Afghanistan

2 History

i
Afghanistan
/fnstn/
(Pashto/Dari:
, Afnistn), ocially the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country
located in Central Asia.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] It has a
population of approximately 31 million people, making
it the 42nd most populous country in the world. It is
bordered by Pakistan in the south and east; Iran in the
west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the
north; and China in the far northeast. Its territory covers
652,000 km2 (252,000 sq mi), making it the 41st largest
country in the world.

Main article: History of Afghanistan

Excavations of prehistoric sites by Louis Dupree and
others suggest that humans were living in what is now
Afghanistan at least 50,000 years ago, and that farming
communities in the area were among the earliest in the
world.[27][28] An important site of early historical activities, many believe that Afghanistan compares to Egypt in
terms of the historical value of its archaeological sites.[29]

Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the

Middle Paleolithic Era,[16] and the countrys strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures
of the Middle East and other parts of Asia.[17] Through
the ages the land has been home to various peoples[18]
and witnessed numerous military campaigns, notably by
Alexander the Great, Muslim Arabs, Mongols, British,
Soviet Russians, and in the modern-era by Western powers.[16] The land also served as the source from which the
Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Saarids, Ghaznavids,
Ghorids, Khiljis, Mughals, Hotaks, Durranis, and others
have risen to form major empires.[19]

The country sits at a unique nexus point where numerous

civilizations have interacted and often fought. It has been
home to various peoples through the ages, among them
the ancient Iranian peoples who established the dominant
role of Indo-Iranian languages in the region. At multiple points, the land has been incorporated within large
regional empires, among them the Achaemenid Empire,
the Macedonian Empire, the Indian Maurya Empire, and
the Islamic Empire.

Many kingdoms have also risen to power in Afghanistan,

such as the Greco-Bactrians, Kushans, Hephthalites,
The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan Kabul Shahis, Saarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghurids,
began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th Khiljis, Kartids, Timurids, Mughals, and nally the Hotak
century.[20][21][22] In the late 19th century, Afghanistan and Durrani dynasties that marked the political origins of
became a buer state in the "Great Game" between the modern state.
British India and the Russian Empire. Following the
1919 Anglo-Afghan War, King Amanullah and King
Mohammed Zahir Shah attempted modernization of the 2.1 Pre-Islamic period
country. A series of coups in the 1970s was followed by
a Soviet invasion and a series of civil wars that devastated Main article: Pre-Islamic period of Afghanistan
much of the country.
Archaeological exploration done in the 20th century suggests that the geographical area of Afghanistan has been
closely connected by culture and trade with its neighbors to the east, west, and north. Artifacts typical of the
1 Etymology
Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron ages
have been found in Afghanistan.[30] Urban civilization is
Main article: Name of Afghanistan
believed to have begun as early as 3000 BCE, and the
early city of Mundigak (near Kandahar in the south of
been a colony of the nearby Indus
The name Afghnistn (Persian: , [avnestn]) the country) may have
[28]
Valley
Civilization.
is believed to be as old as the ethnonym Afghan, which
is documented in the 10th-century geography book After 2000 BCE, successive waves of semi-nomadic
Hudud ul-'alam.[23] The root name "Afghan" was used people from Central Asia began moving south into
historically in reference to the Pashtun people, and the Afghanistan; among them were many Indo-Europeansux "-stan" means place of in Persian. Therefore, speaking Indo-Iranians.[27] These tribes later migrated
Afghanistan translates to land of the Afghans.[24][25] further south to India, west to what is now Iran, and toThe Constitution of Afghanistan states that "[t]he word wards Europe via the area north of the Caspian Sea.[31]
Afghan shall apply to every citizen of Afghanistan.[26]
The region as a whole was called Ariana.[27][32][33]
1

HISTORY

BCE, the Achaemenid Persians overthrew the Medes and

incorporated Arachosia, Aria, and Bactria within its eastern boundaries. An inscription on the tombstone of King
Darius I of Persia mentions the Kabul Valley in a list of
the 29 countries that he had conquered.[37]
Alexander the Great and his Macedonian forces arrived to
Afghanistan in 330 BCE after defeating Darius III of Persia a year earlier in the Battle of Gaugamela.[34] Following
Alexanders brief occupation, the successor state of the
Seleucid Empire controlled the region as one of their easternmost territories until 305 BCE, when they gave much
of it to the Indian Maurya Empire as part of an alliance
treaty. The Mauryans introduced Buddhism and controlled the area south of the Hindu Kush until they were
overthrown about 185 BCE.[38] Their decline began 60
years after Ashoka's rule ended, leading to the Hellenistic
Bilingual (Greek and Aramaic) edict by Emperor Ashoka from
reconquest of the region by the Greco-Bactrians. Much
the 3rd century BCE discovered in the southern city of Kandahar
of it soon broke away from the Greco-Bactrians and became part of the Indo-Greek Kingdom. The Indo-Greeks
were defeated and expelled by the Indo-Scythians in the
late 2nd century BCE.
During the rst century BCE, the Parthian Empire subjugated the region, but lost it to their Indo-Parthian vassals. In the mid-to-late rst century CE the vast Kushan
Empire, centered in modern Afghanistan, became great
patrons of Buddhist culture, making Buddhism ourish
throughout the region. The Kushans were defeated by
the Sassanids in the 3rd century CE. Although the IndoSassanids continued to rule at least parts of the region.[39]
They were followed by the Kidarite Huns[40] who, in turn,
were replaced by the Hephthalites.[41] By the 6th century
CE, the successors to the Kushans and Hepthalites established a small dynasty called Kabul Shahi.

2.2 Islamization and Mongol invasion

Main articles: Islamic conquest of Afghanistan and
Mongol invasion of Central Asia
Before the 19th century, the northwestern area of

One of the Buddhas of Bamiyan. Buddhism was widespread in

the region before the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan.

The people shared similar culture with other IndoIranians. The ancient religion of Karistan survived here
until the 19th century. Another religion, Zoroastrianism
is believed by some to have originated in what is
now Afghanistan between 1800 and 800 BCE, as its
founder Zoroaster is thought to have lived and died in
Balkh.[34][35][36] Ancient Eastern Iranian languages may
have been spoken in the region around the time of the
rise of Zoroastrianism. By the middle of the 6th century

The Ghurid-era Friday Mosque of Herat, or Masjid Jami, one

of the oldest mosques in Afghanistan

Afghanistan was referred to by the regional name

Khorasan.[42][43] Two of the four capitals of Khorasan

2.3

Hotak dynasty and Durrani Empire

(Herat and Balkh[44] ) are now located in Afghanistan,

while the regions of Kandahar, Zabulistan, Ghazni, Kabulistan, and Afghanistan formed the frontier between
Khorasan and Hindustan.[44][45][46]
Arab Muslims brought Islam to Herat and Zaranj in
642 CE and began spreading eastward; some of the
native inhabitants they encountered accepted it while
others revolted.[47] The land was collectively recognized by the Arabs as al-Hind due to its cultural connection with Greater India. Before Islam was introduced, people of the region were multi-religious, including Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Surya and Nana worshipers,
Jews, and others.[48] The Zunbils and Kabul Shahi were
rst conquered in 870 CE by the Saarid Muslims of
Zaranj. Later, the Samanids extended their Islamic inuence south of the Hindu Kush. It is reported that Muslims
and non-Muslims still lived side by side in Kabul before
the Ghaznavids rose to power in the 10th century.[49]
Afghanistan became one of the main centers in the
Muslim world during the Islamic Golden Age.[27][50] By
the 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni defeated the remaining Hindu rulers and eectively Islamized the wider
region, with the exception of Karistan. The Ghaznavid
dynasty was defeated and replaced by the Ghurids, who
expanded and advanced the already powerful Islamic em- Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of the last Afghan empire and
pire. Some speculate that todays Nasher clan is a rem- viewed as Father of the Nation
nant of the Ghaznavid dynasty.[51][52][53]
In 1219 AD, Genghis Khan and his Mongol army overran the region. His troops are said to have annihilated the Khorasanian cities of Herat and Balkh as well
as Bamyan.[54] The destruction caused by the Mongols forced many locals to return to an agrarian rural
society.[55] Mongol rule continued with the Ilkhanate in
the northwest while the Khilji dynasty administered the
Afghan tribal areas south of the Hindu Kush until the
invasion of Timur, who established the Timurid dynasty
in 1370.[56] During the Ghaznavid, Ghurid, and Timurid
eras, the region produced many ne Islamic architectural
monuments and numerous scientic and literary works.
In the early 16th century, Babur arrived from Fergana and
captured Kabul from the Arghun dynasty. From there he
began dominating control of the central and eastern territories of Afghanistan. He remained in Kabulistan until 1526 when he invaded Delhi in India to replace the
Lodi dynasty with the Mughal Empire. Between the 16th
and 18th century, the Khanate of Bukhara, Safavids, and
Mughals ruled parts of the territory.

2.3

Hotak dynasty and Durrani Empire

soon killed by Mirwais son Mahmud for treason. Mahmud led the Afghan army in 1722 to the Persian capital
of Isfahan, captured the city after the Battle of Gulnabad
and proclaimed himself King of Persia.[57] The Persians
rejected Mahmud, and after the massacre of thousands
of religious scholars, nobles, and members of the Safavid
family, the Hotak dynasty was ousted from Persia by
Nader Shah Afshar after the 1729 Battle of Damghan.[58]
In 1738, Nader Shah and his forces captured Kandahar, the last Hotak stronghold, from Shah Hussain Hotak, at which point the incarcerated 16-year-old Ahmad
Shah Durrani was freed and made the commander of
an Afghan regiment.[59] Soon after the Persian and
Afghan forces invaded India. By 1747, the Afghans
chose Durrani as their head of state.[60][61][62] Durrani and his Afghan army conquered much of presentday Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Khorasan and Kohistan
provinces of Iran, and Delhi in India.[63] He defeated the
Indian Maratha Empire, and one of his biggest victories
was the 1761 Battle of Panipat.
In October 1772, Durrani died of a natural cause and was
buried at a site now adjacent to the Shrine of the Cloak
in Kandahar. He was succeeded by his son, Timur Shah,
who transferred the capital of Afghanistan from Kandahar to Kabul in 1776. After Timurs death in 1793, the
Durrani throne passed down to his son Zaman Shah, followed by Mahmud Shah, Shuja Shah and others.

Main articles: Hotak dynasty and Durrani Empire

In 1709, Mirwais Hotak, a Pashtun from Kandahar, successfully rebelled against the Persian Safavids. He overthrew and killed Gurgin Khan, and made Afghanistan
independent.[57] Mirwais died of a natural cause in 1715
and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Aziz, who was The Afghan Empire was under threat in the early 19th

HISTORY

century by the Persians in the west and the Britishbacked Sikhs in the east. Fateh Khan, leader of the
Barakzai tribe, had installed 21 of his brothers in positions of power throughout the empire. After his death,
they rebelled and divided up the provinces of the empire between themselves. During this turbulent period,
Afghanistan had many temporary rulers until Dost Mohammad Khan declared himself emir in 1826.[64] The
Punjab region was lost to Ranjit Singh, who invaded
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in 1834 captured the city of
Peshawar.[65] In 1837, during the Battle of Jamrud near
the Khyber Pass, Akbar Khan and the Afghan army killed
Sikh Commander Hari Singh Nalwa.[66] By this time the
British were advancing from the east and the rst major
conict during the Great Game was initiated.[67]

2.4

Western inuence

Further information: European inuence in Afghanistan

and Reforms of Amnullh Khn and civil war
Following the 1842 defeat of the British-Indian forces

Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan, who reigned from 1933
to 1973.

state. He moved to end his countrys traditional isolation

by establishing diplomatic relations with the international
community and, following a 192728 tour of Europe and
Turkey, introduced several reforms intended to modernize his nation. A key force behind these reforms was
Mahmud Tarzi, an ardent supporter of the education of
British and allied forces at Kandahar after the 1880 Battle of women. He fought for Article 68 of Afghanistans 1923
Kandahar, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The large deconstitution, which made elementary education compulfensive wall around the city was removed in the early 1930s by
sory. The institution of slavery was abolished in 1923.[68]
the order of King Nadir.

and victory of the Afghans, the British established

diplomatic relations with the Afghan government and
withdrew all forces from the country. They returned during the Second Anglo-Afghan War in the late 1870s for
about two years to assist Abdur Rahman Khan defeat
Ayub Khan. The United Kingdom began to exercise a
great deal of inuence after this and even controlled the
states foreign policy. In 1893, Mortimer Durand made
Amir Abdur Rahman Khan sign a controversial agreement in which the ethnic Pashtun and Baloch territories
were divided by the Durand Line. This was a standard
divide and rule policy of the British and would lead to
strained relations, especially with the later new state of
Pakistan.

Some of the reforms that were actually put in place,

such as the abolition of the traditional burqa for women
and the opening of a number of co-educational schools,
quickly alienated many tribal and religious leaders. Faced
with overwhelming armed opposition, Amanullah Khan
was forced to abdicate in January 1929 after Kabul
fell to rebel forces led by Habibullah Kalakani. Prince
Mohammed Nadir Shah, Amanullahs cousin, in turn defeated and killed Kalakani in November 1929, and was
declared King Nadir Shah. He abandoned the reforms
of Amanullah Khan in favor of a more gradual approach
to modernisation but was assassinated in 1933 by Abdul
Khaliq, a Hazara school student.[69]

Mohammed Zahir Shah, Nadir Shahs 19-year-old son,

succeeded to the throne and reigned from 1933 to 1973.
After the Third Anglo-Afghan War and the signing of Until 1946, Zahir Shah ruled with the assistance of his
the Treaty of Rawalpindi in 1919, King Amanullah Khan uncle, who held the post of Prime Minister and condeclared Afghanistan a sovereign and fully independent tinued the policies of Nadir Shah. Another of Zahir

2.6

Civil war

Shahs uncles, Shah Mahmud Khan, became Prime Minister in 1946 and began an experiment allowing greater
political freedom, but reversed the policy when it went
further than he expected. He was replaced in 1953 by
Mohammed Daoud Khan, the kings cousin and brotherin-law. Daoud Khan sought a closer relationship with
the Soviet Union and a more distant one towards Pakistan. Afghanistan remained neutral and was neither a
participant in World War II nor aligned with either power
bloc in the Cold War. However, it was a beneciary
of the latter rivalry as both the Soviet Union and the
United States vied for inuence by building Afghanistans
main highways, airports, and other vital infrastructure.
In 1973, while King Zahir Shah was on an ocial overseas visit, Daoud Khan launched a bloodless coup and became the rst President of Afghanistan. In the meantime,
Zulkar Ali Bhutto got neighboring Pakistan involved in
Afghanistan. Some experts suggest that Bhutto paved the
way for the April 1978 Saur Revolution.[70]

Outside the Arg Presidential Palace in Kabul, a day after the April
1978 Marxist revolution in which President Daoud Khan was
assassinated along with his entire family.

resulted in the dismissal of Parchami cabinet members

and the arrest of Parchami military ocers under the
Derek Gregory argued in his book The Colonial Present pretext of a Parchami coup.
that the makings of a failed state in Afghanistan had its
In September 1979, Nur Muhammad Taraki was assasroots in Western imperialism. The great game between
sinated in a coup within the PDPA orchestrated by felthe European powers over what was then the British poslow Khalq member Hazullah Amin, who assumed the
session of India, lead England and Russia to require a
presidency. Distrusted by the Soviets, Amin was assasbuer zone between their imperial interests. A state was
sinated by Soviet special forces in December 1979. A
literally carved out of nothing, much the same way as it
Soviet-organized government, led by Parchams Babrak
was all throughout Africa. (Stephen Howe, p. 13) DifKarmal but inclusive of both factions, lled the vacuum.
ferent ethnic groups, dierent languages and dierent
Soviet troops were deployed to stabilize Afghanistan unways of life were enmeshed together into a single state
der Karmal in more substantial numbers, although the Sowith little consideration of the eects of such policies. In
viet government did not expect to do most of the ghting
this context, the creation of Afghanistan (like many other
in Afghanistan. As a result, however, the Soviets were
small states created by the European powers) had little
now directly involved in what had been a domestic war
to do with self-determination as it was claimed, but over
in Afghanistan.[72] The PDPA prohibited usury, declared
geopolitics. Isah Bowman, a renowned, American geogequality of the sexes,[73] and introducing women to politrapher, is said to have championed the notion of many
ical life.[73]
small states within Eastern Europe, Latin America and
Africa to increase imperial competition, thus weakening The United States has been supporting anti-Soviet forces
[74]
Billions in cash
their respective power in relation to the United States. (mujahideen) as early as mid-1979.
and
weapons,
which
included
over
two
thousand FIM(Painter and Jerey Ch 9)
92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, were provided by the
United States and Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.[75][76][77]

2.5

Marxist revolution and Soviet war

Main articles:
Saur Revolution, Soviet war in
Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
and History of Afghanistan (19781992)
In April 1978, the communist Peoples Democratic Party
of Afghanistan (PDPA) seized power in Afghanistan
in the Saur Revolution. Within months, opponents of
the communist government launched an uprising in
eastern Afghanistan that quickly expanded into a civil
war waged by guerrilla mujahideen against government
forces countrywide. The Pakistani government provided
these rebels with covert training centers, while the Soviet
Union sent thousands of military advisers to support the
PDPA government.[71] Meanwhile, increasing friction
between the competing factions of the PDPA the
dominant Khalq and the more moderate Parcham

The Soviet war in Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of

over 1 million Afghans, mostly civilians,[78][79][80] and the
creation of about 6 million refugees who ed Afghanistan,
mainly to Pakistan and Iran.[81] Faced with mounting international pressure and numerous casualties, the Soviets
withdrew in 1989 but continued to support Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah until 1992.[82]

2.6 Civil war

Main articles: Civil war in Afghanistan (198992) and
Civil war in Afghanistan (199296)
From 1989 until 1992, Najibullahs government tried to
solve the ongoing civil war with economic and military

6
aid, but without Soviet troops on the ground. Najibullah
tried to build support for his government by portraying
his government as Islamic, and in the 1990 constitution
the country ocially became an Islamic state and all references of communism were removed. Nevertheless, Najibullah did not win any signicant support, and with the
dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, he
was left without foreign aid. This, coupled with the internal collapse of his government, led to his ousting from
power in April 1992.

HISTORY

refugees in Pakistan) also developed in Afghanistan as

a political-religious force.[89] The Taliban took control
of Kabul and several provinces in southern and central
Afghanistan in 1994 and forced the surrender of dozens
of local Pashtun leaders.[88]

In late 1994, forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud held

on to Kabul and bombardment of the city came to a
halt.[87][90][91] The Islamic State government took steps
to open courts, restore law and order,[92] and initiate
a nationwide political process with the goal of national
After the fall of Najibullahs government in 1992, the consolidation and democratic elections. Massoud invited
post-communist Islamic State of Afghanistan was es- Taliban leaders to join the process but they refused.[93]
tablished by the Peshawar Accord, a peace and powersharing agreement under which all the Afghan parties
were united in April 1992, except for the Pakistani sup- 2.7 Taliban Emirate and Northern Alported Hezb-e Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Hekmatliance
yar started a bombardment campaign against the capital
city Kabul, which marked the beginning of a new phase
Main articles: Civil war in Afghanistan (19962001)
in the war.
and Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia and Iran supported dierent Afghan
militias[83][84][85] and instability quickly developed.[86]
The Talibans early victories in 1994 were followed
The conict between the two militias soon escalated into
by a series of defeats that resulted in heavy losses
a full-scale war.
that led analysts to believe the Taliban movement
had run its course.[88] The Taliban started shelling
Kabul in early 1995 but were repelled by forces under
Massoud.[90][90][94]
On 26 September 1996, as the Taliban, with military support from Pakistan[83][83][95] and nancial support from
Saudi Arabia, prepared for another major oensive, Massoud ordered a full retreat from Kabul.[96] The Taliban
seized Kabul on 27 September 1996, and established the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They imposed on the
parts of Afghanistan under their control their political and
judicial interpretation of Islam, issuing edicts especially
targeting women.[97] According to Physicians for Human
Rights (PHR), no other regime in the world has methodA section of Kabul during the civil war in 1993
ically and violently forced half of its population into virtual house arrest, prohibiting them on pain of physical
Due to the sudden initiation of the war, working govern[97]
ment departments, police units, and a system of justice punishment.
and accountability for the newly created Islamic State of After the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, Massoud and DosAfghanistan did not have time to form. Atrocities were tum created the United Front (Northern Alliance).[98]
committed by individuals of the dierent armed factions The United Front included Massouds predominantly
while Kabul descended into lawlessness and chaos.[84][87] Tajik forces, Dostums Uzbek forces, and Hazara and
Because of the chaos, some leaders increasingly had Pashtun factions under leaders such as Haji Mohammad
only nominal control over their (sub-)commanders.[88] Mohaqiq, Abdul Haq, and Abdul Qadir. The Taliban
For civilians there was little security from murder, rape, defeated Dostums forces during the Battles of Mazarand extortion.[88] An estimated 25,000 people died dur- i-Sharif (199798). The Taliban committed systeming the most intense period of bombardment by Hek- atic massacres against civilians in northern and western
matyars Hezb-i Islami and the Junbish-i Milli forces Afghanistan[99][100][101][102]
of Abdul Rashid Dostum, who had created an alliance Pakistans Chief of Army Sta, Pervez Musharraf, was
with Hekmatyar in 1994.[87] Half a million people ed responsible for sending tens of thousands of Pakistanis to
Afghanistan.[88]
ght alongside the Taliban and bin Laden against NorthSouthern and eastern Afghanistan were under the control
of local commanders such as Gul Agha Sherzai and others. In 1994, the Taliban (a movement originating from
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-run religious schools for Afghan

ern Alliance forces.[93][95][103][104][105] In 2001 alone,

there were believed to be 28,000 Pakistani nationals ghting inside Afghanistan.[93][106] From 1996 to 2001, the
al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-

7
Zawahiri was harbored by the Taliban in Afghanistan,[107] Shortly after their fall from power, the Taliban began an
and bin Laden sent thousands of Arab recruits to ght insurgency to regain control of Afghanistan. Over the
against the United Front.[106][107][108]
next decade, ISAF and Afghan troops led many oenMassoud remained the only leader of the United Front in sives against the Taliban but failed to fully defeat them.
Afghanistan. In the areas under his control, Massoud set Afghanistan remained one of the poorest countries in the
government
up democratic institutions and signed the Womens Rights world due to a lack of foreign investment,
[119][120]
corruption,
and
the
Taliban
insurgency.
[109]
Declaration.
The ghting also caused around 1 million people to ee Taliban controlled areas.[103][110][111] Meanwhile, the Afghan government was able to build
From 1990 to September 2001, 400,000 Afghan civilians some democratic structures, and, on December 7, 2004,
have reportedly died in the wars.[112]
the country changed its name to the Islamic Republic of
On 9 September 2001, Massoud was assassinated Afghanistan. Attempts were made, often with the supby two French-speaking Arab suicide attackers inside port of foreign donor countries, to improve the countrys
Afghanistan, and two days later the September 11 attacks economy, healthcare, education, transport, and agriculwere carried out in the United States. The US govern- ture. ISAF forces also began to train the Afghan armed
ment identied Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda as the forces and police. In the decade following 2002, over ve
perpetrators of the attacks, and demanded that the Tal- million Afghan refugees were repatriated to the country,
who were forcefully deported from Westiban hand over bin Laden.[113] After refusing to comply including many
[121][122]
ern
countries.
with the US demand, the October 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom was launched. During the initial invasion, US and UK forces bombed parts of Afghanistan
and worked with ground forces of the Northern Alliance
to remove the Taliban from power and destroy al-Qaeda
training camps.[114]

2.8

Recent history (2002present)

Further information: War in Afghanistan (2001

present), Taliban insurgency and Civilian casualties in the
War in Afghanistan (2001present)
In December 2001, after the Taliban government was

By 2009, a Taliban-led shadow government began to

form in many parts of the country.[123] US President
Barack Obama announced that the U.S. would deploy another 30,000 U.S. soldiers to the country in 2010 for a
period of two years. In 2010, Karzai attempted to hold
peace negotiations with the Taliban and other groups, but
these groups refused to attend and bombings, assassinations, and ambushes intensied.[124]
After the May 2011 death of Osama bin Laden
in Pakistan, many prominent Afghan gures were
assassinated,[125] AfghanistanPakistan border skirmishes intensied, and many large scale attacks by the
Pakistani-based Haqqani Network took place across
Afghanistan. The United States warned the Pakistani
government of possible military action within Pakistan
if the government refused to attack these forces in the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas,[126] as the United
States blamed rogue elements within the Pakistani
government for the increased attacks.[127] The Pakistani
Army began to intensify their attacks against these
groups as part of the War in North-West Pakistan.
Following the 2014 presidential election President Hamid
Karzai left power and Ashraf Ghani became President on
29 September 2014. The US war in Afghanistan (Americas longest war) ocially ended on November 28, 2014.
However, thousands of US-led NATO troops have remained in the country to train and advise Afghan government forces.

NATO involvement

toppled and the new Afghan government under Hamid

Karzai was formed, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was established by the UN Security Council to help assist the Karzai administration and
provide basic security.[115][116] Taliban forces also began
regrouping inside Pakistan, while more coalition troops
entered Afghanistan and began rebuilding the war-torn
country.[117][118]

3 Geography
Main article: Geography of Afghanistan
A landlocked mountainous country with plains in the
north and southwest, Afghanistan is variously described
as being located within Central Asia[15][128] or South
Asia.[14][129][130] It is part of the US coined Greater Middle East Muslim world, which lies between latitudes 29

4 DEMOGRAPHICS
a geologically active area where earthquakes may occur almost every year.[135] They can be deadly and destructive sometimes, causing landslides in some parts or
avalanches during the winter.[136] The last strong earthquakes were in 1998, which killed about 6,000 people
in Badakhshan near Tajikistan.[137] This was followed by
the 2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes in which over 150 people were killed and over 1,000 injured. A 2010 earthquake left 11 Afghans dead, over 70 injured, and more
than 2,000 houses destroyed.

The countrys natural resources include: coal, copper,

iron ore, lithium, uranium, rare earth elements, chromite,
gold, zinc, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, marble, precious and
semi-precious stones, natural gas, and petroleum, among
other things.[138][139] In 2010, US and Afghan governTopography
ment ocials estimated that untapped mineral deposits
located in 2007 by the US Geological Survey are worth
N and 39 N, and longitudes 60 E and 75 E. The counbetween $900 bn and $3 trillion.[140][141][142]
trys highest point is Noshaq, at 7,492 m (24,580 ft) above
2
[143]
Afghanistan is
sea level. It has a continental climate with harsh winters At 652,230 km (251,830 sq mi),
[144]
the
worlds
41st
largest
country,
slightly
bigger than
in the central highlands, the glaciated northeast (around
France
and
smaller
than
Burma,
about
the
size
of Texas
Nuristan), and the Wakhan Corridor, where the average
in
the
United
States.
It
borders
Pakistan
in
the
south
temperature in January is below 15 C (5 F), and hot
and
east;
Iran
in
the
west;
Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan,
and
summers in the low-lying areas of the Sistan Basin of
Tajikistan
in
the
north;
and
China
in
the
far
east.
the southwest, the Jalalabad basin in the east, and the
Turkestan plains along the Amu River in the north, where
temperatures average over 35 C (95 F) in July.

4 Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Afghanistan and Afghan
diaspora
As of 2012, the population of Afghanistan is around
31,108,077,[145] which includes the roughly 2.7 million
Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan and Iran. In 1979,
the population was reported to be about 15.5 million.[146]
The only city with over a million residents is its capital, Kabul. Other large cities in the country are, in order of population size, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif,
Landscapes of Afghanistan, from left to right: 1. Band-e Amir Jalalabad, Lashkar Gah, Taloqan, Khost, Sheberghan,
National Park; 2. Salang Pass in Parwan Province; 3. Korangal and Ghazni. Urban areas are experiencing rapid popValley in Kunar Province; and 4. Kajaki Dam in Helmand ulation growth following the return of over 5 million
expats. According to the Population Reference Bureau,
Province
the Afghan population is estimated to increase to 82 milDespite having numerous rivers and reservoirs, large parts lion by 2050.[147]
of the country are dry. The endorheic Sistan Basin is
one of the driest regions in the world.[131] Aside from
the usual rainfall, Afghanistan receives snow during the 4.1 Ethnic groups
winter in the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains, and the
melting snow in the spring season enters the rivers, lakes, Main article: Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
and streams.[132][133] However, two-thirds of the coun- Afghanistan is a multiethnic society, and its historical
trys water ows into the neighboring countries of Iran, status as a crossroads has contributed signicantly to its
Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. The state needs more than diverse ethnic makeup.[149] The population of the country
US$2 billion to rehabilitate its irrigation systems so that is divided into a wide variety of ethnolinguistic groups.
the water is properly managed.[134]
Because a systematic census has not been held in the naThe northeastern Hindu Kush mountain range, in and tion in decades, exact gures about the size and composiaround the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan, is in tion of the various ethnic groups are unavailable.[150] An

9
tants, the Nuristanis, an ethnically distinct people whose
religious practices included animism, polytheism, and
shamanism.[161] Thousands of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus
are also found in the major cities.[162][163] There was a
small Jewish community in Afghanistan who had emigrated to Israel and the United States by the end of the
twentieth century; only one Jew, Zablon Simintov, remained by 2005.[164]

5 Governance
Main articles: Politics of Afghanistan, Presidency of
Hamid Karzai and Constitution of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is an Islamic republic consisting of three
Ethnolinguistic groups of Afghanistan

approximate distribution of the ethnic groups is shown in

the chart below:

4.2

Languages

Main article: Languages of Afghanistan

Pashto and Dari are the ocial languages of Afghanistan;
bilingualism is very common.[1] Both are Indo-European
languages from the Iranian languages sub-family. Dari
(Afghan Persian) has long been the prestige language and
a lingua franca for inter-ethnic communication. It is
the native tongue of the Tajiks, Hazaras, Aimaks, and
Kizilbash.[157] Pashto is the native tongue of the Pashtuns, although many Pashtuns often use Dari and some
non-Pashtuns are uent in Pashto.

The National Assembly of Afghanistan in 2006

branches, the executive, legislative, and judicial. The nation was led by Hamid Karzai as the President and leader
since late 2001 till 2014. Currently the new president
is Ashraf Ghani with Abdul Rashid Dostum and Sarwar
Danish as vise presidents. Abdullah Abdullah serves as
the chief executive ocer (CEO). The National AssemOther languages, including Uzbek, Arabic, Turkmen, bly is the legislature, a bicameral body having two chamBalochi, Pashayi, and Nuristani languages (Ashkunu, bers, the House of the People and the House of Elders.
Kamkata-viri, Vasi-vari, Tregami, and Kalasha-ala),
are the native tongues of minority groups across the The Supreme Court is led by Chief Justice Abdul Salam
country and have ocial status in the regions where Azimi, a former university professor who had been a le[165]
The current court is seen
they are widely spoken. Minor languages also in- gal advisor to the president.
clude Pamiri (Shughni, Munji, Ishkashimi, and Wakhi), as more moderate and led by more technocrats than the
Brahui, Hindko, and Kyrgyz. A small percentage of previous one, which was dominated by fundamentalist reAfghans are also uent in Urdu, English, and other lan- ligious gures such as Chief Justice Faisal Ahmad Shinwari, who issued several controversial rulings, including
guages.
seeking to place a limit on the rights of women.

4.3

Religions

Main article: Religion in Afghanistan

Over 99% of the Afghan population is Muslim; approximately 8085% are from the Sunni branch, 15
19% are Shia.[38][158][159][160] Until the 1890s, the region
around Nuristan was known as Karistan (land of the
kars (unbelievers)) because of its non-Muslim inhabi-

According to Transparency International's 2010 corruption perceptions index results, Afghanistan was ranked as
the third most corrupt country in the world.[166] A January 2010 report published by the United Nations Ofce on Drugs and Crime revealed that bribery consumed
an amount equal to 23% of the GDP of the nation.[167]
A number of government ministries are believed to be
rife with corruption, and while President Karzai vowed
to tackle the problem in late 2009 by stating that individuals who are involved in corruption will have no

10

place in the government,[168] top government ocials

were stealing and misusing hundreds of millions of dollars through the Kabul Bank. Although the nations institutions are newly formed and steps have been taken
to arrest some,[169] the United States warned that aid to
Afghanistan would be greatly reduced if the corruption is
not stopped.[170]

5.1

Elections and parties

GOVERNANCE

5.2 Administrative divisions

Main articles: Provinces of Afghanistan and Districts of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan is administratively divided into 34 provinces
(wilayats), with each province having its own capital and
a provincial administration. The provinces are further
divided into about 398 smaller provincial districts, each
of which normally covers a city or a number of villages.
Each district is represented by a district governor.

Main articles: Elections in Afghanistan and List of politThe provincial governors are appointed by the President
ical parties in Afghanistan
The 2004 Afghan presidential election was relatively of Afghanistan and the district governors are selected by
the provincial governors. The provincial governors are
representatives of the central government in Kabul and
are responsible for all administrative and formal issues
within their provinces. There are also provincial councils that are elected through direct and general elections
for a period of four years.[177] The functions of provincial
councils are to take part in provincial development planning and to participate in the monitoring and appraisal of
other provincial governance institutions.

From left to right: Abdullah Abdullah, John Kerry and Ashraf

Ghani during the 2014 presidential election

According to article 140 of the constitution and the presidential decree on electoral law, mayors of cities should
be elected through free and direct elections for a four-year
term. However, due to huge election costs, mayoral and
municipal elections have never been held. Instead, mayors have been appointed by the government. In the capital
city of Kabul, the mayor is appointed by the President of
Afghanistan.

peaceful, in which Hamid Karzai won in the rst round

with 55.4% of the votes. However, the 2009 presiden- The following is a list of all the 34 provinces in alphabettial election was characterized by lack of security, low ical order:
voter turnout, and widespread electoral fraud.[171][172]
The vote, along with elections for 420 provincial council seats, took place in August 2009, but remained unresolved during a lengthy period of vote counting and fraud
investigation.[173]
Two months later, under international pressure, a second
round run-o vote between Karzai and remaining challenger Abdullah was announced, but a few days later Abdullah announced that he would not participate in the 7
November run-o because his demands for changes in
the electoral commission had not been met. The next day,
ocials of the election commission cancelled the run-o
and declared Hamid Karzai as President for another veyear term.[172]
In the 2005 parliamentary election, among the elected of- Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces, and every province is
cials were former mujahideen, Islamic fundamentalists, further divided into a number of districts
warlords, communists, reformists, and several Taliban
associates.[174] In the same period, Afghanistan reached
to the 30th highest nation in terms of female represen1. Badakhshan
tation in parliament.[175] The last parliamentary election
2. Badghis
was held in September 2010, but due to disputes and investigation of fraud, the swearing-in ceremony took place
3. Baghlan
in late January 2011. The 2014 presidential election
ended with Ashraf Ghani winning by 56.44% votes.[176]
4. Balkh

5.3

Foreign relations and military

11

5. Bamyan
6. Daykundi
7. Farah
8. Faryab
9. Ghazni
10. Ghor
11. Helmand
12. Herat

Soldiers of the Afghan National Army, including the ANA Commando Battalion standing in the front

13. Jowzjan
14. Kabul
15. Kandahar
16. Kapisa
17. Khost
18. Kunar
19. Kunduz
20. Laghman
21. Logar
22. Nangarhar
23. Nimruz
24. Nurestan
25. Oruzgan
26. Paktia
27. Paktika
28. Panjshir
29. Parvan
30. Samangan
31. Sare Pol
32. Takhar
33. Wardak
34. Zabul

5.3 Foreign relations and military

Main articles: Foreign relations of Afghanistan and
Afghan Armed Forces
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Aairs is in charge of
maintaining the foreign relations of Afghanistan. The
state has been a member of the United Nations since
1946. It enjoys strong economic relations with a number of NATO and allied states, particularly the United
States, United Kingdom, Germany and Turkey. In
2012, the United States designated Afghanistan as a
major non-NATO ally and created the U.S.Afghanistan
Strategic Partnership Agreement. Afghanistan also has
friendly diplomatic relations with neighboring Pakistan,
Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China,
and with regional states such as India, Bangladesh,
Kazakhstan, Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt,
Japan, and South Korea. It continues to develop diplomatic relations with other countries around the world.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(UNAMA) was established in 2002 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1401 in order to help
the country recover from decades of war. Today, a
number of NATO member states deploy about 38,000
troops in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).[178] Its main purpose is to
train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The
Afghan Armed Forces are under the Ministry of Defense,
which includes the Afghan National Army (ANA) and
the Afghan Air Force (AAF). The ANA is divided into
7 major Corps, with the 201st Selab (Flood) in Kabul
followed by the 203rd in Gardez, 205th Atul (Hero)
in Kandahar, 207th in Herat, 209th in Mazar-i-Sharif,
and the 215th in Lashkar Gah. The ANA also has a
commando brigade, which was established in 2007. The
Afghan Defense University (ADU) houses various educational establishments for the Afghan Armed Forces, including the National Military Academy of Afghanistan.

12

5.4

6 ECONOMY

Law enforcement

Every year many Afghan police ocers are killed in the

line of duty in these areas. The Afghan Border Police
Main articles: Crime in Afghanistan and Law enforce- (ABP) are responsible for protecting the nations airports
and borders, especially the disputed Durand Line border,
ment in Afghanistan
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) is the na- which is often used by members of criminal organizations
and terrorists for their illegal activities. A report in 2011
suggested that up to 3 million people were involved in the
illegal drug business in Afghanistan. Many of the attacks
on government employees may be ordered by powerful
maa groups. Drugs from Afghanistan are exported to
neighboring countries and worldwide. The Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics is tasked to deal with these issues by bringing to justice major drug trackers.[182]

6 Economy
Afghan National Police (ANP) in Kunar Province

Main article: Economy of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is an impoverished and least developed

tions domestic intelligence agency, which operates similar to that of the United States Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) and has between 15,000 to 30,000 employees. The nation also has about 126,000 national police ocers, with plans to recruit more so that the total
number can reach 160,000.[179] The Afghan National Police (ANP) is under the Ministry of the Interior and serves
as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan National Civil Order Police is the main
branch of the ANP, which is divided into ve Brigades,
each commanded by a Brigadier General. These brigades
are stationed in Kabul, Gardez, Kandahar, Herat, and
Mazar-i-Sharif. Every province has an appointed provincial Chief of Police who is responsible for law enforcement throughout the province.
Workers processing pomegranates (anaar), which Afghanistan is
famous for in Asia

The police receive most of their training from Western

forces under the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan.
According to a 2009 news report, a large proportion of
police ocers were illiterate and accused of demanding bribes.[180] Jack Kem, deputy to the commander of
NATO Training Mission Afghanistan and Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, stated that the
literacy rate in the ANP would rise to over 50% by January 2012. What began as a voluntary literacy program became mandatory for basic police training in early
2011.[179] Approximately 17% of them tested positive
for illegal drug use. In 2009, President Karzai created
two anti-corruption units within the Interior Ministry.[181]
Former Interior Minister Hanif Atmar said that security
ocials from the US (FBI), Britain (Scotland Yard), and Afghan women at a textile factory in Kabul
the European Union will train prosecutors in the unit.
The southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan are the
most dangerous due to militant activities and the ourishing drug trade. These particular areas are sometimes patrolled by Taliban insurgents, who often plant improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) on roads and carry out suicide
bombings. Kidnapping and robberies are also reported.

country, one of the worlds poorest because of decades

of war and lack of foreign investment. As of 2013, the
nations GDP stands at about $45.3 billion with an exchange rate of $20.65 billion, and the GDP per capita
is $1,100. The countrys exports totaled $2.6 billion in
2010. Its unemployment rate is about 35% and roughly

6.1

Mining

13

the same percentage of its citizens live below the poverty

line.[183] According to a 2009 report, about 42% of the
population lives on less than $1 a day.[184] The nation has
less than $1.5 billion in external debt and is recovering
with the assistance of the world community.[183]

Afghans have involved themselves in construction, one

of the largest industries in the country.[189] Some of
the major national construction projects include the $35
billion New Kabul City next to the capital, the Ghazi
Amanullah Khan City near Jalalabad, and the Aino Mena
[190][191][192]
Similar development projects
The Afghan economy has been growing at about 10% in Kandahar.
have
also
begun
in
Herat,
Mazar-e-Sharif, and other
per year in the last decade, which is due to the infu[193]
cities.
sion of over $50 billion in international aid and remittances from Afghan expats.[183] It is also due to im- In addition, a number of companies and small factories
provements made to the transportation system and agri- began operating in dierent parts of the country, which
cultural production, which is the backbone of the na- not only provide revenues to the government but also cretions economy.[185] The country is known for produc- ate new jobs. Improvements to the business environment
ing some of the nest pomegranates, grapes, apricots, have resulted in more than $1.5 billion in telecom investmelons, and several other fresh and dry fruits, includ- ment and created more than 100,000 jobs since 2003.[194]
ing nuts.[186] Many sources indicate that as much as 11% Afghan rugs are becoming popular again, allowing many
or more of Afghanistans economy is derived from the carpet dealers around the country to hire more workers.
cultivation and sale of opium, and Afghanistan is widely Afghanistan is a member of SAARC, ECO, and OIC. It
considered the worlds largest producer of opium despite holds an observer status in SCO. Foreign Minister Zalmai
Afghan government and international eorts to eradicate Rassoul told the media in 2011 that his nations goal is
the crop.[187][188]
to achieve an Afghan economy whose growth is based
While the nations current account decit is largely nanced with donor money, only a small portion is provided directly to the government budget. The rest
is provided to non-budgetary expenditure and donordesignated projects through the United Nations system
and non-governmental organizations. The Afghan Ministry of Finance is focusing on improved revenue collection and public sector expenditure discipline. For example, government revenues increased 31% to $1.7 billion
from March 2010 to March 2011.

on trade, private enterprise and investment.[195] Experts

believe that this will revolutionize the economy of the
region. Opium production in Afghanistan soared to a
record in 2007 with about 3 million people reported to
be involved in the business,[196] but then declined signicantly in the years following.[197] The government started
programs to help reduce poppy cultivation, and by 2010
it was reported that 24 out of the 34 provinces were free
from poppy growing.
In June 2012, India advocated for private investments in
the resource rich country and the creation of a suitable
environment therefor.[198]

6.1 Mining
Main article: Mining in Afghanistan

Da Afghanistan Bank serves as the central bank of the

nation and the Afghani (AFN) is the national currency,
with an exchange rate of about 47 Afghanis to 1 US
dollar. Since 2003, over 16 new banks have opened in
the country, including Afghanistan International Bank,
Kabul Bank, Azizi Bank, Pashtany Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and First Micro Finance Bank.

Michael E. O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution estimated that if Afghanistan generates about $10 bn per year
from its mineral deposits, its gross national product would
double and provide long-term funding for Afghan security forces and other critical needs.[199] The United States
Geological Survey (USGS) estimated in 2006 that northern Afghanistan has an average 2.9 billion (bn) barrels
(bbl) of crude oil, 15.7 trillion cubic feet (440 bn m3 )
of natural gas, and 562 million bbl of natural gas liquids.[200] In December 2011, Afghanistan signed an oil
exploration contract with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for the development of three oil elds
along the Amu Darya river in the north.[201]

One of the main drivers for the current economic recovery is the return of over 5 million expatriates, who
brought with them fresh energy, entrepreneurship and
wealth-creating skills as well as much needed funds to
start up businesses. For the rst time since the 1970s,

Other reports show that the country has huge amounts

of lithium, copper, gold, coal, iron ore, and other
minerals.[138][139][202] The Khanashin carbonatite in
Helmand Province contains 1,000,000 metric tons
(1,100,000 short tons) of rare earth elements.[203] In

Afghanistan, Trends in the Human Development Index, 1970

2010

14

8 COMMUNICATION

2007, a 30-year lease was granted for the Aynak copper

mine to the China Metallurgical Group for $3 billion,[204]
making it the biggest foreign investment and private
business venture in Afghanistans history.[205] The staterun Steel Authority of India won the mining rights to
develop the huge Hajigak iron ore deposit in central
Afghanistan.[206] Government ocials estimate that 30%
of the countrys untapped mineral deposits are worth
between $900 bn and $3 trillion.[140][141][142] One ofcial asserted that this will become the backbone of
the Afghan economy and a Pentagon memo stated
that Afghanistan could become the Saudi Arabia of
lithium.[141][207][208][209] In a 2011 news story, the CSM
reported, The United States and other Western nations
that have borne the brunt of the cost of the Afghan war
have been conspicuously absent from the bidding process
on Afghanistans mineral deposits, leaving it mostly to regional powers.[210]

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Afghanistan

7.2 Rail
Main article: Rail transport in Afghanistan
As of 2014, the country has only two rail links, one
a 75 km line from Kheyrabad to the Uzbekistan border and the other a 10 km long line from Toraghundi
to the Turkmenistan border. Both lines are used for
freight only and there is no passenger service as of yet.
There are various proposals for the construction of additional rail lines in the country.[211] In 2013, the presidents of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a 225 km
line between Turkmenistan-Andkhvoy-Mazar-i-SharifKheyrabad. The line will link at Kheyrabad with the
existing line to the Uzbekistan border.[212] Plans exist
for a rail line from Kabul to the eastern border town
of Torkham, where it will connect with Pakistan Railways.[213] There are also plans to nish a rail line between
Khaf, Iran and Herat, Afghanistan.[214]

7.3 Roads
Further information: Highway 1 (Afghanistan)

7.1

Air

Traveling by bus in Afghanistan remains dangerous due

to careless and intoxicated bus drivers as well as militant
Main article: List of airports in Afghanistan
Air transport in Afghanistan is provided by the national activities. The buses are usually older model MercedesBenz and owned by private companies. Serious trac
accidents are common on Afghan roads and highways,
particularly on the KabulKandahar and the Kabul
Jalalabad Road.[215]

An Ariana Afghan Airlines (AAA) Airbus A310 in 2006

Newer automobiles have recently become more widely

available after the rebuilding of roads and highways.
They are imported from the United Arab Emirates
through Pakistan and Iran. As of 2012, vehicles more
than 10 years old are banned from being imported into
the country. The development of the nations road network is a major boost for the economy due to trade with
neighboring countries. Postal services in Afghanistan are
provided by the publicly owned Afghan Post and private
companies such as FedEx, DHL, and others.

carrier, Ariana Afghan Airlines (AAA), and by private

companies such as Afghan Jet International, East Horizon Airlines, Kam Air, Pamir Airways, and Sa Air- 8 Communication
ways. Airlines from a number of countries also provide
ights in and out of the country. These include Air In- Main article: Communications in Afghanistan
dia, Emirates, Gulf Air, Iran Aseman Airlines, Pakistan
International Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.
Telecommunication services in the country are provided
The country has four international airports: Herat In- by Afghan Wireless, Etisalat, Roshan, MTN Group, and
ternational Airport, Hamid Karzai International Airport Afghan Telecom. In 2006, the Afghan Ministry of Com(formerly Kabul International Airport), Kandahar Inter- munications signed a $64.5 million agreement with ZTE
national Airport, and Mazar-e Sharif International Air- for the establishment of a countrywide optical ber caport. There are also around a dozen domestic airports ble network. As of 2011, Afghanistan had around 17
with ights to Kabul or Herat.
million GSM phone subscribers and over 1 million inter-

15
net users, but only had about 75,000 xed telephone lines
and a little over 190,000 CDMA subscribers.[216] 3G services are provided by Etisalat and MTN Group. In 2014,
Afghanistan leased a space satellite from Eutelsat, called
AFGHANSAT 1.[217]

Health

ing available in Kabul. The French Medical Institute for

Children and Indira Gandhi Childrens Hospital in Kabul
are the leading childrens hospitals in the country. Some
of the other main hospitals in Kabul include the 350bed Jamhuriat Hospital and the Jinnah Hospital, which
is still under construction. There are also a number of
well-equipped military-controlled hospitals in dierent
regions of the country.

It was reported in 2006 that nearly 60% of the population lives within a two-hour walk of the nearest health
Main article: Health in Afghanistan
According to the Human Development Index, facility, up from 9% in 2002.[225] The latest surveys
show that 57% of Afghans say they have good or very
good access to clinics or hospitals.[224] The nation has
one of the highest incidences of people with disabilities,
with around a million people aected.[226] About 80,000
people are missing limbs; most of these were injured
by landmines.[227][228] Non-governmental charities such
as Save the Children and Mahbobas Promise assist orphans in association with governmental structures.[229]
Demographic and Health Surveys is working with the
Indian Institute of Health Management Research and
others to conduct a survey in Afghanistan focusing on
maternal death, among other things.[230]

10 Education
Main article: Education in Afghanistan

Inside a regional military hospital in Paktia Province

Afghanistan is the 15th least developed country in

the world. The average life expectancy is estimated to
be around 60 years for both sexes.[218] The country has
the ninth highest total fertility rate in the world, at 5.64
children born/woman (according to 2012 estimates).[219]
It has one of the highest maternal mortality rate in the
world, estimated in 2010 at 460 deaths/100,000 live
births,[220] and the highest infant mortality rate in the
world (deaths of babies under one year), estimated in
2012 to be 119.41 deaths/1,000 live births.[221] Data
from 2010 suggest that one in ten children die before
they are ve years old.[222] The Ministry of Public Health
plans to cut the infant mortality rate to 400 for every
100,000 live births before 2020.[223] The country currently has more than 3,000 midwives, with an additional
300 to 400 being trained each year.[224]

Education in the country includes K12 and higher education, which is supervised by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education.[231] The nations education system was destroyed due to the decades
of war, but it began reviving after the Karzai administration came to power in late 2001. More than 5,000 schools
were built or renovated in the last decade, with more than
100,000 teachers being trained and recruited.[232] More
than seven million male and female students are enrolled
in schools,[232] with about 100,000 being enrolled in different universities around the country; at least 35% of
these students are female. As of 2013, there are 16,000
schools across Afghanistan. Education Minister Ghulam
Farooq Wardak stated that another 8,000 schools are required to be constructed for the remaining 3 million children who are deprived of education.[233]

Kabul University reopened in 2002 to both male and

female students.
In 2006, the American University of Afghanistan was established in Kabul, with
the aim of providing a world-class, English-language,
co-educational learning environment in Afghanistan.
The capital of Kabul serves as the learning center of
Afghanistan, with many of the best educational institutions being based there. Major universities outside of
Kabul include Kandahar University in the south, Herat
A number of hospitals and clinics have been built over University in the northwest, Balkh University in the north,
the last decade, with the most advanced treatments be- Nangarhar University and Khost University in the east.

16

11

CULTURE

ern and eastern region the people live according to the

Pashtun culture by following Pashtunwali, which is an
ancient way of life that is still preserved.[242] The remainder of the country is culturally Persian and Turkic.
Some non-Pashtuns who live in proximity with Pashtuns have adopted Pashtunwali[243] in a process called
Pashtunization (or Afghanization), while some Pashtuns
have been Persianized. Millions of Afghans who have
been living in Pakistan and Iran over the last 30 years
have been inuenced by the cultures of those neighboring nations.
American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul

The National Military Academy of Afghanistan, modeled

after the United States Military Academy at West Point,
is a four-year military development institution dedicated
to graduating ocers for the Afghan Armed Forces.
The $200 million Afghan Defense University is under
construction near Qargha in Kabul. The United States
is building six faculties of education and ve provincial teacher training colleges around the country, two
large secondary schools in Kabul, and one school in
Jalalabad.[232]
The literacy rate of the entire population has been very
low but is now rising because more students go to
schools.[234] In 2010, the United States began establishing a number of Lincoln learning centers in Afghanistan.
They are set up to serve as programming platforms offering English language classes, library facilities, programming venues, Internet connectivity, and educational
and other counseling services. A goal of the program is
to reach at least 4,000 Afghan citizens per month per
location.[235][236] The Afghan National Security Forces
are provided with mandatory literacy courses.[234] In addition to this, Baghch-e-Simsim (based on the American
Sesame Street) was launched in late 2011 to help young
Afghan children learn.
In 2009 and 2010, a 5,000 OLPC - One Laptop
Per Child schools deployment took place in Kandahar with funding from an anonymous foundation.[237]
The OLPC team seeks local support to undertake larger
deployment.[238][239]

11

Culture

Main article: Culture of Afghanistan

The Afghan culture has been around for over two millennia, tracing back to at least the time of the Achaemenid
Empire in 500 BCE.[240][241] It is mostly a nomadic
and tribal society, with dierent regions of the country
having their own traditions, reecting the multi-cultural
and multi-lingual character of the nation. In the south-

Men wearing traditional Afghan dress in the southern city of

Kandahar

Afghans display pride in their culture, nation, ancestry,

and above all, their religion and independence. Like other
highlanders, they are regarded with mingled apprehension and condescension, for their high regard for personal honor, for their tribe loyalty and for their readiness to use force to settle disputes.[244] As tribal warfare and internecine feuding has been one of their chief
occupations since time immemorial, this individualistic
trait has made it dicult for foreigners to conquer them.
Tony Heathcote considers the tribal system to be the
best way of organizing large groups of people in a country that is geographically dicult, and in a society that,
from a materialistic point of view, has an uncomplicated
lifestyle.[244] There are an estimated 60 major Pashtun
tribes,[245] and the Afghan nomads are estimated at about
23 million.[246]

11.2

Sports

The nation has a complex history that has survived either in its current cultures or in the form of various languages and monuments. However, many of its historic
monuments have been damaged in recent wars.[247] The
two famous Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by the
Taliban, who regarded them as idolatrous. Despite that,
archaeologists are still nding Buddhist relics in dierent
parts of the country, some of them dating back to the
2nd century.[248][249][250] This indicates that Buddhism
was widespread in Afghanistan. Other historical places
include the cities of Herat, Kandahar, Ghazni, Mazari-Sharif, and Zarang. The Minaret of Jam in the Hari
River valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. A cloak
reputedly worn by Islams prophet Muhammad is kept inside the Shrine of the Cloak in Kandahar, a city founded
by Alexander and the rst capital of Afghanistan. The
citadel of Alexander in the western city of Herat has been
renovated in recent years and is a popular attraction for
tourists. In the north of the country is the Shrine of
Hazrat Ali, believed by many to be the location where
Ali was buried. The Afghan Ministry of Information
and Culture is renovating 42 historic sites in Ghazni until 2013, when the province will be declared as the capital of Islamic civilization.[251] The National Museum of
Afghanistan is located in Kabul.
Although literacy is low, classic Persian and Pashto poetry
plays an important role in the Afghan culture. Poetry has
always been one of the major educational pillars in the
region, to the level that it has integrated itself into culture.
Some notable poets include Rumi, Rabi'a Balkhi, Sanai,
Jami, Khushal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba, Khalilullah
Khalili, and Parween Pazhwak.[252]

17
controlled by the Taliban.[253] Since 2002, press restrictions have been gradually relaxed and private media diversied. Freedom of expression and the press is promoted in the 2004 constitution and censorship is banned,
although defaming individuals or producing material contrary to the principles of Islam is prohibited. In 2008,
Reporters Without Borders ranked the media environment as 156 out of 173 countries, with the 1st being
the most free. Around 400 publications were registered,
at least 15 local Afghan television channels, and 60 radio stations.[254] Foreign radio stations, such as Voice
of America, BBC World Service, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcast into the country.
The city of Kabul has been home to many musicians
who were masters of both traditional and modern Afghan
music. Traditional music is especially popular during
the Nowruz (New Year) and National Independence Day
celebrations. Ahmad Zahir, Nashenas, Ustad Sarahang,
Sarban, Ubaidullah Jan, Farhad Darya, and Naghma are
some of the notable Afghan musicians, but there are
many others.[255] Most Afghans are accustomed to watching Bollywood lms from India and listening to its lmi
hit songs. Many major Bollywood lm stars have roots
in Afghanistan, including Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan,
Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), Aamir Khan, Feroz Khan,
Kader Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Celina Jaitley. In
addition, several Bollywood lms, such as Dharmatma,
Khuda Gawah, Escape from Taliban, and Kabul Express
have been shot inside Afghanistan.

11.2 Sports
11.1

Media and entertainment

Main article: Media of Afghanistan

The Afghan mass media began in the early 20th cen-

Farhad Darya performing at the Serena Hotel in Kabul.

Main article: Sport in Afghanistan

The Afghanistan national football team has been com-

The Afghanistan national football team (in red uniforms) before

its rst win over India (in blue) during the 2011 SAFF Championship.

tury, with the rst newspaper published in 1906. By

the 1920s, Radio Kabul was broadcasting local radio ser- peting in international football since 1941. The national
vices. Afghanistan National Television was launched in team plays its home games at the Ghazi Stadium in
1974 but was closed in 1996 when the media was tightly Kabul, while football in Afghanistan is governed by the

18

14

Afghanistan Football Federation. The national team has

never competed or qualied for the FIFA World Cup, but
has recently won an international football trophy in the
SAFF Championship. The country also has a national
team in the sport of futsal, a 5-a-side variation of football.
The other most popular sport in Afghanistan is cricket.
The Afghan national cricket team, which was formed in
the last decade, participated in the 2009 ICC World Cup
Qualier, 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One
and the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. It won the ACC
Twenty20 Cup in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. The team
eventually made it to play in the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is the ocial governing body of the sport and is headquartered in Kabul.
The Ghazi Amanullah Khan International Cricket Stadium serves as the nations main cricket stadium, followed
by the Kabul National Cricket Stadium. Several other stadiums are under construction.[256] Domestically, cricket
is played between teams from dierent provinces.

the country, Pashto and Dari are the ocial languages

of the state.
[2] Central Statistics Organization of Afghanistan: Statistical
Yearbook 2012-2013: Area and administrative Population
[3] The World Factbook: Afghanistan. Retrieved July 24,
2014.
[4] Chapter 2. The Society and Its Environment (PDF).
Afghanistan Country Study. Illinois Institute of Technology. pp. 10506. Archived from the original on 3
November 2001. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
[5] Afghanistan. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved
26 April 2014.
[6] Gini Index. World Bank. Archived from the original on
2014-05-11. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
[7] 2014 Human Development Report Summary. United
Nations Development Programme. 2014. pp. 2125.
Retrieved 27 July 2014.

Other popular sports in Afghanistan include basketball,

volleyball, taekwondo, and bodybuilding.[257] Buzkashi is [8]
a traditional sport, mainly among the northern Afghans.
It is similar to polo, played by horsemen in two teams,
[9]
each trying to grab and hold a goat carcass. The Afghan
Hound (a type of running dog) originated in Afghanistan
and was originally used in hunting.
[10]

12

See also

Outline of Afghanistan
Index of Afghanistan-related articles
Bibliography of Afghanistan
Afghanistanism
International rankings of Afghanistan
Environment of Afghanistan
Water supply and sanitation in Afghanistan
List of power stations in Afghanistan
List of dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan

13

Notes

14

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16

EXTERNAL LINKS

15 Further reading
Books
Articles
Meek, James. Worse than a Defeat. London Review
of Books, Vol. 36, No. 24, December 2014, pages
310

16 External links
Oce of the President
Afghanistan entry at The World Factbook

[248] 42 Buddhist relics discovered in Logar. Maqsood Azizi.

Pajhwok Afghan News. 18 August 2010. Archived from
the original on 2012-02-01. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
(bad URL - does not match page title)

Afghanistan web resources provided by GovPubs at

the University of ColoradoBoulder Libraries

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Wikimedia Atlas of Afghanistan

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Afghanistan at DMOZ

Research Guide to Afghanistan

27

17
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Mightymights, Helpful Pixie Bot, SojerPL, Thisthat2011, AnsarParacha, Asparux Xan Bulqar, BG19bot, Cheywoodward2, Mahengct,
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Zeeyanwiki, K7L, Sminthopsis84, Webclient101, 25 Cents FC, Mogism, Datu Dong, Nasir Ghobar, , Khatary1, ARIHANT
SUB, Frosty, Akshinwari, Nadya Inoubli, Zyma, Google9999, Xwoodsterchinx, Mother nature 899, Fareed30, Royroydeb, Faizan, Jwoodward48wiki, Mohd Rfus, CsDix, Abhay23may, Melonkelon, Wanishahrukh, Jamal.gul, Androdin, Everymorning, Jakec, EvergreenFir,
Dwscomet, Hemmat87, 84singh84, LouisAragon, Akmal94, Sol1, 22 Male Cali, Nikhilmn2002, The Herald, Metalman60, Hippotippo,
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Finlayevans, Amalave96, How Shuan Shi, Stamptrader, Milliona, Meteor sandwich yum, WorldsLibrarian, Gametimewithbrendan, Examplar, Feysalafghan, Nasim007, Theahmadzai, Filedelinkerbot, Olga sdn, Monopoly31121993, Alien from Afghanistan, Mhhossein, StradBot, Pohyal98, Faraz.sayyed5, Cirow, Unma.af, Shayansoleymani, Krzyhorse22, Lyndonbaines, Goldsmiths295, AryanaWattan, Thereball777, BenLinus1214, Jahanfar90, Kabuli-Don007, Jartgina, \\'arrior 786, Baboo1z, Khalidafg, Kjamjamz, Orangesaft and Anonymous:
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Images

File:2011_Afghan_Youth_Voices_Festival.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/2011_Afghan_Youth_

Voices_Festival.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Afghan Youth Voices 011 Original artist: USAID Afghanistan
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File:Aerial_view_of_a_section_of_Kandahar_in_2013.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Aerial_
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2008-2011.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: File:LAV3patrol.jpg (PD-USGov-Military-Army)
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TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

File:Afghan_pomegranate_processing.jpg Source:
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processing.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Flickr - Pomegranates Original artist: USAID Afghanistan
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