9781422273791

A F G H A n I S T A N

ASIAN COUNTRIES TODAY

ASIAN COUNTRIES TODAY

Afghanistan Asia: Facts & Figures Bangladesh India Pakistan

China Indonesia Japan Malaysia

Philippines Singapore South Korea Thailand Vietnam

A F G H A n I S T A N

ASIAN COUNTRIES TODAY

JACQUELINE HAVELKA

MASON CREST

MIAMI

MASON CREST PO Box 221876, Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

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First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4431-9 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4430-2 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7379-1

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Afghanistan at a Glance ............................................................. 6 Chapter 1: Afghanistan’s Geography & Landscape...................11 Chapter 2: The Government & History of Afghanistan .............21 Chapter 3 : The Afghanistan Economy .......................................35 Chapter 4 : Citizens of Afghanistan—People, Customs & Culture ..47 Chapter 5: Famous Cities of Afghanistan .................................. 67 Chapter 6: Afghanistan’s Future ................................................77 Afghanistan Food ...................................................................... 84 Festivals & Holidays ................................................................. 86 Series Glossary of Key Terms ..................................................... 88 Chronology ................................................................................. 90 Further Reading & Internet Resources ...................................... 91 Index ........................................................................................... 92 Organizations to Contact ........................................................... 95 Author’s Biography & Credits ..................................................... 96

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A F G H A N I S T A N

Afghanistan

India

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6 AFGHANISTAN

The Geography of Afghanistan

Location: Afghanistan is in southern Asia. Iran is to the west, and Pakistan is to the south and east Area: Approx. one-third the size of the U.S. total : 251,923 sq. miles (652,230 sq. km) 251,923 sq. miles (652,230 sq. km)) water: 0 sq. miles (0 sq. km) Borders: China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Climate: The climate is semiarid to arid, with hot summers and cold winters Terrain: Rugged mountain terrain land:

throughout the country, except in the north and southwest, which have plains

Elevation Extremes: lowest Amu Darya, 846 feet point: (258 m) above sea level highest Noshak 24,580 feet point: (7,492 m) above sea level Natural Hazards:

Afghanistan is known for both droughts and flooding and has strong earthquakes in the regions of the Hindu Kush mountains

Source: www.cia.gov 2017

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Over the centuries, Afghanistan has had many flags, but in 1928, Afghan leader Amanullah Khan decided his country needed a more modern version of the flag. Khan chose three deeply symbolic colors: black, red, and green. The

F L A G O F A F G H A N I S T A N

color black symbolized the dark ages of the past, red stood for the blood that has been shed in Afghanistan’s struggle to become an independent nation, and green represented the country’s hope for the future. Since 1928, there have been nearly twenty variations on Khan’s original flag; however, most incorporated these three colors, including the current flag, adopted in 2013. It prominently features Afghanistan’s national emblem in the center—a picture of a mosque and pulpit, as well as a mihrab (a wall niche in a mosque that shows worshippers the direction of Mecca so that Muslims know which way to face when in prayer). A wreath of wheat encircles these images, with Arabic writing at the top and bottom. At the top is the Arabic Shahadah, a creed declaring belief in one God and belief in Muhammad as God’s prophet. At the bottom is Arabic script for “1298.” In the Hirji calendar, the year 1298 represents the year Afghanistan gained independence from British rule. The year corresponds to 1919 in the Gregorian calendar we use today.

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The People of Afghanistan Population: 34,940,837

Ethnic Groups: Aimaq, Arab, Baloch, Brahui, Gujar, Hazara, Kyrghyz, Nuristani, Pamiri, Pashai, Pashtun, Qizilbash, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek

Age Structure:

0–14 years: 40.92% (14,297,143) 15–24 years: 21.85% (7,633,453) 25–54 years: 30.68% (10,719,637) 55–64 years: 3.95% (1,379,074) 65 years and over: 2.61% 911,530

Population Growth Rate: 2.37% Death Rate:

13.2 deaths/1,000 pop.

Migration Rate:

0.6 migrants/1,000 pop.

I nfant Mortality Rate:

108.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life Expectancy at Birth:

total population: 52.1 years male: 50.6 years female: 53.6 years

Total Fertility Rate:

5.02 children born/woman

Religions:

Muslim (Sunni and Shia)

Languages:

Afghan Persian, Arabic, Balochi, Dari, English, Nuristani, Pashayi, Pashto, Turkmen, Urdu, Uzbek

Literacy Rate: 38.2% Source: www.cia.gov 2018

9

This road in the Ishkashim District was constructed in 2010.

arid: an overly dry region with not enough rainfall to support farming Silk Road: a network of trade routes that connected the East and West, from China to the Mediterranean Sea socioeconomic: a measurement of a combination of educational status, financial standing, and occupation steppe: a treeless, flat expanse of land found in Europe or Asia that has a specific set of meteorological values: very cold and dry with little snow

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C H A P T E R

AFGHANISTAN’S GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE

1

T he landlocked country of Afghanistan is slightly smaller than Texas and approximately twice the size of Norway. Trade routes connected this part of Asia to both Europe and the Middle East. Many empires have been built in Afghanistan over millennia, and the ruins of great monuments tell the country’s rich historical tale. The people of Afghanistan are fiercely independent and due to its geographic location and history, the nation is an inevitable patchwork quilt of multiple ethnicities. Geography Afghanistan is a harsh landscape of mountains and deserts. The country is completely landlocked and therefore is very isolated, with few interior lakes and only a couple of major rivers. In fact, the Arabian seacoast is the nearest ocean, but it lies 300 miles (482 kilometers) to the south. Pakistan borders Afghanistan to the east and south. Iran lies to the west, and three Central Asian states—Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan—are located

AFGHANISTAN’S GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE 11

A view from the Khyber Pass. Historically, this was an important trade route between what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan.

to the north. Afghanistan shares a very small border with Xinjiang, China, in its northeastern corner. The nation is known for its majestic mountain range, Hindu Kush, which effectively divides the country into three distinct regions: the northern plains, the central highlands, and the southwestern plateau region. The main Hindu Kush region lies along the country’s central highlands, characterized by narrow valleys surrounded by mountains. Some of the peaks are over 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) tall. These mountain passes are what make Afghanistan of such strategic importance. The famous Khyber Pass is located on the Pakistani border and is a fabled trade route to India. For centuries, the Khyber Pass has played a role in trade and in helping sustain the economic wealth of the region. It was once part of the ancient Silk Road trade route and still has socioeconomic importance today.

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Reforestation

Afghanistan shares several

other mountain ranges with Pakistan that block moisture to create the very dry, arid climate. The Pamir mountains are near the border of Tajikistan. The northeastern central highlands are very prone to earthquakes; the region experiences over fifty earthquakes each year. The central highlands are the lowest elevation in Afghanistan and part of the much larger Central Asian Steppe . The Amu Darya is the major river in the area at over 1,500 miles (2,539 km) long; it is so ancient that it is sometimes called by its Latin name, the Oxus River. The river originates in the Pamir glaciers and 600 miles (965 km) of the river divides Afghanistan from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This waterway is a major source of irrigation for crops in the region. Because the country is landlocked, most of the rivers drain into inland lakes. Sometimes the rivers simply dry up when they reach the dry, sandy desert regions

Historically, one of the most important worldwide responsibilities of forest services is the reestablishment of forests on land that has been destroyed or deforested. Everything from floods to fires to overcutting to poor farming practices can lead to deforestation. For over a century, worldwide reforestation programs have been integral to the planet. Tree seedlings are placed after large wildfires or natural disasters. However, reforestation is a challenge in Afghanistan, given that many of the country’s remote peoples depend on wood as their primary energy source for fires. This has led to a timber crisis in the country, but global groups are trying to help alleviate the crisis by providing assistance and education about the drawbacks of deforestation.

AFGHANISTAN’S GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE 13

in the country’s interior. Only Afghanistan’s eastern rivers, like the Kabul River, empty into the Arabian Sea. The Kabul River actually drains the entire southeastern region of Afghanistan. Climate Afghanistan is a country of extreme climate. It has intensely cold winters and fiercely hot summers, both of which are characteristic of any steppe climate. Daytime temperatures can exceed 95°F (35°C), with record temperatures of 120°F (49°C) in the summer in certain locations.

The landscape is arid along the banks of the Kabul River.

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