Barkey - Afghanistan

The nation and people of Afghanistan have adapted throughout the years to understand the culture of Afghanistan you must know the history of not only the people but the land itself. The history of Afghanistan is full of war, which has played a decisive part in developing the Afghan people. The location and landscape have a large role to play in the development of the Afghan people. With the invasion of so many different forces the country is rich in the culture of different invading forces that left behind soldiers to make a home for themselves in the country. Shiite and Sunni factions of Islam divide the country, the Shiite being the larger of the two, and from there it divides further in tribal influences that speak a multitude of languages, although there are many different tribes they will come together in times of invasion because of mutual religious beliefs. Due to the poverty level the people place their loyalty to the small tribal groups and in many cases put more importance in the good of the group than their own welfare. The current situation in Afghanistan is a developing country trying to hold on to its history and traditions that have made its people hardy and resilient.

The country of Afghanistan is strategically located between Central Asia and the Middle East. The terrain through its natural physical barriers has helped to shape the country and its people throughout history. It is mostly dry in many parts, although there are some waterways that mostly flow into neighboring countries. Areas along the Pakistan border experience some rainfall during the Indian monsoon season. When the snow melts in the spring local people will dig wells, called Kariz in Pashto, to collect the water to use throughout the year...

... middle of paper ...

...anistan.saarctourism.org/ethnic-groups.html>.

"Russian invasion of Afghanistan." Russian invasion of Afghanistan. N.p., 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 12 June 2014. .

Cahn, Dianna. "Troops fear corruption outweighs progress of Afghan forces." Stripes Blank RSS Test. Stars and Stripes, 9 Dec. 2009. Web. 12 June 2014. .

Newell, Nancy Peabody, and Richard S. Newell. The struggle for Afghanistan. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1981. Print.

Nyrop, Richard F., and D.C. Washington. Afghanistan, a country study. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: The Studies :, 1986. Print.

Tomsen, Peter. The wars of Afghanistan: messianic terrorism, tribal conflicts, and the failures of great powers. New York: PublicAffairs, 2011. Print.