defeat (http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n24/james-meek/worse-than-a-defeat). London Review of Books, Vol. 36, No. 24,
December 2014, pages 3–10
Office of the President (http://president.gov.af/en)
"Afghanistan" (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html). The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
Afghanistan (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/Afghanistan.htm) web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado–Boulder Libraries
Afghanistan (https://curlie.org/Regional/Asia/Afghanistan) at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
Wikimedia Atlas of Afghanistan
Research Guide to Afghanistan (http://uiuc.libguides.com/afghanistan_research_guide)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Afghanistan&oldid=857126175"
This page was last edited on 29 August 2018, at 18:46 (UTC).
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