Afghan Culture

1
Afghan Culture

• George, Josh, and Dan

2
Table of Contents

• Geography
• People
• Languages
• Religion
• Rural Life
• Sports and Pastimes
• Education
• Health
• Art and Architecture
• Movie Clip

3
Geography

• Located in central Asia
• Bordered by six countries
• China
• Iran
• Pakistan
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan

4
Geography

• Landlocked nation (slightly smaller than Texas)
• Total Population 31 Million
• Capital Kabul

5
Geography

• Mountainous
• Hindu Kush main mountain range
• Climate cold winters and arid summers

6
People

• Major Ethnic Groups
• Pashtuns- 42
• Takijs- 27
• Uzbeks- 9
• Hazaras- 9
• Others- 13

7
Languages

• Most Afghans are bilingual
• Main Languages
• Dari- 50
• Pashtu- 35
• Turkic- 11

8
Religion

• The religion practiced by most Afghans is Islam
• 99 of Afghans are Muslim

9
Rural Life

• About ¾ of the Afghan population consists of
  farmers and nomads
• Only 12 of land is arable
• What problems might some farmers encounter?

10
Sports and Pastimes

• Buzkashi is the national sport of Afghanistan
• Team game played on horseback
• Kite-fighting
• Participants try to cut through the strings of
  their opponents

11
Education

• 67 of boys go to school
• 37 of girls go to school
• Constraints of attendance
• Lack of teachers
• Distance
• Cultural constraints
• Not enough schools

12
Health

• Average life expectancy 42
• 1 in 4 children dies before the age of 5
• Many lack access to basic healthcare

13
Art and Architecture

• Influenced by western techniques since 1900s
• Centered at the Kabul Museum
• Two famous mosques are in Herat and Mazar-e
  Sharif
• Famous for its light blue-green tile work

14
The Kite Runner

• Movie depicting the hardships and cultural
  attributes of Afghanistan
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vHW7aGiuKZaUfeature
  related