This document provides an overview of Afghanistan. It discusses the country's basic facts, including its name meaning and history. It describes Afghanistan's landscape, climate, and population which includes various ethnic groups. It outlines aspects of Afghan culture such as language, religion, art, food, and traditions around hospitality and visiting homes. It also summarizes Afghanistan's political system and history including Soviet invasion and the rise of the Taliban. The economy is centered around agriculture and illegal opium production. Education, health, and infrastructure development are ongoing challenges.

1. AAffgghhaanniissttaann
BAHRAM NAWABI 2012UCE1790
FIRST YEAR CIVIL ENGG.
SEMINAR PRESENTATION

2. CCOONNTTEENNTTSS •BASIC FACTS
•Basic facts about Afghanistan
•LAND AND PEOPLE
•Natural setting
•The people
•Major cities
•The flag of Afghanistan
•POLITI CS
•Afghanistan is an Islamic republic country
•Islamic
•Quran and Hadith
•Republic
•Democracy and Pluralism
•Rise of the Taliban
•OVERCOMMING THE LEGACY
•Political reconstruction
•Economic recovery
•Human rights
•Education
•Health
•The future
•CONCLUSION
•BIBLIOGRAPHY

3. TThhee BBaassiicc FFaaccttss aabboouutt
AAffgghhaanniissttaann
• Afghanistan means the “Land of the Afghan”
• In Ancient times called Aryana
• Medieval Era called Kohrasan

4. TThhee FFllaagg

5. RReeggiioonnaall MMaapp
• Afghanistan is a landlocked
country, making the export
of goods difficult and
expensive.
• It has rugged mountains and
plains and is prone to
natural disasters such as
earthquakes and drought.
• Temperatures are extreme,
as hot as 120° F in the
summer and as cold as -15°
F in the winter.
• There are limited natural
fresh water sources, and
most of the land has been
overgrazed and deforested,
causing desertification and
soil degradation, making
farming difficult.

6. MMaapp aanndd IImmppoorrttaanntt DDaattaa
• Capital: Kabul
• Area: 650000 sq Km; slightly
smaller than Texas
• Population: 31,056,997 (July
2006 estimate)
80% Sunni Muslim, 19% Shia
Muslim
• Main ethnic groups: Pashtun,
Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek
• GDP per capita: purchasing
power parity - $800 (2004
estimate)
• Over 80% of labor force is
employed in agriculture
(farming, sheep, goats)
• Covered by an estimated 5-7
million landmines
• Leading illicit opium
producer in 2005 supplying
89% of the opium produced
in the world. 1/3 of the GDP
comes from opium trade

7. PPooppuullaattiioonn
• Population: 31 million
• Made up of various
ethnic groups
including:
o Pashtuns, Tajiks ,
Uzbeks, Hazaras, of
Mongolian origin, and
Baluchis can also be
found in Afghanistan.

8. TThhee PPeeooppllee
• The people of Afghanistan are called
Afghan(s).
• The people of Afghanistan have a life
expectancy of only 45 years.
• Many ethnic groups make up the Afghan
population. The largest is the Pashtun (38%)
followed in size by the Tajik (25%).

9. GGoovveerrnnmmeenntt
• Afghanistan does not have a
functioning central government. It is
ruled by factions.
• There are presently 36 Afghan
provinces.
• The Constitution of 1964 is no longer in
use.

10. LLaanngguuaaggee
• Pashtu and Dari are most common languages
• Pashtu -National Language of Afghanistan (35%)
• 11% of the people can speak one of the “Turkic”
languages.
• Additionally there are another 30 minor languages
spoken.
• Dari – Used for business and government transactions (50%)
• 55% of the country is illiterate, however Afghan’s are
wonderful story tellers.
• Bilingualism is very common in Afghanistan.

11. VViissiittiinngg
• Afghans are known to invite others to their home for
dinner.
• The front room is used for eating meals. The food
and drinks are served by children.
• Male visitors, who are not considered an immediate
family member, will never get to meet the women.
• Be prepared to remove your shoes before entering
a home or building.
• The people of Afghanistan are known for their
hospitality

12. RReelliiggiioonn
• Islam is the world’s second largest religion, with 21% of all
people practicing this faith.
• Islam teaches that one can only find peace in life by
submitting to Allah (Almighty God) in heart, soul, and deed.
• The Quran is the holy guide to Islam.
• Major aspects of the Islamic religion include testimony of faith,
prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage.
• “Covering” is a religious duty. Women can only have their
faces and hands showing in public. Men must not expose
anything from navel to knee.
• Sunni and Shia are the two most common forms of Islam with
different beliefs in some of the specific premises of the
religion.
• 99% Muslim and 1% is mix of other religions

14. GGeeooggrraapphhyy ooff tthhee llaanndd
• Hindukush (Hindu Killer) Mountains run North and
South. Name reflects the large number of Hindu who
died in route to Asian slave markets.
• Mountains among the highest in the world at 10,500-
21,000 feet.

15. CClliimmaattee aanndd IImmppaacctt
• Afghanistan’s climate is typically arid to semi-arid
• Dry summers and cold winters.
• Severe blizzards occur from December through
February.
• During the summer months of June through
September, strong winds prevail carrying intense
heat and causing severe wind storms and drought.
• Typically during mid-day, the wind will reach
velocities of nearly 100 miles per hour.
• This causes stifling sand storms that dismantle and
create gigantic sand dunes.
• This phenomenon has caused great challenge to
the Allied Forces as the blowing sand causes
equipment failure and breakdown, and miserable
conditions for warfare.

16. TTeerrrraaiinn aanndd PPhhyyssiiccaall
FFeeaattuurreess
Photo by U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division-Light Infantry Afghanistan is a landlocked country. It is dry and has
extremely warm summers and very cold winters. The
mountains are rugged, although there are some plains
used for farming.

17. GHOR - AFGHANISTAN

18. BAND-e- AMIR, BAMYAN-AFGHANISTAN
BAND-e-KAJAKY, HILMAND-AFGHANISTAN

19. TThhee PPeeooppllee AANNDD SSoocciieettyy
vviieeww

20. Above, a 16-years-old girl works at
sewing for about $1 per day as part of a special
training program. U.S. soldiers are a common
sight in Afghanistan and often interact with the
local people. The picture on the lower right
shows an Afghan school, where students sit in
on the floor waiting for the day’s lessons to
begin.

21. Sharbat Gula (Pashto)
) pronounced [ˈʃaɾbat]) (born ca. 1972) is
an Afghan woman who was the subject of
a famous photograph by journalist Steve
McCurry. Gula was living as a refugee in
Pakistan during the time of the Soviet
occupation of Afghanistan when she was
photographed. The image brought her
recognition when it was featured on the
cover of the June 1985 issue of National
Geographic Magazine at a time when she
was approximately 12 years old. Gula
was known throughout the world simply
as "the Afghan Girl" until she was
formally identified in early 2002. The
photograph has been likened to Leonardo
da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa and
is sometimes popularly referred to as "the
Afghan Mona Lisa.

22. Afghan Women National Army

24. Afghanistan employs 80 percent of its workforce in
farming or raising sheep and goats. Because it is a landlocked country with
mountainous terrain, exporting goods like the melons carried
by the boy is difficult and expensive. Poppies are grown illegally as a source
of opium, which is used to produce heroin. Drug lords make millions through
unregulated trade of this drug. The Afghan government is working to eliminate
illegal drug trade and encourage the growth of other agricultural crops for
export.

25. TTrraannssppoorrttaattiioonn
• Transportation in rural
areas are in 3 ways:
o By foot
o By camel
o By donkey or mule
• Transportation in urban
areas:
o Taxis
o Crowded busses that also
haul animals and
produce

27. EEdduuccaattiioonn
• It is the goal of the
Ministry of Education
(MoE) that “by 2020
all children in
Afghanistan, boys
and girls alike, will be
able to complete a
full course of primary
education.”

29. AAffgghhaann FFoooodd
Dogh
(yogurt
drink)
Bolaanee
(leek
and/or
potato
fillled
pockets
Qabilee Palao
(Rice with meet, nuts, almond,
carrot, raisins)
Ashak
Nan-e-Khushk
(bread)

30. RReeccrreeaattiioonn
• For recreation, many
sports are popular.
Buzkashi, a national
sport, is where the
rider is on a horse.
The object is to pitch
a dead calf across a
goal line first. (Qazi,
2009).

32. RReeccrreeaattiioonn ccoonntt’’dd
• Other sports played
are soccer, basketball,
Taekwondo, and table
tennis, to name just a
few.
• Other forms of
recreation include
chicken fights, hunting
Afghanistan's Rohullah Nikpai and wrestling.
stands on the podium with his
bronze medal won in the men's
taekwondo -58 kg class at the
Beijing 2008 Olympics

33. TThhee AArrttss aanndd hheerriittaaggeess
• The Kabul Museum held many of the beautiful
Afghanistan arts until it was destroyed by the
Taliban.
• There were sculptures that were found. One of
those found was a sculpture of Buddha’s head.
Afghanistan used to heavily practice Buddhism.
• Others found were made of baked clay and
represented the goddess.
www.afghansite.com)

34. Two Sculptures of Buddha’s head made in
6th century.

35. CCoommmmeerrccee
• Afghan’s major trading
partners are, Germany, the US
India, and Pakistan..
• The main industries in
Afghanistan include the
following:
o Carpet
o Small scale textiles
o Soaps
o Furniture
o Shoes
o Fertilizer
o Cement
o Copper
o Coal
o Natural gas
o Hand woven carpets
• Exports for Afghanistan
include:
o Carpet
o Opium
o Fruits
o Nuts
o Hand woven carpets
o Wool
o Cotton
o Precious and semi precious
gems
o Hides
o Pelts
• Imports for Afghanistan
include:
o Petroleum products
o Textiles
o Capital goods
o Food
o etc

36. LAL-e-BADAKHSHAN (RUBY OF BAKHSHAN)

37. AAffgghhaann--HHiinnddoo rreellaattiioonnss

38. • A walk during the
contract (Between India
and Afghanistan) that
the annual number of
650 Afghan students,
that are coming to
complete their Masters
courses and bachelors,
in a scholarship scheme
in India.

39. PPoolliittiiccaall HHiissttoorryy
• In 1979, Afghanistan was invaded and
eventually controlled by the Soviet Union.
• In 1989, Afghanistan and the Soviet Union
signed a peace agreement.
• In 1995, the Taliban, promising traditional,
Islamic values came into power, imposing
strict Islamic law, including revoking many
women’s rights.
• In 2001, American troops force the Taliban
from power.
• In 2004, Hamid Karzai became the first
elected Afghan president.

40. HHiissttoorriiccaall ppeerrssppeeccttiivvee:: 11998800--
pprreesseenntt
• In the 1980’s, millions of Afghan’s lost their lives, and
the war was with Russia.
• 1989 Russia left the nation, leaving behind
devastation and widespread poverty.
• Millions of Afghan citizens were living as refugees.
• Civil warring continued

41. The militant Islamic terrorist network known as al-Qaida and led by Osama
bin Laden, was based in Afghanistan for many years prior to U.S. attacks on
the organization in October 2001 following the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The organization continues to grow, and bin Laden remains at large.

42. PPoolliittiiccss:: TThhee TTaalliibbaann
Prior to 2001, the Taliban, led by Mullah
Mohammad Omar, ruled Afghanistan under
Islamic law. During this time, women had
virtually no rights and received no
education. Watching television and
listening to music were forbidden, as were
playing games and sports.
The United States entered Afghanistan in
October 2001 and replaced the Taliban with
an elected president. While the Taliban lost
some power and the people regained some
rights, the Taliban has not gone away.
Instead, it has worked to regain power by
promising to help Afghanistan’s poorest
people and aligning itself with warlords, al-
Qaida, and other militant groups to gain
financial support and recruit new fighters.
Taliban Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar

43. EExxttrreemmiissmm aanndd TThhee
TTaalliibbaann
• Varied factions of
extremism in the civil war
eventually led to the
formation of the Taliban.
• Taliban dictated and
ruled with brutally cruel,
and socially oppressive
hand.
• Taliban’s reign of control
ended when U.S. and
Allied forces invaded
following the Sept. 11th
attacks on the United
States.

44. AAfftteerr tthhee ffaallll
• Taliban leader
Osama Bin Laden
goes in to hiding.
• His unseen power
and control remains
a threat to the
peace of this region
and of terror to the
world.

45. OOvveerrccoommmmiinngg tthhee lleeggaaccyy
• In 2004, Hamid Karzai was the first
democratically elected as president
of Afghanistan
• Supreme Court is appointed by the
president
• The National Assembly is comprised of two
bodies:
o House of People
o House of Elders
• The UN and other international organizations
play a large role in rebuilding democracy in the
nation

46. PPrreessiiddeenntt KKaarrzzaaii
President Hamid Karzai was the first
elected president in the history of
Afghanistan. He came to power after the
Taliban was overthrown in late 2001. He
was formally elected to a five-year term in
2004. Karzai has survived numerous
assassination attempts and has been
assigned the task of rebuilding
Afghanistan. Some of the major
problems he must address include
providing the country with an
infrastructure so that citizens have the
basic necessities of life, keeping the
Taliban out of power and controlling the
warlords who perpetuate the illegal drug
trade.

47. RReeffeerreenncceess//BBiibblliiooggrraapphhyy
Afghanistan. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2009, from World Atlas.com:
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/af.htm
Afghanistan-History. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2009, from Bookrags.com:
http://www.bookrags.com/research/afghanistanhistory-ema-01/
Afghanistan. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2009, from National Geographic:
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_afghanistan.
html
Afghanistan Climate. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2009, from Photius.com:
http://www.photius.com/countries/afghanistan/climate/afghanistan_climate_
climate.html
BBC Monitoring. (2009). Country Profile: Afghanistan. Retrieved on June 22, 2009
From News Sources at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/111162668
Blood, P. ed., (1997). Afghanistan: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for Library
of
Congress 2001.