Afghanistan

A presentation by Cassie Dychton, Maria Rademacher, and Anthony

Braves

AFGHAN

LIFE

History• 3000 BCE-2000 BCE-Mundigak• 522 BCE-486 BCE -Darius the Great

expands Persian empire• 400 AD - Invasion of the White Huns. • 550 AD-Persians control over Afghanistan• 1219-1221-Invasion by Genghis Khan• 1747-Nadir Shah is assassinated, and the

Afghans rise once again.• 1826-1992-Modern Afghanistan was

created as a buffer state Russian vs. British empires(to Soviet Union and Great Britin)

• 1940-Zahir Shah proclaims Afghanistan as neutral during WW2

• 1978-Bloody Communist coup• 1979-1992-Soviet Union (Russia) invades

in December.• 1992-Now-Islamic State of Afghanistan

Islamic republic

• Afghanistan Climate = cold winters & hot summers

• Hindu Kush mountain range rises to more than 20,000 ft

• Central Afghanistan = plateau at 6,000 ft

• Southwestern Afghanistan = desert• Less water pollution in mountains• Few Lakes

Geography

Economy

• Unemployment rate = 40%• Exports: $327 million• Imports: $4.85 billion• Import Partners: Pakistan 36.8%,

US 11%, India 5%, Germany 4.2%

Natural Resources• Natural Gas

• Petroleum

• Coal

• Copper

• Sulfur

• Lead

• Zinc

Religion• Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1% Tension/ Violence• 1% (Jews and Christian) would leave Afghanistan for Israel to escape Islamic

rule• Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992-Now)• Afghanistan are the flag-covered graves of saint-like people• Mullah• 5 pillars of Islam are practiced all the time• Foreign policy is heavily weighted on the west’s ability to understand and

respect Afghanistan’s culture.• Afghanistan must show understanding on its side of the table in order to

avoid conflict.

Culture• Major ethnic groups: Pashtun 42%, Tajik

27%, Hazara 9%, and Uzbek 9%• Language: Afghan Persian/Dari (official)

50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%

• Gender roles (women): 1960s1992/1996 when Taliban captures Kabul

• Afghan diet• Taliban had a ban on entertainment, but

now social atmosphere more relaxed• Women still wear chador/chadrifull body

covering mandated by Taliban• Men wear loose, baggy trousers with a long

over shirt and vest over it• Male literacy 21%, female literacy 51% in

2002• Educationfree. Primary 6 yrssecondary 6

yrsVocational program/training

Current Affairs

• Unemployment article: http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/09/28/poverty-unemployment-driving-afghanistan-towards-instability.html

• Current Event: “Iran says 20 killed in Mosque bombing” (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-attack29-2009may29,0,3955316.story)

• Current Event: “29 insurgents killed in eastern Afghanistan” (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD98F4G8O0)

• Suicide Attacks• Taliban going strong—centralized power• War in Iraq looking better, war in Afghanistan not going America’s way…• Kabul movie

Connections

• The War in AfghanistanTaliban still recruiting children

• Kabul, AfghanistanKite Runner cultureHazara and Pashtun

• Pakistan/Afghanistan border control “Children of the Taliban” video

Bibliography• "13_25_55---Coal_web.jpg (JPEG Image, 398x600 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009 <http://www.freefoto.com/images/13/25/13_25_55---Coal_web.jpg>. • "1652278.jpg (JPEG Image, 467x700 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009 <http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/1652278.jpg>.• "2159478392_87226b25.jpg (JPEG Image, 500x375 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009 <http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2414/2159478392_87226b3b25.jpg>.• "600afghanistan_woman.jpg (JPEG Image, 600x480 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009

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<http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/geography_images/afghanistan_russian_troops_mountain_passes.jpg >. • "chador.jpg (JPEG Image, 350x250 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009 <http://tokopa.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/chador.jpg>.• "Climate." Afghanistan's website. 2 Jun 2009 <http://www.afghanistans.com/Information/Climate.htm>. "Afghanistan." CIA: The World Factbook. 2

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EDUCATION.html>.• "Flag_afghanistan_2004.png (PNG Image, 729x486 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009

<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Flag_afghanistan_2004.png>. • "girl.jpg (JPEG Image, 600x436 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009 <http://www.freedomfiles.org/war/girl.jpg >. • "http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD98F4G8O0 ." Google News. 3 Jun 2009

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<http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/270547/2/istockphoto_270547_nan_bread.jpg>.• “Policy Areas”, Malek Asghar St. Kabul, Afghanistan, © 2006 Ministry of Foreign Affairs., http://www.mfa.gov.af/contact.asp • poverty_kabul.jpg (JPEG Image, 400x281 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009

<http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/data/upimages/poverty_kabul.jpg >. • "Poverty, unemployment driving Afghanistan towards instability." The Reality of Life in Afghanistan. 2 Jun 2009

<http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/09/28/poverty-unemployment-driving-afghanistan-towards-instability.html>. • “Religion”, Afghan Civil Society a 501(c)3 Non Profit Organization, Afghanistan’s Web Site,

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<http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/files/images/strategic-petroleum-reserve-technician.img_assist_custom.jpg>. • Topography-Afghanistan." Encyclopedia of the Nations. 2 Jun 2009 <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-

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towards instability." The Reality of Life in Afghanistan. 2 Jun 2009 . >. • "Weather and Climate in Afghanistan." South Travels. 2 Jun 2009

<http://www.southtravels.com/asia/afghanistan/weather.html>. • "Without+rain+it+looks+like+a+desert-784676.jpg (JPEG Image, 400x300 pixels)." 2 Jun 2009

<http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Dr8EsTtpYk/RysqMZZKsiI/AAAAAAAAA6c/9SpH3-btPiA/s400/Without+rain+it+looks+like+a+desert-784676.jpg>.