•   Geography

  Afghanistan is  250,000 sq mi or  about the size of Texas. It is a beautiful and diverse country ranging from large snow-capped mountains on the western end of the Hindu Kush mountain range to the dry deserts of the southwest.

  Population

  There are nearly 32 million people in Afghanistan with over 3 million in the capital and largest city, Kabul. The current life expectancy is 49 years for both men and women. The infant mortality rate is still one of the highest in the world due to insufficient and/or inaccessible mid-wife and health care programs.

•   Language

  The two official languages in Afghanistan are Dari (similar to Farsi/Persian) and Pashto, though many ethnic languages are common and considered official based on the region. Many Afghans are bilingual, using native ethnic language and also Dari or Pashto. Language use in the country is almost exclusively divided by ethnicity, except for the use of Dari as the main language of the government. Languages include Pashto(60%), Dari (20%), Uzbek, Turkmen, Hazaraghi, Aimok, Balochi, Nuristani, Kyrghiz, Brahui, and Qizilbash.

  Literacy

  Afghanistan has the 3rd lowest literacy rate in the world at 28.1% . Only 12% of females  over the age of 15 are literate, while males come in at 43%. Despite this, poetry is very popular in the country and many spend Thursday nights at poetry readings of both personal and classical works.

•   Economy

  The main monetary unit in Afghanistan is the Afghani (Their money is called "Afghani" while

  people are referred to as "Afghan").  As of 2015, the Afghani is at a rate of 50 Af to $1 US. Currencies from other countries are often accepted as payment, especially the US dollar.

  42% of Afghans live on less than $1 a day and the unemployment rate is 35%. 80% of jobs are in agriculture with opium, wheat, nuts, fruit and sheep products as the top earners. While the country is known to have vast natural gas, mineral reserves and gems the continued violence and lack of government cohesion has stalled lucrative mining efforts.

•   Government

  The area of modern day Afghanistan has been ruled by many Central Asian dynasties, kings, regimes and warlords throughout it's history, each adding to the political, cultural and religious landscape of the country.

  As of 2015, Afghanistan is governed by its' 2nd democratically elected President, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. The country adopted a new constitution in 2004 that is a mixture of Islamic and state legislation, although in many areas local customs and/or Taliban shadow government is the accepted law. Despite constitutional laws, Afghanistan still faces many challenges, in particular in human and womens rights, and in unifying the country under a stable form of government. The ethnic divisions within the country are often seen in the country's politics with most people voting based on ethnic ties and following tribal "code".

•   Religion

  Afghanistan's official name is Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan or  The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The official religion is Islam with  a population of 80% Sunni, 19% Shia and 1% other(possibly Hindu). There is currently only 1 recognized Jew, a native born man, living in Kabul. Since conversion is an illegal and punishable  crime, any  Afghan followers of other religions keep their religious beliefs and practices secret and there is debate about both the existence and numbers of non-Islamic Afghans.

  Holidays

  Many holidays in Afghanistan are based on Islam, the main being Eid ul-Fitr, which is 3 days of celebration after the fasting month of Ramadan. Other Islamic holidays are Day of Arafa (repentance) followed by Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) and Mawlid (Mohammed's birthday).

  Other holidays recognize the many wars in Afghanistan; Independence Day (from the British during the Anglo-Afghan wars of the 1800's), Liberation Day ( marks the Soviet withdrawal 1970-80's) Mujahideen Victory Day (commemorates the overthrow of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and also the start of civil war) and Martyrs' Day (honoring national hero Ahmad Shah Massoud who fought the USSR/communists, during civil war and against Taliban, killed 2 days before 9/11)

•   Fun Facts

  • Afghanistan celebrates the New Year on the

    first day of spring at the end of March

  • Schools are closed for three months during the

     winter until the new year

  • Buzkashi is the national sport; a game similar to

     polo played with a goats head

  • Team Afghanistan made it to the Cricket World

     Championships in 2015

  • Many people now celebrate a "national

     birthday" on Jan 1. Births are not often

     recorded in Afghanistan but with the rise of the

     internet and online b-day requirements, most

     choose Jan 1 as an easy day to remember -

     and a reason for a little celebration.

  • Afghans don't have surnames - they use their

     fathers middle and first names -though many

     have adopted last names due to international

     standards

  • Afghanistan currently has 2 UNESCO World

     Heritage Sites - The Bamiyan Valley and the

     Minaret of Jam

© 2016 The Mountain Hope Foundation Inc.