AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan: Geography
Located in Central
Asia
Bordered by six
countries:
●
China
●
Iran
●
Pakistan
●
Tajikistan
●
Turkmenistan
●
Uzbekistan
 Afghanistan: Geography

Landlocked nation
(slightly smaller
than Texas)
Total Population:
31 million
Capital: Kabul
Afghanistan: Geography
➢
Rugged mountains

➢
Hindu Kush: main
mountain range
across
Afghanistan and
into Pakistan

➢
Climate: cold
winters and hot,
dry summers
Afghans: A Diverse People
 Major Ethnic Groups:
 Pashtuns 42%

 Takiks 27%

 Uzbeks 9%

 Hazaras 9%

 Others 13%
Afghans: A Diverse People
 Languages
 Many Afghans are bilingual
 The main languages spoken by
Afghans are:
Dari (official language) 50%
Pashtu (official language) 35%
Turkic languages 11%
Religion
 Islam is the religion
practiced by most
Afghans; it is central
to Afghans' identity
 99% of Afghans are
Muslim
 Rural Life
 Most Afghans live in
rural areas
 About ¾ of the
population consists of
farmers and nomads
 Only 12% of the land,
however, is arable
 What problems might
this lead to?
Sport/Pastime
 Bazkashi, the national
sport of Afghanistan,
is a team game played
on horseback
 Kite-fighting is also a
popular pastime
among Afghan youth
where participants try
to cut through the
strings of their
opponents' kites
Afghan History
 Afghanistan's location
along the Silk/Spice
Road has allowed the
country to serve as an
important link
between east and west
throughout history
 Afghan History
This location, however, has meant significant
intervention from outsiders

 Great Britain & Russia fought over Afghanistan

as far back as the 18th & 19th centuries
 Soviet Union invaded in 1979 and installed a
Communist government
 From 1979-1989, Afghanistan became a
battleground of the Cold War between the US-
USSR (with the U.S. supporting Afghans who
resisted the Soviets)
 Afghan History
 Soviet Union withdrew in 1989,
but civil war erupted among
factions of guerilla fighters known
as 'mujahedin'
 Civil war continued until 1996,
when hard-line group known as
the Taliban seized power
 Taliban imposed a strict
interpretation of Islam
Taliban
➢
Limited women's ability to
work in public places
➢
Banned girls from
attending school
➢
Required women to wear
burqas in public (photos)
➢
Required men to wear
beards
➢
Banned music, sports
➢
Allowed al-Qaeda &
Osama bin Laden to
operate within the country
 Refugee Crisis
 During the 23 years of
conflict, roughly 4 million
Afghans became refugees
 Most refugees fled to two
main countries:
➢
Iran
➢
Pakistan
 There are also an estimated
200,000 Afghans living in
the U.S.
 The link between
September 11 and Afghanistan
 Afghans did NOT carry out the terrorist attacks on the
U.S.
 Al-Qaeda, a terrorist network operating within
Afghanistan and other places, did
 Many Afghans expressed their solidarity with the
people of the U.S. after Sept. 11
 After September 11, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan and
toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama bin Laden
 U.S. and NATO forces remain in Afghanistan today
 Afghanistan Today
 Afghanistan now faces a number of
challenges as it tries to rebuild after years
of war. Some of these challenges include:
Poverty
Education
Health
Gender equity
Governance
 Poverty
 At least 2/3 of Afghans
live on less than $2 a day
 Only 23% of Afghans
have access to safe water
 Only 12% of Afghans
have access to sanitation
 Only 6% of Afghans
have access to electricity
Education
 67% of boys go to school,
while only 37% of girls do
(US Dept of State)

 Constraints to school
attendance:
 Lack of teachers
 Distance between home
and school
 Cultural constraints for
girls
 Not enough school
buildings (esp. for girls)
Health
 Average life expectancy
for Afghans is 42, more
than 25 years younger than
the average American (World
Health Organization)

 One in four children dies

before the age of 5 (USAID)
 Many Afghans lack access
to basic medical care
 Gender Equity

 Women have been a marginalized group in Afghanistan

 Cultural restrictions lead to difficulty accessing education
and health services
 Only 10% of Afghan women can read and write
 Yet, Afghan women are important contributors to
household income, especially in rural areas
 Government
 In October 2004, Hamid
Karzai was elected President of
Afghanistan.
 Parliamentray elections were
held in 2005.
 Local warlords, however, still
hold power in many parts of the
country. This contributes to the
insecurity in Afghanistan.
Despite these challenges,
Afghans remain hopeful
about the future
 THE END

What have you

learned about
Afghanistan?