Afghanistan

Afghanistan

The country is made of many different groups. About 15

million people, nearly half of Afghanistan's population
are Pashtuns and live in the south around Kandahar.

Many Afghans live in the fertile valleys between the

mountains and grow their crops and tend to their animals.
 FACTS ABOUT AFGHANISTAN:
 Geography
Afghanistan is located in Central Asia with Iran to the west and Pakistan to the east. Tall, forbidding
mountains and dry deserts cover most of the landscape of Afghanistan. The jagged mountain peaks are
treacherous, and are snow covered for most of the year.

 Many Afghans live in the fertile valleys between the mountains and grow their crops and tend to their
animals. Only 20 percent of the land is used as fields.

 Summers are hot and dry but the winters are very cold, especially north of the Hindu Kush, which is
located in the eastern part of the country near Pakistan and Tajikistan. Many rivers flow through the
mountain gorges. Snow melt and rain that flow out of the Hindu Kush pool into a low area and never reach
the ocean.

 The mountain passes in Afghanistan allow travelers passage across Asia. The country was a busy section
of the Silk Road, a route that merchants have traveled over land between China, India, and Europe for
over 2,000 years.

 Nature
Decades of war, hunting, and years of drought have reduced the wildlife population in Afghanistan. Tigers
used to roam the hills, but they are now extinct. Bears and wolves have been hunted nearly to extinction.

 Endangered snow leopards live in the cold Hindu Kush, but rely on their thick fur to stay warm. Hunters
sell the soft leopard skins in the markets in the capital Kabul. The rhesus macaque and the red flying
squirrel are found in the warmer southern areas of the country.

 The country is rich in the vibrant blue stone, lapis lazuli, which was used to decorate the tomb of the
Egyptian king Tutankhamun.

 History
Afghanistan was settled around 7000 B.C. and has been in transition for most of its history. Alexander the
Great conquered Afghanistan in 330 B.C. and brought the Greek language and culture to the region.
Genghis Khan's Mongols invaded in the 13th century. In 1747, Pashtun elders held a council meeting
called a Loya Jirga and created the kingdom of the Afghans.

 The British and Afghans fought in three wars in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the Afghans finally
defeated the British in 1919 and formed an independent monarchy in 1921. The Soviet Union invaded in
1979 and the Afghan fighters called Mujahedin were aided by the United States, Pakistan, China, and
Iran.

 In 1996, Soviet troops left Afghanistan and the Taliban took control of the capital Kabul. After the
September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States began searching for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and
invaded Afghanistan, along with an international coalition to remove the Taliban. A Loya Jirga wrote a new
constitution in 2004 and the people elected their first president, Hamid Karzai.
 People and Culture
The country is made of many different groups. About 15 million people, nearly half of Afghanistan's
population are Pashtuns and live in the south around Kandahar. They are descendants of people who
came to the country 3,200 years ago.

 Many other groups live in the country as well—Pashtuns are related to the Persian people of Iran, the
Tajiks are also Persian, but speak another language called Dari, and the Uzbeks speak a language similar
to Turkish.

 The Hazaras live in the mountains of central Afghanistan and are believed to be descendents of the
Mongols because their Dari language contains many Mongol words.

 Due to many years of war, the countryside is littered with unexploded mines and children who herd
animals are often killed by stepping on mines. Many schools have been destroyed but children, including
girls go to school in ruins or wherever possible.

 Over the centuries, travelers have braved the dangerous high mountain passes to find shelter in the
valleys and plains of Afghanistan. Today nomads called Kuchi lead their herds of animals across the
country and into the mountain pastures for grazing.

 Afghans take pride in making and flying their own kites. They even have kite fights and use wire or glass
in their kites to cut the kite strings of rival kite flyers.

 Tea is the favorite Afghan drink and a popular meal is palau, made from rice, sheep and goat meats, and
fruit.

 Government
Afghanistan is a newly formed democracy. Under the new constitution, the president and two vice
presidents are elected every five years. The International Security Force Assistance helps the government
maintain peace and rebuild the country.

 The government still faces problems with the Taliban, internal security, and public services.

 Fast Facts
Official Name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Form of Government: Representative democracy

Capital: Kabul

Population: 31,889,923

 Official Language: Dari (Afghan Persian), Pashtu

Monetary unit: Afghani