Afghanistan
Formal name: Islamic State of Afghanistan (Dowlat-e-Eslami-ye Afghanestan)
Short name: Afghanistan
Term for Citizens: Afghan
Capital: Kabul
Date of Independence: August 19, 1919 (from UK control)
Area: 652,000 square kilometers
Time: GMT +4.5
Topography: Afghanistan has mountainous terrain. The Northern part of the country is separated from rest of the country by huge ranges. Afghanistan can mainly be divided into 03 different geographic regions known as; The Central Highlands, The Northern Plains, and the Southwest Plateau. The altitude, climate, and soil conditions in Afghanistan have great variations everywhere in the country. South is very green and warm climate, whereas central parts are dry and cold in winter, short summer due to high attitude.
Climate: Its varies from arid to semi arid; cold winters and hot summers
Population: 31 million (2013 est.), which is growing annually 3.48% including the return of migrants to Afghanistan from neighboring countries
GDP - PER CAPITA : purchasing power parity - US$ 800.00
Language: There are about 45 languages spoken in Afghanistan but the 02 main languages are Pashtu 35% and Dari 50% followed by Turkic languages 11% and various other languages. Afghanistan is basically a country with bilingualism. Dari and Pashtu are also the National / official languages.
Religion: Muslims are about 99% (84% Sunni & 15% Shia), Rest of the religions are about 1% including Sikhs & Hindus.
Ethnic groups: Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, Minor Ethnic groups 12% & Uzbeks 6%.
Education: Compulsory 7 years education.
Literacy: Literacy rate is 31.5%, which includes male 47.2% and female 15%
Economy: Afghanistan is an extremely poor country highly dependent on farming and livestock raising. The Economy of Afghanistan can be divided into 03 sectors;
Agriculture 53%, Industry 28.5% and Services 18.5%. The main agriculture products are wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton & Karakul pelts. The industrial sector includes textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement, hand-woven carpets, natural gas, oil & copper. Electricity production is about 420 million Kwh and 64.2% of the total production is hydro generated.
Currency: Afghani
Electicity: 220 Volts AC; 50Hz
Ecology: Soil degradation, overgrazing, deforestation and desertification.
Culture: Land of ancient and rich culture with lots of historical monuments, traditional handicrafts and enormous variety of foods.
Major cities: Kabul, Kandahar, Ghazni, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif & Herat
By 1870’s Afghanistan became bone of contention between the Imperial Russia and the British Empire of India that caused three Anglo Afghan wars, fought over Russo-Phobia which the British had developed after the First World War. These were the beginnings of ‘The Great Game’ when both the celestial empires vied for territorial gains ending up in a treaty signed in 1895 recognizing Afghanistan as a buffer state. After the fall of Imperial dynasty in Russia, the Soviets sought more co-operation with Afghanistan by sending huge chunks of aid in the effort to brain wash the new generations to proletarian ideals causing the Kingdom of Kabul to de-stabilize and with this began an era of confusion as Soviets had now taken charge of Afghanistan while othe other hand the USA, started their presence in border areas of Pakistan to keep a check on the Soviets. With the beginning of another era of wars started a period of total disarray most to be blamed on the two great powers of the world whose selfish needs have left the Afghan people to lick the wounds till to this day!
We are now looking to a new Afghanistan and new era to set up where they can live a democratic and a prospering nation of the world. Afghanistan is proud to be land of all ancient histories where one can find the best of the western and eastern worlds coming together. We can explore the vast lands of the Great Buddhas, to the hidden treasures of Bactria and the wild frontiers of Wakhan, its traditional bazaars or the great game of Buzkashi of traditional music, Afghanistan is the land that will always welcome you.
Short name: Afghanistan
Term for Citizens: Afghan
Capital: Kabul
Date of Independence: August 19, 1919 (from UK control)
Area: 652,000 square kilometers
Time: GMT +4.5
Topography: Afghanistan has mountainous terrain. The Northern part of the country is separated from rest of the country by huge ranges. Afghanistan can mainly be divided into 03 different geographic regions known as; The Central Highlands, The Northern Plains, and the Southwest Plateau. The altitude, climate, and soil conditions in Afghanistan have great variations everywhere in the country. South is very green and warm climate, whereas central parts are dry and cold in winter, short summer due to high attitude.
Climate: Its varies from arid to semi arid; cold winters and hot summers
Population: 31 million (2013 est.), which is growing annually 3.48% including the return of migrants to Afghanistan from neighboring countries
GDP - PER CAPITA : purchasing power parity - US$ 800.00
Language: There are about 45 languages spoken in Afghanistan but the 02 main languages are Pashtu 35% and Dari 50% followed by Turkic languages 11% and various other languages. Afghanistan is basically a country with bilingualism. Dari and Pashtu are also the National / official languages.
Religion: Muslims are about 99% (84% Sunni & 15% Shia), Rest of the religions are about 1% including Sikhs & Hindus.
Ethnic groups: Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, Minor Ethnic groups 12% & Uzbeks 6%.
Education: Compulsory 7 years education.
Literacy: Literacy rate is 31.5%, which includes male 47.2% and female 15%
Economy: Afghanistan is an extremely poor country highly dependent on farming and livestock raising. The Economy of Afghanistan can be divided into 03 sectors;
Agriculture 53%, Industry 28.5% and Services 18.5%. The main agriculture products are wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton & Karakul pelts. The industrial sector includes textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement, hand-woven carpets, natural gas, oil & copper. Electricity production is about 420 million Kwh and 64.2% of the total production is hydro generated.
Currency: Afghani
Electicity: 220 Volts AC; 50Hz
Ecology: Soil degradation, overgrazing, deforestation and desertification.
Culture: Land of ancient and rich culture with lots of historical monuments, traditional handicrafts and enormous variety of foods.
Major cities: Kabul, Kandahar, Ghazni, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif & Herat
Afghanistan History
A thoroughfare of migration from the times immemorial, land of Afghanistan has seen upheavals of history as being the most deterred land on earth. The great Aryan migrations started around 1500 BC, effected through Afghanistan opening their eyes to the promised land of the Indus Valley Civilization. By then a wave of migrations had already started to the fertile lands of India. Yet another migration from the holy lands found respite into the ‘paropamisus’ mountains, were probably the ten lost sheep of Israel that may have landed into Afghanistan around 7th/8th BC and some continued beyond even. These were the Jewish tribes who may have emigrated along with the Medes a west Persian race, regarded as the first to have established a regular rule in Afghanistan. The region was then fought over by the Achaemenians incorporating it in their Empire around 6th BC, after accomplishing his successes against the Persians, Alexander the Great came here in 326 BC asserting his claim over the lost provinces of the Achaemenian Empire, his sojourn in Bactriana was not full of surprises when he met some of his country men brought here as slaves by the early Persian wars. Bactria by then was a prospering country professing Zoroastrian religion in the home country of Zaratushtra who was born here in present day Balkh province. After the death of Alexander the Great, Seleucus Nicator retreated to what is most of Afghanistan under a treaty with the Mauryans establishing his dynasty of Seleucids which continued till 150 BC as most of the kingdom was uprooted by the advancing Mauryans. They were soon to be supplanted by another Greeks, called in the history as Bactrian Greeks. These were tribal groups who kept fighting for supremacy till the arrival of Scythians in around 155 BC and then Parthians in 80 BC. It was then the invasion by a migratory tribe called Kushanas from northwestern parts of China came here in 1st BC seeing the land where the majority was professing Buddhism and for political reasons converted to Buddhism. After empowering a vast land and establishing well settled government, Kushanas rule is regarded as of prosperity, they were widely accepted as peaceful rulers. The practice of Buddhism spread across due state protection and patronage. Commercial activity was promoted through the Silk Road, diplomatic contacts were established with the eastern parts of Roman Empire. Kushanas had seized opportunity of rule and had established governance which copied the Bactrian Greeks, so much so that they adopted their style of coinage and even copied bilingual scripts with Greek and local Kharoshti and even adopted the title of Ceaser on some coins. After the fall of powerful Kushans in 230 AD, Sassanids got the opportunity to retake the land of early Persians in 230 AD continued over three hundred years when the little Kushans called the Kidara Kushans, a tribal group asserted themselves as to revive their old dynasty but in the span of a century they were uprooted by yet another migratory tribe of the Hepthalites (the Huns), came here in 410 AD and brought destruction with them with massive killing and putting fire to the Buddhist monasteries. By then a new group of rulers emerged out of southern Afghanistan and across were called Hindu Shahiyas later to be known as Kabul or Turki Shahis, who continued their rule till the arrival of Arabs in 7th century AD. After this we see a continuation of Islamic rule in Afghanistan with dynasty after dynasty ruling the country. The later ones were mostly indigenous dynasties like the famous Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud of Gahzna. Then a series of Turkic rulers expanded their territories up to India. However another significant period in the history of Afghanistan was the invasion of Genghiz Khan in 1225 AD who ran through devastating the country moving further to invade India. The other significant rulers were the Mughals with the arrival of Babur in 1501 AD started, the foundations of a powerful dynasty of the Great Mughals ruling till the Indian sub-continent. Soon after the fall of Mughals in India a new surge of tribal dynasties started taking shape one after another in Afghanistan.By 1870’s Afghanistan became bone of contention between the Imperial Russia and the British Empire of India that caused three Anglo Afghan wars, fought over Russo-Phobia which the British had developed after the First World War. These were the beginnings of ‘The Great Game’ when both the celestial empires vied for territorial gains ending up in a treaty signed in 1895 recognizing Afghanistan as a buffer state. After the fall of Imperial dynasty in Russia, the Soviets sought more co-operation with Afghanistan by sending huge chunks of aid in the effort to brain wash the new generations to proletarian ideals causing the Kingdom of Kabul to de-stabilize and with this began an era of confusion as Soviets had now taken charge of Afghanistan while othe other hand the USA, started their presence in border areas of Pakistan to keep a check on the Soviets. With the beginning of another era of wars started a period of total disarray most to be blamed on the two great powers of the world whose selfish needs have left the Afghan people to lick the wounds till to this day!
We are now looking to a new Afghanistan and new era to set up where they can live a democratic and a prospering nation of the world. Afghanistan is proud to be land of all ancient histories where one can find the best of the western and eastern worlds coming together. We can explore the vast lands of the Great Buddhas, to the hidden treasures of Bactria and the wild frontiers of Wakhan, its traditional bazaars or the great game of Buzkashi of traditional music, Afghanistan is the land that will always welcome you.