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Afghanistan (افغانستان in Dari and Pashtu) is a country in Central/Southwest Asia. It is bordered by Iran in the west, Pakistan in the south and east, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the
north, and China in the easternmost part of the country.
Between the fall of the Taliban after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the success of the
2003 Loya jirga, Afghanistan was referred to by the West as the
Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan. Under its new constitution, however, the nation is now called the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It is among the poorest
nations in the world.
History
Main article: History of Afghanistan
Afghanistan, often called the crossroads of Central Asia, has had a very
turbulent history. Through the ages, Afghanistan has been occupied by many forces including Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great.
The Afghanistan nation-state as it is known today came into existence in 1746 under the
Durrani Empire, but control was ceded to the United Kingdom until King Amanullah acceded to throne in 1919. Since then, the country has known many governments and several civil wars.
The historical rulers of Afghanistan belonged to the Abdali tribe of the ethnic Afghans, whose name was changed to Durrani upon the accession of Ahmad Shah. They
belonged to the Saddozay segment of the
Popalzay clan or to the Mohammadzay segment of the Barakzay clan of the ethnic Afghans.
The Mohammadzay furnished the Saddozay kings frequently with top counselors, who served occasionally as regents, identified with
the epithet Mohammadzay.
In the 20th century, eleven rulers were unseated through undemocratic
means: 1919 (assassination), 1929 (abdication), 1929 (execution), 1933 (assassination), 1973 (deposition), 1978 (execution), 1979
(execution), 1979 (execution), 1987 (removal), 1992 (overthrow) and 1996 (overthrow).
The last period of stability in Afghanistan lay between 1933 and 1973, when the country was under the rule of King Zahir Shah. However, in 1973, Zahir's brother-in-law, Sardar Mohammed Daoud launched a bloodless coup. Daoud and his
entire family was murdered in 1978 when the communist People's Democratic Party of
Afghanistan lauched a coup and took over the government.
Opposition against, and conflict within, the series of leftist governments that followed was immense, and with the government
in danger of collapse, the Soviet Union intervened on December 24, 1979. Faced with mounting
international pressure and losses of approximately 15,000 Soviet soldiers as a result of mujahideen opposition trained by the United States,
Pakistan, and other foreign governments, the Soviets withdrew ten years later in
1989. For more details see Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.
Fighting subsequently continued among the various mujahidin factions. This eventually gave rise to a state of warlordism that eventually spawned the Taliban. The most serious of this fighting occurred in 1994, when 10,000 people were killed from factions fighting
in the Kabul area. Backed by Pakistan and her strategic allies, the Taliban developed as a political/religious force and
eventually seized power in 1996. The Taliban were able to capture 90% of the country, aside from Northern Alliance strongholds primarily in the northeast. The Taliban
sought to impose an extreme interpretation of Islam. The Pakistan-Taliban alliance gave
safe haven and assistance to Islamic terrorists (Especially Osama Bin
Laden's Al-Qaeda) and was the epicenter of Islamic terrorism.
The United States and allied military action in support of the
opposition following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks forced the group's downfall. In late 2001, major leaders from the Afghan opposition groups and diaspora met in Bonn and agreed on a plan for the formulation of a new government structure that resulted in the inauguration of
Hamid Karzai as Chairman of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) on December 2001. After a nationwide Loya Jirga in 2002, Karzai was elected President.
In addition to occasionally violent political jockeying and ongoing military action to root out remaining al-Qaida and Taliban
elements, the country suffers from enormous poverty, rampant warlordism, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread land
mines.
On March third and twenty-fifth, 2002, a series of earthquakes struck Afghanistan, with a loss of thousands of homes and over
1800 lives. Over 4000 more people were injured. The earthquakes occurred at Samangan Province (March 3) and Baghlan Province
(March 25). The latter was the worse of the two, and incurred most of the casualties. International authorites assisted the
Afghan government in dealing with the situation.
See also: Afghanistan timeline, Invasions of Afghanistan
Politics
Main article: Politics of Afghanistan
Currently, an interim government is in place, led by president Hamid
Karzai, with many elements from the Northern Alliance, and a
mix from other regional and ethnic groups formed from the transition government by the Loya jirga. Former monarch Zahir Shah returned to the country, but was not reinstated as king and only exercises limited ceremonial
powers.
Under the Bonn Agreement the Afghan
Constitution Commission was established to consult with the public and formulate a draft constitution. Scheduled to release a
draft on September 1, 2003, the commission has asked for a delay in order to undertake further consultations. The meeting of a
constitutional loya jirga (grand council) was held in December 2003 when a new constution was adopted creating a presidential
form of government.
Troops and intelligence agencies from the United
States and a number of other countries are present, some to keep the peace, others assigned to hunt for remnants the Taliban and al Qaeda. A United Nations peacekeeping force called the International Security Assistance
Force operates in Kabul, starting December 2001. NATO took control of this Force on August 11, 2003. Most of the country remains under the control of
warlords.
On March 27, 2003, Afghan deputy defense
minister and powerful warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostum
created an office for the North Zone of
Afghanistan and appointed officials to it, defying interim president Hamid
Karzai's orders that there be no zones in Afghanistan.
see also: List of leaders of
Afghanistan
Provinces
Main article: Provinces of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan consists of 34 provinces, or velayat:
Geography
Main article: Geography of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a mountainous country, although there are plains in the north and
southwest. The highest point in Afghanistan, Nowshak, is 7485 m above sea level. Large parts of the country are dry, and fresh water supplies are limited.
Afghanistan has a land climate, with hot summers and cold winters. The country is frequently subject to earthquakes.
Besides the capital city Kabul, Herat, Jalalabad, Mazar-e Sharif and Kandahar are the nation's major cities. See also Cities of Afghanistan.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is an extremely poor country, highly dependent on farming and
livestock raising. The economy has suffered greatly from the recent political and military unrest, severe drought added to the
nation's difficulties in 1998-2001. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing,
and medical care, problems exacerbated by military operations and political uncertainties. Inflation remains a serious problem.
Following the US-led coalition war that led to the defeat of the Taliban in November 2001 and the formulation of the Afghan
Interim Authority (AIA) resulting from the December 2001 Bonn Agreement, International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were
addressed at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002, where $4.5 billion was collected
for a trust fund to be administered by the World Bank. Priority areas for reconstruction include the construction of education,
health, and sanitation facilities, enhancement of administrative capacity, the development of the agricultural sector, and the
rebuilding of road, energy, and telecommunication links. Two-thirds of the population live on less than US$2 a day. The infant
mortality rate is 257 per 1000 births.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of
Afghanistan
The population of Afghanistan is divided into a large number of ethnic groups. Ethnic Afghans, also known as Pashtuns, form the largest group estimated to account for 44% of the population, followed by
Tajik (25%) and Hazara (10%). Minor groups
include small tribes as the Aimak, Turkmen,
and Baloch make up 13% and Uzbeks (8%). The
spoken language differs accordingly, with Afghan (Pashtu) (35%) and Persian (Dari) (50%) being the main tongues. Others include Uzbek and Turkmen (11%). The remaining 4% is
made up of over 30 minor languages, primarily Balochi and Pashai. Bilingualism is common in Afghanistan.
Religiously Afghans are predominately Muslim or Pashtun, or both.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Afghanistan
Many of the country's historic monuments have been damaged in the wars in recent years. The two famous statues of Buddha in the Bamiyan province
were destroyed by the Taliban because they were regarded as being symbols of another religion.
The people of Afghanistan being renowned horsemen, the sport known as Buzkashi is a popular there. Afghan
hounds, running dogs, originate from Afghanistan.
Before the Taliban gained power, the city of Kabul was home to many musicians who were masters of both traditional and modern
Afghan music. Kabul in the middle part of the 20th century has been likened to Vienna during the 18th and 19th centuries.
See also: Radio Kabul, music of Afghanistan
Education
Main article: Education in Afghanistan
In the spring of 2003, it was estimated that 30% of Afghanistan's 7,000 schools had been seriously damaged during more than
two decades of Soviet occupation and civil war. Only half of the schools were reported to have clean water, while less than an
estimated 40% had adequate sanitation. Education for boys was not a priority during the Taliban regime, and girls were banished
from schools outright.
In regards to the poverty and violence of their surroundings, a study in 2002 by the Save the Children aid group said Afghan children were resilient and courageous. The study credited the
strong institutions of family and community.
Up to four million Afghan children, possibly the largest number ever, are believed to have enrolled for class for the school
year which began in March of 2003.
Literacy of the entire population is estimated at 36%.
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in Afghanistan
- Transportation in Afghanistan
- Military of Afghanistan
- Foreign relations of
Afghanistan
- Stamps and postal
history of Afghanistan
- Afghan asylum seekers affair in Nauru
External links
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