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| Flag Description: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other 2 bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are Eastern Arabic numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great"), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam. source: The World Factbook |
History & Background of Afghanistan
Afghanistan officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country in Asia. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south. Iran to the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north; and in the far northeast, China. Occupying 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi), it is a mountainous country with plains
in the north and southwest. Kabul is the capital and largest city. The population is 32 million, mostly composed of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks.
in the north and southwest. Kabul is the capital and largest city. The population is 32 million, mostly composed of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks.
Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era, and the country's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia. The land has historically been home to various peoples and has witnessed numerous military campaigns, including those by Alexander the Great, Mauryas, Muslim Arabs, Mongols, British, Soviets, and by the United States with allied countries. The land also served as the source from which the Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, Khaljis, Mughals, Hotaks, Durranis, and others have risen to form major empires.
The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century. In the late 19th century, Afghanistan became a buffer state in the "Great Game" between British India and the Russian Empire. Its border with British India, the Durand Line, was formed in 1893 but it is not recognized by the Afghan government and it has led to strained relations with Pakistan since the latter's independence in 1947. Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 the country was free of foreign influence, eventually becoming a monarchy under Amanullah Khan, until almost 50 years later when Zahir Shah was overthrown and a republic was established. In 1978, after a second coup Afghanistan first became a socialist state and then a Soviet protectorate. This evoked the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s against mujahideen rebels. By 1996 most of Afghanistan was captured by the Islamic fundamentalist group the Taliban, who ruled as a totalitarian regime for over five years. Following the September 11 attacks, an intervention by the US and its allies forcibly removed the Taliban from power, and a new democratically-elected government was formed, but the Taliban still control a significant portion of the country.
Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic. The country has high levels of terrorism, poverty, child malnutrition, and corruption. It is a member of the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 77, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Afghanistan's economy is the world's 96th largest, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $72.9 billion by purchasing power parity; the country fares much worse in terms of per-capita GDP (PPP), ranking 169th out of 186 countries as of 2018.
Source: Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia
| People & Society | |
|---|---|
| Currency | Afghani (Afs) (AFN) |
| Languages | Pashto, Dari |
| Population | 32,225,560 (2019) |
| Time Zone | UTC+4:30 |
| Dialing Code | +93 |
| Religion | 99.7% Muslims 0.3% others |
| Population | Texas, US |
| Nationality | Afghani |
| Ethnicity | 42% Pashtun 27% Tajik 9% Hazara 9% Uzbek 4% Aimaq 3% Turkmen 2% Baloch 4% others |
| Country Known For | Pomegranates in Asia |
| Current Time | |
| Current Date | |
| Government | |
| Country Name | Islamic Republic of Afghanistan |
| Official Language | Pastho, Dari |
| Capital | Kabul |
| Government Type | presidential Islamic republic |
| Political Parties No. | the Ministry of Justice licensed 72 political parties as of April 2019 |
| Administrative divisions | 34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul |
| Independence | 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) |
| National Holiday | Independence Day, 19 August (1919) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran |
| Total Area | 652,230 sq km |
| Climate | arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers |
| Neighboring Countries | China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| Natural Resources | natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land |
| Capital | Kabul |
| Main Cities | Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz, Jalalabad, Taloqan, Puli Khumri, Ghazni, Khost |
| Water | 0 sq km |
| Highest Point | Noshaq, Afghanistan's highest peak 7,492 m (24,580 ft) |
| Lowest Point | Amu Darya at Khamyab, 258 m (846 ft) |
| Map Reference | Asia |
| Military & Security | |
| Armed Forces |  Afghan National Army Afghan Air Force |
| Headquarter | National Military Command Center, Kabul Province, Afghanistan |
| Active Personnel | 195,000 (2014) |
| Budget | $11.6 billion (2011) |
| Economy | |
| Import | $7.616 billion (2017 est.) |
| Export | $784 million (2017 est.) |
| Industries | small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper |
| Agriculture | opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins, poppies |
| Labor Force | 8.478 million (2017 est.) |
| Major Trading Partners | China, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia (2017) |
| GDP | $69.45 billion (2017 est.) |
| Communication | |
| Telephone Main Lines | 118,769 (2017 est.) |
| Mobile Cellular | 23,929,713 |
| Internet TLD | .af |
| Internet Users | 3,531,770 |
| Broadcast Media | state-owned broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operates a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces; an estimated 174 private radio stations, 83 TV stations, and about a dozen international broadcasters are available (2019) |
| Transportation | |
| Railways | 3 Railroads |
| Helicopters | 9 (2013) |
| Airports | 43 (2016) |
| Roadways | 34,903 km (2017) |
| Education | |
| Universities No. | 63 |
| Literacy Rate | 38.2% (males 52% and females 24.2%) |
| Energy | |
| Electricity Production | 1.211 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Population without Electricity | population without electricity: 18,999,254 (2012) |
| Crude Oil Production | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Natural gas production | 164.2 million cu m (2017 est.) |
| Refined Petrolium production | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Travel & Tourism | |
| Travellers per year | 90,000 tourists |
| Driving Side | Right |
| Tourism Spots | Abdul Rahman Mosque, Arg, Chihil Sutun, Bagh-e Babur, Bagh-e Bala Palace, Darul Aman Palace, Habibullah Zazai Park, Kabul City Center, Kabul Zoo, National Museum of Afghanistan, Paghman, Qargha |
| Things to do | New York, US |
| National Things | |
| National Day | 19 August (Afghan Independence Day) |
| National Sport | Buzkashi |
| National Food | Kabuli palaw |
| National Dress | Afghan dress for women usually wear a Tombaan which are a type of pants, a Parahaan which is an overdress and a head covering which is called a Chaadar. They also wear shoes called Payzaar. Men have overshirts called Payraan and frequently wear hats called Kuliaa. |
| National Color | White color |
| National Language | Pashto, Dari |
