Afghanistan

Afghanistan is officially called the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
It translates into “Land of the Afghans”.
The word “Afghan” is believed to have evolved "Apagân".
The word “Afghans” was first adopted by the Pashtuns.
The word Afghan first appeared in history in the Hudud-al-Alam in 982 AD.
Al-Biruni referred to Afghans as various tribes living on the Sulaiman Mountains.
The term "Afghanistan," was coined by the Mughal Emperor Babur.
Until the 19th century the name was only used for the traditional lands of the Pashtuns.
The kingdom as a whole was known as the Kingdom of Kabul.
"Afghanistan" was used in context of the entire kingdom by Frederick Engels in 1857.
It became the official name after its independence in 1919.

Afghanistan was founded in 1747 by Ahmad Shah DURRANI.
The earliest citizens of the country were the Pashtun tribes.
Afghanistan served as a buffer between the British and Russian empires.
Afghanistan gained independence from colonial rule in 1919.
A brief period of democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The 1979 Soviet Union invasion resulted in a long and destructive war.
The USSR withdrew in 1989 due to international pressure and anti-Communist mujahedin rebels.
Between 1989 and 1996, there were a series of civil wars.
Taliban took over Afghanistan in 1996 to end the civil war and anarchy.
Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action overthrew the Taliban regime.
In 2001, the UN-sponsored Bonn Conference established a process for political reconstruction in the country.
On 7 December 2004, First democratically elected president of Afghanistan was Hamid Karzai.
The National Assembly was inaugurated on 19 December 2005.

Kabul is the largest and most densely populated city in Afghanistan.
Other major cities are Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e Sharif, Jalalabad, Ghazni and Kunduz.
The population of Afghanistan diverse in terms of ethnicity.
The various ethnic groups residing in the region are Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimak, Turkmen and Baloch.
Pashto and Persian are the official languages.
99% of the population is Muslim.

Afghanistan is run by an Islamic Republic government.
The administrative divisions are divided across 34 provinces.
The new constitution was drafted during 14 December 2003- 4 January 2004 and signed on 16 January 2004 .
The legal system is based on mixed civil and Sharia law.
The legal system has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004)
The Vice Presidents are Ahmad Zia MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004).
The president is both the chief of state and head of government.
The cabinet consists of 25 ministers appointed by the president.
The president and vice-presidents are elected by direct vote for a five-year term.
A president can only be elected for two terms.

Afghans are extremely defensive of their family honor, traditions and clan loyalty.
Inter-clan disputes and warfare have been a common occurrence in the past.
Most historical monuments and heritage sites have been destroyed in wars and by the Taliban.
The Minaret of Jam, in the Hari River valley, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The cloak worn by Muhammad is preserved within the Khalka Sharifa in Kandahar City.
Buzkashi is a national sport in Afghanistan which is akin to polo.
Classic Persian poetry is an integral part of Afghani culture.
Private poetry competition events known as “musha’era” are regularly held in communities.
Afghanistan has bred many eminent poets and scholars in the past.

Afghanistan's economy has seen an up rise since the fall of the Taliban.
Since 2001, there have been marked developments in the agricultural and service sector growth.
Afghanistan is highly dependent on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries.
The country still faces a paucity of housing, food, clean water and basic civic amenities.
International pledges at the Berlin Donors Conference for Afghan reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for 2004-09.
Opium and poppy cultivation form a large part of the nation’s illegal economic activity.
GDP - per capita (PPP) as calculated in 2007 was $1,000
Inflation rate (consumer prices) as calculated in 2007 was found to be 13%.
Trade produce includes opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton and sheepskins.
Industries include small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; hand-woven carpets; natural gas, coal and copper
Export commodities comprise of opium, fruits and nuts, hand-woven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems.
One unit of Afghani is equivalent to $49.

Ariana Afghan Airlines is the national airlines carrier which caters for domestic and international flights.
The railway system is not yet well developed.
Buses are the primary mode of transport.
Highways and roads are being rebuilt.
Automobiles are now easily available in Afghanistan.
Afghan Wireless, Etisalat, Roshan, Areeba and Afghan Telecom are the main providers of telecommunication services.
In 2006, the Afghan Ministry of Communications collaborated with ZTE Corporation to establish a countrywide fibre optic cable network.
Television and radio broadcastings are available in most parts of the country.
Both local and international channels are broadcasted.
The national postal system is functional.
Courier services by FedEx and DHL are also available in the country.

In a 2006 census, 4 million children were reported to be enrolled in schools.
Afghanistan faces a deficiency in proper infrastructure, funds and quality teachers.
Conservative cultural norms also hinder the education of women.
51% of males are literate as opposed to 36% of women.
Presently, there are 9,500 schools in the country.
Kabul University and American University of Afghanistan are the only centers for higher education.
University of Balkh is under construction.

Afghanistan is surrounded by:

Afghanistan’s geographical location is 34°31'N and 69°08'E
Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South-Central Asia.
The terrain is mostly mountainous with plains in the northern and southwestern regions.
Afghanistan is one of the driest countries in the world.
Water bodies and resources are limited.
The climate is continental with hot summer’s bad cold winters.
The north eastern region of the country is earthquake prone.

Afghanistan gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 19, 1919.
The country’s national anthem is “Milli Tharana”.

Poets: Ustad Betab, Qari Abdullah, Khalilullah Khalili, Sufi Ghulam Nabi Ashqari, Sarwar Joya, Qahar Asey, Parwin Pazwak.
Khaled Hosseini ( Writer): The Kite Runner (2003)
Abu Ali Hussein ibn Sina (Scientist)
Al-Farabi (Philosopher and scientist)