Government

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Government
Quick Facts

• Type Islamic Republic
• Capital Kabul
• Independence
• 19 August 1919

• Suffrage 18 Years of Age
• 34 Provinces (see right)?
• Constitution dated
• 16 January 2004

• Until 2004, Afghanistan had no stable form
• of rule due to the presence of tyrannical
• warlords, foreign colonization, or other
• oppressive nations controlling it. A US led
• invasion in late 2001 led to the removal of
• the Taliban institution and later to the
• creation of an official and structured
• government and constitution. Courtesy of
• American intervention and monitoring, the
• new constitution constructed three
• branches A legislative, executive, and
• judicial yet it still contains many figurehead
• elements and other variances pertaining to
• Islamic Law

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Politics

• Historically, Politics in Afghanistan has been
  marked by power struggles, bloody coups, and
  highly unstable transfers of power. In the past
  100 years it has been rules by almost every major
  system of government, including a monarchy,
  republic, theocracy, communist state, and now an
  Islamic Republic created by the United States.
  Currently, Afghanistan withholds a President,
  Hamid Karzai, elected in 2004, and a diversified
  Parliament containing former Mujahadeen and
  Taliban members, communists, reformists, Islamic
  fundamentalists, and 28 women.

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Economy
Quick Facts

• Population Below Poverty Line 53
• Inflation Rate
• 16.3
• Current Budget
• 260 Million in Revenues
• 561 Million in Expenditures
• Currency Afghani
• Imports - 3.87 Bil.
• Exports - 471 Mil.
• Bilateral Debt
• 8 Billion

• GDP 8.8 Mil
• GDP Growth Rate
• 8
• Labor Force
• 15 Milion
• Unemployment
• 40
• Electricity Production
• 754.2 Million KWh
• Electricity Consumption
• 801.4 Million KWh

Agricultural Products Opium, wheat, fruit, nuts,
wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins Industries
Small scale production of textiles, soap,
fertilizer, furniture, shoes, cement hand-woven
carpets natural gas, copper, coal Exports
Opium, fruits, nuts, hand-woven carpets, wool,
cotton, hides and pelts, precious and
semiprecious gems Imports Capital goods, food,
textiles, petroleum products
Afghanistans economy has only since been
recuperating. Ravaged by civil war, anarchy,
corruption, and a flourishing illegal opium
trade, recently made efforts to establish a
marketable economy have been unsuccessful.
Economic growth faces other problems Afghanistan
is exceptionally poor, highly dependent on
foreign agriculture, aid, and trade from foreign
nations and is landlocked. Insufficient jobs,
healthcare, clean water, and electricity plague
any further development. The US monitored regime
in Kabul often contemplates the future of the
Afghan economy.
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History

• Afghanistan has been a centralized crossroads of
  culture and often a thoroughfare for warring
  empires throughout time. Located relatively near
  to one of the birthplaces of civilization,
  Afghanistan has seen much change, development,
  and intervention over the course of its History.
  Note that in the Middle Ages until the 19th
  century, Afghanistan was known as Khorasan.
• Islamic Conquest
• Perhaps the largest presence of a single idea in
  Afghanistan was the spread of Islam. The Majority
  of the conquerors within Afghanistan were Muslim
  and thus increased its influence across the land.
  Empires from the time of the Samanids to the
  Timurids in the first two centuries are
  considered to be the most brilliant eras of
  Afghanistan's history. Under leaders such as
  Babur and the Mughal Empire, Muslim culture was
  further solidified and Kabul made the capital.

• Hotaki Dynasty and Durrani Empire
• Under the Hotaki Dynasty, Afghanistan removed
  foreign invaders from power, repelled a Persian
  invasion and later overtook the Persian capital
  in present day Iran while massacring civilians in
  Ishafan. After various inner power struggles,
  Ahmad Shah united the Afghan people to fight and
  control all of present day Afghanistan.

Amir Abdur Rahman Khan
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History
US War in Afghanistan The Taliban fell in 2001
with the US and Allied invasion of Afghanistan,
which is still ongoing. The US has helped to
reorganize the ravaged country by implementing an
entirely new Islamic Republic and a stronger
economy.
European Presence, Soviet Invasion, Civil War

• During the Nineteenth Century, Great Britain
  fought a series of three wars, known as the
  Anglo-Afghan wars, creating a sporadic influence
  in Afghanistan. It was not until 1919 that
  complete independence was achieved.
• International miscommunication and treaty
  violations sparked an invasion by the USSR in the
  last days of 1979. Over 200,000 Soviet troops
  poured into Afghanistan, exiling 5 million
  civilians and killing at least 600,000.
  Eventually, the US supplied Mujahideen rebels and
  mounting international pressure force the Soviets
  to withdraw in 1989.
• The destruction of the nation's economy,
  leadership, and infrastructure by the Soviet
  Invasion created anarchy, civil war, and
  spontaneous power struggles for over a decade.
  Finally, in 1996, the Taliban regime formed and
  stabilized the country. Though, the Taliban ruled
  oppressively, eradicating civil rights, personal
  and economic freedom, and even almost the entire
  opium trade.

Video The Taliban in Afghanistan http//www.xaff
inity.com/godspeed/Videos/WHEN_THE_TALIBAN_RULED_A
FGHANISTAN_asf.asf
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Geography
Quick Stats

• Area - 250,000 mi²
• Approx the size of TX
• Lowest Point 856 ft
• Highest Point 24 577 ft
• 12.1 of land is arable

• 3 436 miles of borders
• Borders Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan,
  Uzbekistan, China, Pakistan

Climate Arid to Semiarid cold winters hot
summers Terrain Mostly rugged mountains plains
in N and SW Natural Hazards Earthquakes in Hindu
Kush Mts., Flooding and Droughts Natural
Resources Natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper,
chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron
ore, salt, precious and semiprecious
stones Environmental Issues Limited freshwater,
soil degradation, overgrazing, deforestation,
desertification, and air and water pollution -
Afganistan is a Landlocked country -
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Military

• Known as the Afghan National Army (ANA)?
• Includes the Afghan Air Force
• Military Service age and obligation
• 22 Years of Age
• Contracted to Four Year term
• Manpower fit for military service
• Males Age 22-49
• 2 662 946
• Females Age 22-49
• 2 508 574
• Military expenditures
• 1.9 of GDP

• Much like the Economy and Government, the Afghan
  Military has undergone many sudden changes since
  US intervention. Formerly bands of rebels,
  militias, and tribes, the Afghan Army is now
  fully organized and regulated as the Afghan
  National Army. Within the same military sector,
  over 60,000 Police officers have been trained to
  help combat insurgency, crime, and anarchy.

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Demographics
Quick Facts

• Age Structure
• 0 14 Years
• 44.6
• 15-64 Years
• 53
• 65 Years
• 2.4
• Infant Mortality
• 157.43/1000
• Fertility Rate
• 6.64/Woman

• Population
• 31 889 923
• P Growth Rate
• 2.625
• Birth Rate
• 46.21/1000
• Death Rate
• 19.96/1000
• Life Expectancy
• 43.77 Years
• Literacy
• 28.1

Afghani Children
Ethnicities Pashtun 42, Tajik 27, Hazara 9,
Uzbek 9, Aimak 4, Turkmen 3, Baloch
2 Languages Afghan Persian 50, Pashto 35,
Turkic languages 11, 30 Minor languages 4 Major
Infectious Diseases Degree of Risk
High Hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever, Malaria, Rabies
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Culture

• Afghans display pride in their religion, country,
  ancestry, and above all, their independence. Like
  other highlanders, Afghans are regarded with
  mingled apprehension and condescension, for their
  high regard for personal honor, for their clan
  loyalty and for their readiness to carry and use
  arms to settle disputes. As clan warfare and
  internecine feuding has been one of their chief
  occupations since time immemorial, this
  individualistic trait has made it difficult for
  foreign invaders to hold the region.
• Buzkashi is a national sport in Afghanistan. It
  is similar to polo and played by horsemen in two
  teams, each trying to grab and hold off a goat
  carcass. Afghan hounds (a type of running dog)
  also originated from Afghanistan.
• Although literacy levels are very low, classic
  Persian poetry plays a very important role in the
  Afghan culture. Poetry has always been one of the
  major educational pillars in Iran and
  Afghanistan, to the level that it has integrated
  itself into culture. Persian culture has, and
  continues to, exert a great influence over Afghan
  culture. Private poetry competition events known
  as mushaera are quite common even among
  ordinary people. Almost every home owns one or
  more poetry collection of some sort, even if it
  is not read often.

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Foreign Relations

• Despite past conflicts with nations like Russia
  and
• Iran, Afghanistan's largest influence comes from
• the United States. With the Afghan government
• practically in their control, the US has piloted
  most
• of Afghanistan's relations with neighboring
• countries, like Pakistan, to fight against
  Terrorism
• and Islamic Extremists. The US military has
• become practically a part of everyday life for
  some
• Afghan citizens, and America's leaders consult
  the
• Afghan government often in handling
• communication with other countries.

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Bibliography
1. "Afghanistan." Wikipedia. 09 December 2007.
Wikipedia. 12 Dec 2007 lthttp//en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/AfghanistanCommunications_and_technologygt.
2. "Afghanistan." CIA World Factbook. 06 December
2007. CIA. 12 Dec 2007 lthttps//www.cia.gov/libr
ary/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.htmlgt.