1) Afghanistan has a long history as a crossroads between civilizations and was conquered by many empires over centuries before becoming an independent state in the 18th century. 2) The country experienced periods of internal conflict and instability throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and was invaded by Britain in the 1830s. It gained full independence in 1919. 3) The Taliban rose to power in the 1990s and imposed strict Islamic rule until being overthrown by U.S. forces in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks carried out by Al Qaeda while sheltered in Afghanistan.

1. Afghanistan Nationalism By: Ebony Uribe Cindy Nguyen

2. Nationalism Definition Refers to an ideology, a sentiment, a form of culture, or a social movement that focuses on the nation. It is a type of collectivism emphasizing the collective of a specific nation. Nationalism Drive Control Power Domination Unity

3. History Crossroad between different civilizations. 522 BCE--486 BCE- Persia conquerd Afghanistan 329 BCE– 326 BCE- Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered Afghanistan 652- Arabs introduce Islam.

4. History cont. 1332-Descendants of Ghorid rulers conquer Afghanistan. 1613-1689- Uprising against Moghul government. 1736 - Nadir Shah (head of Persia) occupies parts of Afghanistan. 1747- Shah is assassinated. Afghans, establish modern Afghanistan.

5. History cont. 1773- 1793- Rule of Timur Shah. Internal revolts. 1826- Dost Mohammad Khan establishes control. 1836- Britain invades. 1843- Annihilation of British troops= Afghanistan is independent again. 1934- USA formally recognizes Afghanistan.

6. History Cont. 1994-Taliban militia are born. 2001- Taliban destroy historical momentums.

7. 9/11 Taliban - September 11 th : suicide attacks on the U.S. kill more than 3,000 people and destroy the two towers of the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon.

8. Opposition Suppressed Ahmad Shah Masood In April 2001, he was visiting Europe to gain support against the Taliban. Two days before 9/11, Masood was killed by assassins posing as journalists. Abdul Haq Was trying to create a popular uprising in Afghanistan against the Taliban in the wake of the September 11th attacks. Executed by the Taliban in October 2001.

9. Languages Most common languages Eastern Farsi/ Dari Pashto Other Uzbek & Turkmen 30 minor languages Bilingualism is common Big difference in literacy rates for males and females.

10. Religions Mid-1980s ~ 30,000-150,00 Hindus & Sikhs in varies cities (mainly Jalalabad, Kabul, & Kandahar) 99% Muslim 74-80% Sunni 19-25% Shi’a Small Jewish community Last one is Zablon Simintov

11. Taliban

12. Education Obstacles Lack of funding Unsafe school building Cultural norms Lack of women teacher Rapid change in the face of higher education After 2001, Kabul University was reopened to both genders.

13. Education cont. 2006: American University of Afghanistan opened its door & accepted students from Afghanistan & the neighboring countries New military school with purpose of properly training & educating their soldiers

14. Media Media was very restricted Censorship slowly loosend after 2001 Reporters Without Borders listed the media environment as 1 st for most free

15. Ethnic Groups 41% Pashtun 38% Tajik 10% Hazara 6% Uzbek Population – large variety of Ethnic groups No exact distribution 2% Turkmen 1% Nuristani 1% Baloch 1% other

16. Economy One of world’s poorest countries. Recovering from decades of conflict. Has improved significantly since fall of Taliban. Extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependant on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries. Main source of income is agriculture. Industry based on agriculture and pastoral raw materials.

17. Economy Continued Sheep farming is extremely valuable. Rich in natural resources. $8 billion in bilateral debt. $500 million in debt to Multilateral Development Banks. Unit of money= Afghani Population below poverty line= 53% Unemployment rate= 40%

18. Taliban's New Target – Mobile -Phone Towers destroyed a mobile-phone tower No telephone signals during the evening and overnight Taliban want to damage economy Mobile networks are important for ordinary Afghans

19. Current Event- June 8, 2009 New troops to defeat Taliban. Marine buildup will occur in Hemland. USA is helping Afghan government vs. Taliban.

20. Future of Afghanistan Taliban moves away Less US troops Country unites Less censorship Improved education Kabul rebuilt

21. The End