Afghanistan: A Learning Maze

Nevis Hulme, Gairloch High School, Highland Council

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AfghanistanA study of a developing country

Afghanistan and its location Afghanistan’s flag

As in many developing countries, most people in Afghanistan live in villages and work on the land.

Is this the same as in Scotland? Yes No

Note: when answering, use only the mouse

© BBC News Online Taken from The World Factbook © Central Intelligence Agency

These would certainly be advantages but they are not the only ones!

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You thought that there would be one car for every 11 people in Afghanistan.

There are in fact far more than that.

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They could learn about better farming methods more easily but what else? Go back

Farming techniques have not changed for centuries.

This man is ploughing his fields with a wooden plough and two oxen.

Oxen and cows are not eaten very often; they are too useful for work in the fields and for their milk.

© Douglas R Powell, University of California Berkeley

You thought irrigation is spreading manure on fields. This would be a way to fertilise the land to improve the growth of crops but it isn’t irrigation.

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Farmers here have irrigated their fields and then planted seed. This eighty-year-old man is tending his fields with a hoe.

© Douglas R Powell, University of California Berkeley

War has made life much worse; many Afghans faced death from warfare as well as from hunger and disease. In the last 25 years, Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union (now Russia). Many fled to Pakistan. There has been civil war since 1989 between different groups of Afghans and involving Muslims from other countries.

War damaged buildings in the capital, Kabul

© USAID In 2001, after a major terrorist attack on New York, USA, UK and other foreign troops became involved searching for terrorists and changed the Government of the country.What was the date of the terrorist attack on New York?4th of July, 2001. 11th of September, 2001. 25th of December 2001.

You thought those who survived an earthquake would be made wealthy. This really is not likely; those who survive an earthquake would have lost much of their property and many would have lost those who supported them.

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Reconstructing the country is mostly done with manual labour. Here a group of men are restoringa canal.

© USAID

You thought most people move about by car.

This cannot be correct because there are very few cars in Afghanistan.

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The figure for the UK is lower than 10. Unfortunately, the number in Afghanistan is higher.

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1000

10 50 150 1000

infant deaths

births

You are correct to think that Afghanistan is sparsely populated. There are not many people considering the size of Afghanistan. It has a population of 27.2 million people.

What is the population of Scotland?

5 million.

15 million.

20 million.

?

27.2 millionpeople

Mainland Scotland Afghanistan

250 miles

150 miles

400 miles

600 miles

Comparing the sizes of the two countries

25th of December is Christmas Day, a date that has no significance where most people are Muslims. Go back

A beautiful shrine undamaged despite the damage all around

© Nazes Afroz, BBC

Well done. You have completed the maze and should now know a thing or two about Afghanistan. Go back to the start, if there is time and see if you can complete the maze more quickly!

Life may be harsh in Afghanistanbut, on a cold, wet morning,this young boy seemed tofind a way to be enjoying himself.

© Nazes Afroz, BBC

They could help their children with their education but what else?

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You are correct to think that most people move about on foot.With few cars and rugged terrain, on foot is often the only way to move about. © Douglas R Powell, University of California Berkeley

A typical landscape in the interior mountains Snow fall can be heavy in winter

The climate is very cold in winter but hot in summer. The country has a low rainfall with most rain falling between January and April. The country is a semi-desert, in other words, almost a desert though it is not quite dry enough.From all the information so far, do you think that the country issparsely populatedordensely populated?

The population of Scotland is 5 million. There are 27.2 million people in Afghanistan but it is much larger so also sparsely populated

© Douglas R Powell, University of California Berkeley

A further problem in Afghanistan is the severe droughts which occur and then irrigation schemes fail. A drought is a lack of rain. Irrigation is used to keep crops growing.What is irrigation?

Spreading manure on fields.Spreading water on fields.

Spreading seed on fields.

Farmers in their irrigated field plantedwith grain (at an altitude of 3000 metres)

This would mean that 5%, i.e. 1 in 20, would die before one year. This is a lot but it is not the correct answer for Afghanistan.

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You are correct to think that most people do not live in villages and work on the land in Scotland, i.e. most live in towns and cities. Only around 10% live outside towns and cities in Scotland and less than 2% of the population work on the land.

Most of Afghanistan is mountainous. Many villages are remote and roads are poor. In Scotland, if you took all the cars and shared them between all the people, there would be a car for every three people. In Afghanistan, do you think that there would be one car for :11 people?

223 people?

646 people?Village with peaks of the Hindu Kush behind

© Nazes Afroz, BBC

Difficulties such as drought have forced thousands of farmers to flee to the cities and to neighbouring Pakistan. Frequent powerful earthquakes, like the one in 2002, have killed thousands. Many of those not killed have been made:

angry, homeless, or wealthy.

Damage caused by the 2002 earthquake

© BBC News Online

They would be able to read instructions on medicines but what else?

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You thought most people move about on planes.

There are all sorts of problems with this answer. The country is poor, so few could afford a plane. It is also very mountainous so there would be a shortage of places for runways?

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This is the route from Kabul to the village of Paghman- the birth place of King Amanullah who won independence from the British in the 1920's. Paghman has always been a tourist attraction. Due to lack of maintenance paved roads to Paghman are now non-existent.

© Nazes Afroz, BBC

Correct. There are many advantages educating all women but in Afghanistan, and many other developing countries, the priority has been to educate boys. In many societies, it is the women, though, who play the main role in growing crops for the family and looking after the family.Go on

Girls being educated in Kabul, the capital

© Nazes Afroz, BBC

You thought irrigation is spreading seed on fields. This is important to grow crops but it is not irrigation.

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The shepherd of this mixed flock is about 12 years old.

© Nazes Afroz, BBC

You thought most people live in villages and work on the land in Scotland.

Only around 10% live outside towns and cities in Scotland and less than 2% of the population work on the land.

Go back

This kind of scene, with the family working together in their fields, is not so common in Scotland.

© Nazes Afroz, BBC

There is not enough money for educational services. Schools are under pressure. In Kabul, the capital, a secondary school has over 9000 pupils, taught in three three-hour shifts.

© USAID

For religious and social reasons, the education of women and girls has largely been ignored until now.What advantages would there be having all women in the country educated?They would be able to read instructions on medicines. They could learn about better farming methods more easily. They could help their children with their education. All of the above. The first two advantages. The last two advantages.

A boy learning arithmetic

4th of July is Independence Day in USA. Go back

You thought the population of Scotland is 20 million.

This is far too high. England’s population is about 50 million but Scotland is only a tenth of that.

Go back

?

27.2 millionpeople

Mainland Scotland Afghanistan

250 miles

150 miles

400 miles

600 miles

Comparing the sizes of the two countries

You thought those not killed by an earthquake would be made angry. They may be angry but many would be sad having lost relatives. There is a better answer!

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It’s not anger that his old man feels but grief at losing family members

© Nazes Afroz, BBC

You thought that there would be 223 persons per car in Afghanistan.

There are in fact far more than that. Go back

Yes. 150 out of every 1000 infants die before they reach their first birthday. This is very high; more than 15% of babies born will not reach their first birthday.

Go on

0100200300400500600700800900

1000

10 50 150 1000

infant deaths

births

You thought the population of Scotland is 15 million.

This is far too high. England’s population is about 50 million but Scotland is only a tenth of that.

Go back

?

27.2 millionpeople

Mainland Scotland Afghanistan

250 miles

150 miles

400 miles

600 miles

Comparing the sizesof the two countries

11th of September, 2001 is correct.

Go on

© NBC

You thought Afghanistan is densely populated. This means many people live close together.

Think; Afghanistan is mountainous with low rainfall.

Does this seem like a place capable of supporting many people?

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You are correct. Many would lose their homes in the earthquake.

© USAID © Nazes Afroz, BBC

There is much poverty and disease in the country. This is caused not just by the earthquakes but because of the difficulties of living in Afghanistan. Health care services are poor, and there are not enough doctors and nurses. Unlike in this country, few in the countryside have easy access to a doctor. Many children die before they reach their first birthday. Out of 1000 infants, how many do you think die before one year of age?

Fewer than 10. Around 50.

More than 150.

Doctors are far less common in Afghanistan than in Scotland Poor and inadequate diets lead to health problems

You thought that there would be 646 persons for every car in Afghanistan. You are correct! Hopefully, you can see that there are very few cars in Afghanistan.

Not quite 646 people on this lorry!

This is a common way for people to move about

© Douglas R Powell, University of California Berkeley

Many villages are remote and roads are poor. Steep slopes make farming difficult in most areas. How would most people move about?

By car. On foot. On planes.

Hand-dug canals or ditches take water from rivers fed by snowmelt to the fields in the foreground.

Yes, irrigation is spreading water on fields. Using a watering can is a form of irrigation but, on fields, channels used to direct water on to crops are more usual.

Go on

© Douglas R Powell, University of California Berkeley