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Basic Facts
Official name: Islamic State of Afghanistan
Capital City: Kabul
Area: 652,225 square kilometres
(251,825 square miles)
Largest cities (population) :
Kabul: 700,000 (1993 Estimate)
Kandahar: 225,500 (1988 Estimate)
Heart: 177,300 (1988 Estimate)
People:
Population: 26,668,251 (2000 Estimate)
Population density:
41 persons per square kilometer Estimate
106 persons per square mile Estimate
Urbanization
Per cent urban: 21 per cent (1998 Estimate)
Per cent rural 79 per cent (1998 Estimate)
Life expectancy
Total: 47.8 years (2000 Estimate)
Female: 47.4 years (2000 Estimate)
Male: 48.3 years (2000 Estimate)
Infant mortality rate
138 deaths per 1,000 live births (2000 Estimate)
Literacy rate :
Total: 36.3 per cent (2000)
Female: 20.8 per cent (2000)
Male: 51 per cent (2000)
Ethnic divisions:
Pashtun: 38 per cent
Tajik: 25 per cent
Hazara: 19 per cent
Minor ethnic groups:
(Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen,
Baloch, Nuristani, and others) 12 per cent
Uzbek: 6 per cent
Languages
Afghan Persian (Dari) 50 per cent
Pashto 35 per cent
Turkic languages
(primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11 per cent
30 minor languages
(primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4 per cent
Bilingualism is common
Religions
Sunni Muslim: 84 per cent
Shiite Muslim: 15 per cent
Other or none 1 per cent
Government:
Type of government:
Islamic state transitional government
Independence :
19 August 1919 (from the United Kingdom)
Constitution: None in force
Voting rights: Undetermined
Membership of international organizations:
Colombo Plan, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, IFRCS, IMF, INTELSAT, NAM, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WToO
Economy:
Exports:
Fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides, pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Imports:
Wheat, sugar, tea, vegetable oil, cigarettes, food items, petroleum products, consumer goods, motor vehicles, textiles
Major trading partners for exports:
Former Soviet republics, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg
Major trading partners for imports :
Former Soviet republics, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, China, India, South Korea, Germany
Industries :
Small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
Agriculture:
Largely subsistence farming and nomadic animal husbandry; cash products: wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts, wool, mutton
Natural resources:
Natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, talc, barites, sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semi-precious stones
Sources:
Basic Facts and People sections
Area data are from the individual country statistical bureaus. Population, population growth rate, infant mortality, and life expectancy data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center; International database, 2000; (www.census.gov). Population density data are from the individual country statistical bureaus, and the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center; International database, 2000; (www.census.gov). Largest cities population data and administrative divisions data are from the individual country statistical bureaus. Literacy rate data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database, 2000; (www.unesco.org). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database, 2000; (www.fao.org). Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook, as well as various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, SIL International; (www.sil.org).
Government section
Government, independence, constitution, and voting rights data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook.
Economy section
Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sector, and national budget data are from the World Bank database, 2000; (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, exports and imports, natural resources, agriculture, and industries information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook, and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.
Note: Due to rounding, totals may not add up to 100 per cent. |
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Population
Afghanistan has many ethnic groups. The Pashtun comprise 20 per cent of the population and are divided into several major sub-groups. Most Pashtuns live in the east and south. Most Tajiks (30 per cent) live in the north, Uzbeks and Turkmen (19 per cent) in the north-central region, and the Hazara (16 per cent) in the central region. Smaller numbers of Baluchi, Brahui, Nuristani, Aimaq, Qizilbash, and Kyrgyz together comprise around 15 per cent of the population. Many refugees who left the country during the 1980s have now returned.
Kabul is the capital and traditionally the largest city, with about 1.5 million residents before 1992; however, according to some estimates, in 1995 the fighting may have reduced the population to less than 500,000. Other major cities are Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e Sharif, and Jalalabad.
Language
Some 32 languages and dialects are spoken in Afghanistan. Dari, a form of Persian and the language of government and business, is spoken most widely and has several dialects. Pashto, spoken by Pashtuns, has two major variants and many dialects. The Uzbeks and Turkmen speak their own Turkic languages, and the Tajiks speak a dialect of Dari, while smaller ethnic groups speak their own local languages or a dialect of one of the major languages.
Islam is the religion of virtually all Afghans, but it has not been a unifying force sufficient to overcome ethnic differences. About 84 per cent of people are Sunni Muslim, while 15 per cent (primarily the Hazara and some Persian speakers) are Shiite Muslim. There are small numbers of Sikhs and Hindus in the cities.
Religion permeates Afghan society, and the important role of Islam in the Mujahideen war against the Soviet occupation (19791989) has increased its political influence in the country. Culturally, Islam dominates most Afghan Muslims lives from birth to death, but local codes of conduct, such as Pashtunwali, the code of the Pashtuns, also influence everyday behaviour.
Lifestyle
Life in Afghanistan is centred on the extended family. Families in rural areas are often large, with several generations living together in the same compound or nearby. The most common dwelling is a mud-brick structure of several rooms, surrounded by high mud walls that provide security from enemies, seclusion for women, and protection for animals. Within the compound, the family is led by the senior male (father or grandfather). Tasks are allocated according to gender, age, and experience. Women do all the cooking, washing, and cleaning. They may engage in light farming, but their lives are mainly focused on the household. The wife of the senior male is dominant among the women of the household. Men work in the fields or family business and handle all contact with the outside world, such as shopping in the market or dealing with local officials. In many cases, men even shop for personal items (such as clothing) for their wives so that they do not have to go out in public. Only adult males participate in the jirga (village council) and political events, but women are well informed about local happenings and are influential in shaping opinion.
Afghans identify primarily with their family, kin group, clan, or tribe. Their various codes are often strict and inflexible, stressing honour, loyalty to the family or clan, and personal responsibility to fulfil expected roles. Afghans in rural areas tend to define wealth as land ownership or a large family. Urban residents are more likely to view wealth in terms of money or possessions, and education is highly valued. Nomadic people define wealth by the size of their herds. Jewellery is regarded as a portable form of wealthwomen's clothing and veils keep valuables largely hidden.
Teenage girls adopt pardaha system in certain Muslim societies involving the seclusion or screening of women from men who are not close family membersand have no contact with men outside the immediate family. Marriages are normally arranged, the senior women of the families often playing a prominent role in the decision. Among urban or more westernized families, it may be permissible for a prospective bride and groom to meet with or view each other and approve of or reject the union. Marriages between cousins are common and often preferred, as they strengthen family ties. Matchmakers engage in lengthy negotiations over the bride-price and dowry.
Marriage and engagement rituals are numerous, varied, and complex. Traditionally, the ceremony itself occurs over a three-day period, with some of the festivities at the brides family home and some at the grooms. For most activities the sexes are segregated, but all gather for the signing of the marriage contract and recitation of the Koran. Divorce is simplethe man need only announce it in public three timesbut rare. A man may have up to four wives, but he must provide for all equally; this generally limits most men to one wife. Premarital and extramarital sex are strictly forbidden and can be grounds for severe punishment (including death) in some areas.
Diet and Eating
Related Topics
Food: From Farm to Feast
Afghan cuisine is influenced by the foods of South and Central Asia, China, and Iran. Among common foods are the many types of palau (rice mixed with meat and/or vegetables), qorma (vegetable sauce), kebab (skewered meat), ashak (leek-filled pasta) or mantu (meat-filled pasta), and nan (leavened bread). Tomatoes, spinach, potatoes, peas, carrots, cucumbers, and aubergine are also popular. Yoghurt and other dairy products are dietary staples. Sugar cane, a variety of fruits (fresh and dried), and nuts are eaten as desserts and snacks. Chai (tea), either green or black, is the most popular drink. Afghans enjoy beef, mutton, chicken, and many types of game, although most cannot afford to buy meat regularly. An urban diet is usually more varied than a rural one, but food shortages have been severe at times. Islamic law forbids the consumption of alcohol and pork, and most people comply.
Afghans in rural areas commonly eat only breakfast and dinner, but some may have a light lunch. Most have snacks between meals. At meals, Afghans usually sit on the floor around a mat on which food is served in a communal dish. To eat, one uses the fingers of the right hand or a piece of nan. The left hand is never used for handling food, as it is traditionally reserved for cleaning the body. One eats until satisfied, and leftover food is saved for later or for the next day's breakfast. Families normally eat together, but if a male guest is present, females eat separately. Eating out is not common, but some restaurants have a separate dining area or booths for families.
Socializing
A handshake is a common greeting among men, who tend to be expressive when greeting friends and may pat one another on the back during an embrace. Formal verbal greetings are often accompanied by placing the right hand over the heart. Women friends embrace each other and kiss three times on alternate cheeks. Women might also shake hands. A man does not shake hands with or otherwise touch a woman in public, although he may greet her verbally in an indirect way.
Greetings vary by region and ethnic group, but Arabic greetings are used and universally accepted. Assalaam alaikum (Peace be upon you) is replied to with Waalaikum assalaam (And peace also upon you). A common Dari greeting is Khubasti? (Are you well?), and the Pashto equivalent is Singa ye?. Goodbye is Khoda hafiz.
In formal situations, an academic or professional title is always used. Hajji (Pilgrim) is reserved for those who have made a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah) in Saudi Arabia. Socio-economic status can also determine which title should be used (such as Khan, meaning Sir). Some people are respectfully referred to by a title only (for example, Hajji Khan, or Pilgrim Sir). Usually, however, titles are combined with names. Parents are often called by a childs name, such as Madar-e (Mother of) Muhammad or Baba-e (Father of) Alam. Friends use given names and nicknames among themselves.
Visiting between family, friends, and neighbours is the main social activity in Afghanistan. It is mostly segregated by gender. Homes often have a special room (hujra) where male guests are received by the male host. Females socialize elsewhere in the compound. Guests are served tea and, depending on the time of day, perhaps something to eat. Guests are expected to have at least three cups of tea. Any business discussions occur after refreshments. The ability of an Afghan to generously entertain guests is a sign of social status.
Recreation
Afghan Sport of Buzkashi
Afghanistans national sport is buzkashi, in which two teams of horsemen, or chapandoz, compete to see who can carry the boz, the headless carcass of a calf, from a circle to a spot a moderate distance away, then return it to the circle. The player in possession of the calf will suffer all manner of abuse to make him drop itsometimes even from his own team-mates, who may want the game prolonged. It is a highly demanding and sometimes dangerous game that requires superb horsemanship. Afghans also enjoy football, volleyball, and wrestling. Television and radio play a limited role in peoples lives. Most leisure activities occur in the evening and centre around the family. Oral traditions such as storytelling and singing flourish, and music, played on drums, lutes, and a clarinet-like instrument called a surnai, has traditionally been very popular.
At the moment, however, recreational activity is in a state of flux. The Taliban has restricted many forms of recreation. A variety of sports have been banned, as have kite flying and playing music in public. Television was banned but the Taliban promised in February 1997 that the ban would be lifted.
Holidays and Celebrations
The secular holidays of Afghanistan include Victory of the Muslim Nation (28 April), Remembrance Day (4 May), and Independence Day (Jashn; 18 August). Jashn, which celebrates liberation from British control in 1919, lasts for a week. Festivities include parades, music and dancing, games, and speeches by leaders. In the past there have been special ceremonies in Kabul, and the Jashn holiday was often an occasion for leaders to announce major policy decisions.
Islamic holidays, which are more important, are scheduled according to the lunar calendar, and thus vary from year to year. Ramadan is a month-long fast. From sunrise to sundown, people do not eat, drink, or smoke. In the evening, after the sun has set, families and friends gather to eat. The first day of Ramadan is a holiday, and at the end of Ramadan a three-day feast called 'Aid-e-fitr takes place.
Nauroz, the Islamic New Year, begins on the first day of spring (around 21 March). In Afghanistan it is also Farmers Day, when farmers decorate their cows in preparation for agricultural fairs at which they may win prizes. One traditional belief is that Ajuzak, an ugly old woman, wanders around the land at this time. If it rains (when the crops will benefit), it is said that she is washing her hair.
Buzkashi is played at this time, with hundreds of horsemen on each team vying for the boz. Special foods eaten in honour of the New Year include samanak, a dessert made of wheat and sugar, and haftmewah, a compote of nuts and fruit.
Other Islamic holidays include 'Aid-e-ada, honouring Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son at Allahs command; Ashura, a Shiite day to mark the martyrdom of Imam Husayn; and Roze-Maulud, the birthday of the prophet Muhammad.
Culture
Fine Arts
Afghan cultural life is characterized by traditional arts and pastimes. Gold and silver jewellery, the famous Afghan carpets, and various leather goods continue to be made at home. The ancient art of storytelling continues to flourish in Afghanistan, largely as a result of widespread illiteracy. The Afghanistan Historical Society and the Pashto Academy, however, publish literary magazines and encourage new writers.
Music
Music is represented mostly by traditional folk songs, ballads, and dances. The attan is the national dance. It is performed in a large circle, with the dancers clapping their hands and quickening the movements of their feet to the beat of the music.
Libraries and Museums
The few major libraries are located in Kabul. The Kabul Museum, the largest in the country, is best known for its collection of early Buddhist relics.
Infrastructure
Government
The interim constitution negotiated in 1993 provided for a president and a leadership council to govern in tandem with a prime minister and a cabinet drawn from the 205-member parliament. The supreme court functioned under sharia (Islamic law).
Much has changed, however, since the religious Taliban movement gained control of Kabul in September 1996 and ousted the president. It now wields power over most of the country.
Recent History
After Afghan fighters expelled the Soviets in 1992, the rebels split into several factions and began to fight among themselves, causing a civil war that has ravaged the country ever since. The main power struggle in the early 1990s was between President Burhanuddin Rabbani, his allies Ismael Khan and the Mujahideen commander Ahmed Shah Massoud, and the forces of the ex-prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Uzbek leader General Abdul Rashid Dostum. In mid-1994 a group advocating strict adherence to Islamic law emerged. The group, which called itself the Taliban, rapidly conquered nine provinces, and in early 1995 defeated Hekmatyar and absorbed most of his Pashtun-based forces; however, they failed to take Kabul.
The capture of Herat by the Taliban in September 1995 left them in control of more than half the country. In July 1996 Hekmatyar, again prime minister, began offering cabinet positions to various rebel factions, but the Taliban refused to engage in talks. The Taliban gained control of Kabul in September 1996, ousting President Rabbani, and the movements leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, became supreme ruler of about 85 per cent of the country. The abduction of the former Communist president Najibullah, his brother, and two close associates from the United Nations (UN) compound in Kabul and their subsequent execution received international condemnation in late September. The ruling interim council justified the executions as "Islamic acts'' and enforced a strict Islamic regime that, among other things, was particularly harsh on women, banning them from employment outside the home, education, and requiring them to be fully veiled.
Alliance forces under the command of former Defence Minister Massoud and General Dostum countered the Taliban advance in mid-October 1996. Despite peace talks in early November in Pakistan, sponsored by the UN, fierce fighting started again in mid-November. The plight of the growing number of refugees, casualties of the conflict, was exacerbated by the suspension of aid operations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in protest against the harassment of its staff in Kabul.
In May 1997 formal recognition of the legitimacy of the Taliban government was made first by Pakistan, and a day later by Saudi Arabia.
A new alliance known as the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan (UIFSA), under the overall command of Massoud, was formed in June 1997. Massoud's opposition forces made substantial advances in July, but heavy fighting that continued in August led to what was widely considered a stalemate. In spite of a strong Taliban offensive in September, opposition forces made significant gains in October. Dostum returned to lead the UIFSA forces the same month. In November UIFSA unilaterally released prisoners, and a UN-brokered exchange of prisoners took place later in the month. These moves were seen as a significant indication of a will by both sides to negotiate. Three meetings arranged by the UN which took place in New York in December involved Afghanistan's neighbours in discussions aimed to stem the flow of arms to the opposing forces. Despite peace efforts involving shuttle diplomacy by former president Rabbani in January 1998, fighting continued as calls for a ceasefire to coincide with Ramadan went unheeded. Talks agreeing to a ceasefire were held in Kabul in April.
In August 1998 the United States launched simultaneous cruise missile strikes against suspected terrorist bases in Afghanistan and Sudan. The attack occurred in retaliation to the twin bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Acting on intelligence reports that suggested more attacks on American targets were imminent, the decision was taken to bomb the alleged Afghan base of the prime suspect in the embassy bombings, Osama bin Laden, and a suspected chemical weapons factory in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
In March 1999 after three days of talks brokered by the UN in Turkmenistan, representatives of the various warring factions in Afghanistan announced that they had reached a provisional agreement on forming a government together. The fundamentalist Taliban government in Kabul and opposition groups who controlled northern Afghanistan agreed to set up a government with a shared executive, legislature, and judiciary. Each side also agreed to release 20 prisoners of war and hold further talks to negotiate a permanent ceasefire. The agreement was regarded as an important step towards finding a solution to the political problem. The latest push for a settlement has been attributed to the Taliban's desire to improve its relations abroadwhere it is currently viewed as something of an international pariahand heavy military setbacks suffered by the opposition warlords in recent months. However, many differences remained, not least of which the basis of the future government: either Islamic law and Islamic system of government as the Taliban would have it, or representing the different ethnic groups of Afghanistan as favoured by the opposition.
The return of UN representatives to Afghanistan, after a seven-month absence in protest at conditions there, marked a further sign of improved relations.
In July 1999, however, repeated refusal by the Taliban regime to extradite Osama bin Laden (who allegedly masterminded the 1998 bombings against US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania) led the US government to impose trade sanctions. The United Nations (UN) Security Council concurred and passed international sanctions against the ruling Taliban regime in November 1999.
Economy
Agriculture employs more than half of the workforce, producing food that is mostly for domestic consumption. Much of the industry is state-controlled. Coal, salt, copper, lapis lazuli, baryte, and talc are all mined. Exports include natural gas, textiles, carpets, fruits, and nuts. The country's major trading partner was the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Since the withdrawal of Soviet aid, the economy has disintegrated and the economic infrastructure is in disrepair. Continuing violence has deterred investors and new foreign aid donors. As a result, there has been an increase in the illegal trade in hashish and heroin, but a large proportion of the money gained from selling drugs has been used to buy arms. Illicit cross-border trade with Pakistan and arms smuggling also contribute to the economy. Nevertheless, more than half of the population lives in poverty. The currency is the afghani.
Afghanistans one major road, the Ring Road, creates a large U as it runs south from Herat to Kandahar, northeast to Kabul, and then north through the Salang Tunnel to Kondoz and on to Mazar-e Sharif. Paved roads run from these major cities to the nearest border towns, such as from Kabul through Jalalabad to the Khyber Pass on the Pakistani border. These roads have, however, been substantially damaged in the fighting, and travel on them is difficult. Off-road travel is dangerous because of landmines. Owing to the mountainous nature of the country, many rural areas are essentially inaccessible to vehicles, so people walk, ride animals, or use horse-drawn carts. In cities and over major transit routes, buses and minibuses are used; few people own private cars. There are no railways, but a national airline offers limited service.
Ownership of radios is more widespread than that of televisions. The Taliban banned television after coming to power. Although they promised to end the ban, all programming will have to be approved by Taliban censors. Telephone services are limited but there is a countrywide postal service.
Education
Although some schools in urban areas operated during the war, education has been severely disrupted in Afghanistan. The literacy rate is very low: at 36.3 per cent (2000); for women the rate is only 20.8 per cent (2000). Many scholars and teachers fled or were killed during the war, and the curriculum was changed in the 1980s to reflect Communist ideology. Students also fled, were killed, or were themselves engaged in the war. Many were and still are needed as labourers at home. The Communist curriculum has been replaced, but enrolment levels and limited funding remain serious problems. Many schools are still closed. The Taliban has ended education for girls.
Medical services are extremely limited. In 1989 there was only one doctor for every 6,690 people. Hospitals are found in some cities only, and these are not well equipped; most facilities are provided by international aid organizations. Rural areas completely lack modern medical care. Accordingly, the infant mortality rate is estimated at 138 deaths per 1,000 live births (2000 Estimate), and average life expectancy was 47.8 years (2000 Estimate). Water is not safe, and many diseases affect the population.
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