total: 17.6 years male: 17.6 years female: 17.6 years
Birth Rate:
45.82 births/1,000 population
Death Rate:
19.56 deaths/1,000 population
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001)
Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s) adjective: Afghan
Ethnic groups:
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%
Languages:
Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan conventional short form: Afghanistan local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan local short form: Afghanestan former: Republic of Afghanistan
Capital:
name: Kabul geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 11 E time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Ah! How beautiful is Kabul encircled by her arid mountains And Rose, of the trails of thorns she envies Her gusts of powdered soil, slightly sting my eyes But I love her, for knowing and loving are born of this same dust
My song exhalts her dazzling tulips And at the beauty of her trees, I blush How sparkling the water flows from Pul-I-Bastaan! May Allah protect such beauty from the evil eye of man!
Khizr chose the path to Kabul in order to reach Paradise For her mountains brought him close to the delights of heaven From the fort with sprawling walls, A Dragon of protection Each stone is there more precious than the treasure of Shayagan
Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls
Her laughter of mornings has the gaiety of flowers Her nights of darkness, the reflections of lustrous hair Her melodious nightingales, with passion sing their songs Ardent tunes, as leaves enflamed, cascading from their throats
And I, I sing in the gardens of Jahanara, of Sharbara And even the trumpets of heaven envy their green pastures
Saib-e-Tabrizi 17th Century
Information Of Kabul
Kabul, city in east central Afghanistan, capital of the country and Kabul Province. Kabul is on the Kabul River, situated at an elevation of about 1800 m (about 5900 ft) making it one of the highest capital cities in the World. The population is around 1 million people. The nation's chief economic and cultural center, it has long been of strategic importance because of its proximity to the Khyber Pass, an important pass in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Manufactures of the city include textiles, processed food, chemicals, and wood products. Tajiks are the predominant population group of Kabul, and Pashtuns are an important minority. Kabul University (founded in 1932) had been the country's most important institute of higher education prior to its closure due to war in 1992. The university was the best known in the region in the 1970 and 1980's. The university now is being partially reopened and only a few students are returning. The University needs much reconstruction in order to operate normally.
An ancient community, Kabul rose to prominence in 1504, when it was made the capital of the Moghul Empire by the conqueror Babur. Delhi replaced it as the imperial capital in 1526, but Kabul remained an important Moghul center until it was captured, in 1738, by the Persian ruler Nadir Shah. In 1747 Kabul became part of an independent Afghan state, and in the 1770s it replaced Qandahar as the capital of Afghanistan. It was a focus of British, Persian, and Russian rivalry for control of the Khyber Pass in the 19th century, when it was twice occupied (1839-1842 and 1879-1880) by British troops. The city grew as an industrial center after 1940.
Kabul was occupied by troops of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1979; the USSR withdrew from Afghanistan on Feb. 15, 1989. The city has gone through the toughest and most disastrous civil war in its history between 1992-1996. Over 50,000 people lost their lives during the Mujahideen infightings on the streets of Kabul in 1992-1996 period. The city has been under the control of the Taliban government since 1996 and ended in 2001. The Northern Alliance took over the city as the Taliban withdrew from Kabul and retreated southwards. The fate of the city is yet to be known. The role of UN and World community is important in bringing a stable government in Kabul.
Infrastructures such as roads and traffic system, telephone system, electricity, water sanitation, renovation of buildings are in shambles and the need for reconstruction is very much needed to bring back the city of Kabul to a better place for living.
Culture
The religious holidays in Afghanistan are celebrated according to the lunar calendar, and other holidays such as Independence day, and New Year's day are celebrated based on the solar calendar. During many holidays, Afghans usually visit friends and families, prepare lavish meals, and attend special prayers.
EID AL-FITR
Day: After a month of Fasting (Ramadan). Many start out the day by wearing new clothes, and going to prayer. Afterwards, people visit or entertain their friends and families. Children usually receive gifts or money called "Eidi".
EID AL-ADHA
Day: Tenth day of the twelfth month of the Islamic (Hijra) calendar. The day commemorates the Prophet Abraham's devotion to God. He was willing to slay his son Ismael as a sacrifice. Ismael was never killed, instead, Allah provided a lamb for the sacrifice. Muslims performing the Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca) sacrifice a lamb, and the meat is given out to the poor. This holiday is celebrated in the same fashion as Eid al-Fitr, people visit friends and families, gifts are exchanged, etc.
ASHURA
Day: Tenth day of the month Muharram in the Islamic calendar. This is a day of mourning. It commemorates the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussain and his followers at the battle of Kerbala.
MAWLEED AL-NABI
Day: The 12th day of the month Rabi al-Awal in the Islamic calendar. On this day, people celebrate Prophet Muhammad's birthday. They attend prayers, remember Muhammad, and entertain/visit friends and familiy.
NOWROZE
Day: March 21 This is the first day of spring (New Year's Day for the solar calendar).
JESHEN
Day: August 19 August 19 marks Afghan independence day. Even though, Afghanistan was never a British colony, the British did have control of its foreign policy due to an agreement signed by a former Afghan King. The Third Anglo-Afghan War ended this agreement.
