AfghAfghanianistanstan

BAHRAM NAWABI 2012UCE1790

FIRST YEAR CIVIL ENGG.SEMINAR PRESENTATION

CONTENTSCONTENTS•BASIC FACTS•Basic facts about Afghanistan•LAND AND PEOPLE•Natural setting•The people•Major cities•The flag of Afghanistan•POLITI CS•Afghanistan is an Islamic republic country •Islamic •Quran and Hadith•Republic •Democracy and Pluralism•Rise of the Taliban•OVERCOMMING THE LEGACY•Political reconstruction•Economic recovery•Human rights•Education •Health•The future •CONCLUSION•BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Basic Facts about The Basic Facts about AfghanistanAfghanistan

• Afghanistan means the “Land of the Afghan”

• In Ancient times called Aryana

• Medieval Era called Kohrasan

The FlagThe Flag

Regional MapRegional Map• Afghanistan is a landlocked

country, making the export of goods difficult and expensive.

• It has rugged mountains and plains and is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and drought.

• Temperatures are extreme, as hot as 120° F in the summer and as cold as -15° F in the winter.

• There are limited natural fresh water sources, and most of the land has been overgrazed and deforested, causing desertification and soil degradation, making farming difficult.

Map and Important DataMap and Important Data• Capital: Kabul

• Area: 650000 sq Km; slightly smaller than Texas

• Population: 31,056,997 (July 2006 estimate)80% Sunni Muslim, 19% Shia Muslim

• Main ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek

• GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 estimate)

• Over 80% of labor force is employed in agriculture (farming, sheep, goats)

• Covered by an estimated 5-7 million landmines

• Leading illicit opium producer in 2005 supplying 89% of the opium produced in the world. 1/3 of the GDP comes from opium trade

Population Population • Population: 31 million

• Made up of various

ethnic groups including: o Pashtuns, Tajiks ,

Uzbeks, Hazaras, of Mongolian origin, and Baluchis can also be found in Afghanistan.

The PeopleThe People

• The people of Afghanistan are called Afghan(s).

• The people of Afghanistan have a life expectancy of only 45 years.

• Many ethnic groups make up the Afghan population. The largest is the Pashtun (38%) followed in size by the Tajik (25%).

GovernmentGovernment

• Afghanistan does not have a functioning central government. It is ruled by factions.

• There are presently 36 Afghan provinces.

• The Constitution of 1964 is no longer in use.

LanguageLanguage • Pashtu and Dari are most common languages • Pashtu -National Language of Afghanistan (35%)• 11% of the people can speak one of the “Turkic”

languages.• Additionally there are another 30 minor languages

spoken. • Dari – Used for business and government transactions (50%)

• 55% of the country is illiterate, however Afghan’s are wonderful story tellers.

• Bilingualism is very common in Afghanistan.

VisitingVisiting• Afghans are known to invite others to their home for

dinner.• The front room is used for eating meals. The food

and drinks are served by children.• Male visitors, who are not considered an immediate

family member, will never get to meet the women.• Be prepared to remove your shoes before entering

a home or building.• The people of Afghanistan are known for their

hospitality

ReligionReligion• Islam is the world’s second largest religion, with 21% of all

people practicing this faith.• Islam teaches that one can only find peace in life by

submitting to Allah (Almighty God) in heart, soul, and deed.• The Quran is the holy guide to Islam.• Major aspects of the Islamic religion include testimony of faith,

prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage.• “Covering” is a religious duty. Women can only have their

faces and hands showing in public. Men must not expose anything from navel to knee.

• Sunni and Shia are the two most common forms of Islam with different beliefs in some of the specific premises of the religion.

• 99% Muslim and 1% is mix of other religions

Geography of the land Geography of the land • Hindukush (Hindu Killer) Mountains run North and

South. Name reflects the large number of Hindu who died in route to Asian slave markets.

• Mountains among the highest in the world at 10,500-21,000 feet.

Climate and Impact Climate and Impact  • Afghanistan’s climate is typically arid to semi-arid • Dry summers and cold winters. • Severe blizzards occur from December through

February. • During the summer months of June through

September, strong winds prevail carrying intense heat and causing severe wind storms and drought.

• Typically during mid-day, the wind will reach velocities of nearly 100 miles per hour.

• This causes stifling sand storms that dismantle and create gigantic sand dunes.

• This phenomenon has caused great challenge to the Allied Forces as the blowing sand causes equipment failure and breakdown, and miserable conditions for warfare.

Terrain and Physical Terrain and Physical FeaturesFeatures

Photo by U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division-Light Infantry

Afghanistan is a landlocked country. It is dry and has extremely warm summers and very cold winters. The mountains are rugged, although there are some plains used for farming.

GHOR - AFGHANISTAN

BAND-e- AMIR, BAMYAN-AFGHANISTANBAND-e-KAJAKY, HILMAND-AFGHANISTAN

The People AND Society The People AND Society viewview

Above, a 16-years-old girl works at sewing for about $1 per day as part of a special training program. U.S. soldiers are a common sight in Afghanistan and often interact with the local people. The picture on the lower right shows an Afghan school, where students sit in on the floor waiting for the day’s lessons to begin.

Sharbat Gula (Pashto)) pronounced [ a bat]) (born ca. 1972) is ˈʃ ɾan Afghan woman who was the subject of a famous photograph by journalist Steve McCurry. Gula was living as a refugee in Pakistan during the time of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan when she was photographed. The image brought her recognition when it was featured on the cover of the June 1985 issue of National Geographic Magazine at a time when she was approximately 12 years old. Gula was known throughout the world simply as "the Afghan Girl" until she was formally identified in early 2002. The photograph has been likened to Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa and is sometimes popularly referred to as "the Afghan Mona Lisa.

Afghan Women National Army

Afghanistan employs 80 percent of its workforce in farming or raising sheep and goats. Because it is a landlocked country with mountainous terrain, exporting goods like the melons carriedby the boy is difficult and expensive. Poppies are grown illegally as a source of opium, which is used to produce heroin. Drug lords make millions through unregulated trade of this drug. The Afghan government is working to eliminate illegal drug trade and encourage the growth of other agricultural crops for export.

TransportationTransportation• Transportation in rural

areas are in 3 ways:o By footo By camelo By donkey or mule

• Transportation in urban areas:o Taxiso Crowded busses that also

haul animals and produce

EducationEducation

• It is the goal of the Ministry of Education (MoE) that “by 2020 all children in Afghanistan, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary education.”

Afghan FoodAfghan FoodDogh (yogurt drink)

Bolaanee (leek and/or potato fillled pockets

Qabilee Palao (Rice with meet, nuts, almond, carrot, raisins)

Ashak

Nan-e-Khushk(bread)

RecreationRecreation• For recreation, many

sports are popular.  Buzkashi, a national sport, is where the rider is on a horse.  The object is to pitch a dead calf across a goal line first.  (Qazi, 2009).

Recreation cont’dRecreation cont’d• Other sports played

are soccer, basketball, Taekwondo, and table tennis, to name just a few.

• Other forms of recreation include chicken fights, hunting and wrestling.Afghanistan's Rohullah Nikpai

stands on the podium with his bronze medal won in the men's taekwondo -58 kg class at the Beijing 2008 Olympics

The Arts and heritagesThe Arts and heritages• The Kabul Museum held many of the beautiful

Afghanistan arts until it was destroyed by the Taliban. 

• There were sculptures that were found.  One of those found was a sculpture of Buddha’s head.  Afghanistan used to heavily practice Buddhism. 

• Others found were made of baked clay and represented the goddess. 

www.afghansite.com)

Two Sculptures of Buddha’s head made in 6th century.

CommerceCommerce• Afghan’s major trading

partners are, Germany, the US India, and Pakistan.. 

• The main industries in Afghanistan include the following:o Carpet o Small scale textiles o Soaps o Furniture o Shoes o Fertilizer o Cement o Copper o Coal o Natural gas o Hand woven carpets

• Exports for Afghanistan include:  o Carpet o Opium o Fruits o Nuts o Hand woven carpets o Wool o Cotton o Precious and semi precious

gems o Hides o Pelts

• Imports for Afghanistan include:o Petroleum products o Textiles o Capital goods o Food o etc

LAL-e-BADAKHSHAN (RUBY OF BAKHSHAN)

Afghan-Hindo relationsAfghan-Hindo relations

• A walk during the contract (Between India and Afghanistan) that the annual number of 650 Afghan students, that are coming to complete their Masters courses and bachelors, in a scholarship scheme in India.

Political HistoryPolitical History• In 1979, Afghanistan was invaded and

eventually controlled by the Soviet Union.• In 1989, Afghanistan and the Soviet Union

signed a peace agreement.• In 1995, the Taliban, promising traditional,

Islamic values came into power, imposing strict Islamic law, including revoking many women’s rights.

• In 2001, American troops force the Taliban from power.

• In 2004, Hamid Karzai became the first elected Afghan president.

Historical perspective: 1980-Historical perspective: 1980-present  present 

• In the 1980’s, millions of Afghan’s lost their lives, and the war was with Russia.

• 1989 Russia left the nation, leaving behind devastation and widespread poverty.

• Millions of Afghan citizens were living as refugees. • Civil warring continued

The militant Islamic terrorist network known as al-Qaida and led by Osama bin Laden, was based in Afghanistan for many years prior to U.S. attacks on the organization in October 2001 following the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The organization continues to grow, and bin Laden remains at large.

Politics: The TalibanPolitics: The TalibanPrior to 2001, the Taliban, led by Mullah Mohammad Omar, ruled Afghanistan under Islamic law. During this time, women had virtually no rights and received no education. Watching television and listening to music were forbidden, as were playing games and sports.

The United States entered Afghanistan in October 2001 and replaced the Taliban with an elected president. While the Taliban lost some power and the people regained some rights, the Taliban has not gone away. Instead, it has worked to regain power by promising to help Afghanistan’s poorest people and aligning itself with warlords, al-Qaida, and other militant groups to gain financial support and recruit new fighters.

Taliban Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar

Extremism and The Extremism and The TalibanTaliban   

• Varied factions of extremism in the civil war eventually led to the formation of the Taliban.

• Taliban dictated and ruled with brutally cruel, and socially oppressive hand.

• Taliban’s reign of control ended when U.S. and Allied forces invaded following the Sept. 11th attacks on the United States.

After the fall After the fall  • Taliban leader

Osama Bin Laden goes in to hiding.

• His unseen power and control remains a threat to the peace of this region and of terror to the world.

Overcomming the legacyOvercomming the legacy• In 2004, Hamid Karzai was the first democratically elected as president of Afghanistan

• Supreme Court is appointed by the president• The National Assembly is comprised of two

bodies:o House of Peopleo House of Elders

• The UN and other international organizations play a large role in rebuilding democracy in the nation

President KarzaiPresident KarzaiPresident Hamid Karzai was the first elected president in the history of Afghanistan. He came to power after the Taliban was overthrown in late 2001. He was formally elected to a five-year term in 2004. Karzai has survived numerous assassination attempts and has been assigned the task of rebuilding Afghanistan. Some of the major problems he must address include providing the country with an infrastructure so that citizens have the basic necessities of life, keeping the Taliban out of power and controlling the warlords who perpetuate the illegal drug trade.

References/BibliographyReferences/BibliographyAfghanistan. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2009, from World Atlas.com:

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/af.htm

Afghanistan-History. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2009, from Bookrags.com:http://www.bookrags.com/research/afghanistanhistory-ema-01/

Afghanistan. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2009, from National Geographic:http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_afghanistan.html

Afghanistan Climate. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2009, from Photius.com:http://www.photius.com/countries/afghanistan/climate/afghanistan_climate_climate.html

BBC Monitoring. (2009). Country Profile: Afghanistan. Retrieved on June 22, 2009From News Sources at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/111162668

Blood, P. ed., (1997). Afghanistan: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for Library of Congress 2001.