Afghanistan is a country that is mysterious to many outsiders. From the harsh landscape to the traditional social norms shared by its people, Afghanistan continues to mystify the world. The country’s unique location has influenced its history and people, and that of the nations and armies that have tried to conquer it. Like all nations, Afghanistan’s geography, infrastructure, history and people contribute to the overall culture of the country.
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is located in southern Asia. It is a landlocked country. The nations that boarder Afghanistan are Pakistan to the East and South, Iran to the West, and Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the North. The country also shares a minor board with China, which measures only 76 kilometers long. It is the 41st largest country in the world, covering approximately 652,000 square kilometers. The geography varies widely within its borders. The lowest elevation is 258 meters above sea level while its tallest peak reaches 7,485 meters. The majority of the terrain is rugged mountains with a semi-arid to arid climate, with pockets of arable lowlands that comprise approximately twelve percent of the country’s landmass (cia.gov). The most significant mountain range is the Hindu Kush in the north east of the country. Temperatures vary widely between seasons and altitudes. In the Capital city of Kabul temperatures can fall well below zero Fahrenheit in the winter and average 90o F in the hottest months. Areas at lower elevations maintain an average over 100o F in the summer (“Afghanistan Profile” 6). Historically, the harsh winters and summers dictate the peak fighting seasons of spring and fall.
Agriculture is an important aspect in the lives of Afghan ci...
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The novel Prince of Afghanistan by Louis Nowra (2015) explores two Australian soldiers, Casey and Mark who are involved in a mission to rescue hostages captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, due to the unfortunate death of Casey, being killed by a Taliban rocket, his dog, Prince is left behind with no carer, other than Mark. With the brutality of war, and the race against hunger, danger and time, they both must rely on each other for survival. As the story reflects upon Australians engagement with Asia, it conveys themes of friendship, trust and the nature of courage and heroism through the character, character development and the relationship among each other.
Books, L. (2010). Battles of the War in Afghanistan by Country. Washington: LLC Books. Retrieved November 05, 2010, from books.google.co.ke/books?isbn=1158057407
Matthews, Matt M. "We Have Not Learned How to Wage War There" The Soviet Approach in Afghanistan 1979-1989 Occasional Paper 36. Lexington: Combat Studies Institute, 2011.
Interestingly enough, many different ethnic groups can be found in Afghanistan. Some are from other countries and others have only Afghan routes. Discoveries show that Hazaras are one of the lowest and Pashtuns one of the highest powers in Afghan society. People would automatically assume that there were only one or two different ethnic groups, which live in Afghanistan. However, there appears to be a great variety of different peoples living in Afghan society. All together, fourteen different ethnicities can be discovered in Afghanistan. I have found the following: Arab, Hindu-Sikh, Farsiwans, Wakhis, Sunni Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaqs, Baluchs, Nuristanis, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Hazaras, Tajik, and Pashtun people.
Certain revolutions in Afghanistan occurred between 1978 and 2001 which caused the US War with Afghanistan. The United States helped Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel by giving them military weapons and, as a result, the Soviet Union viewed this as if the United States was trying to have power over the Middle East. After the collapse of the Soviet regime in Afghanistan, Afghan socialists fought over power, which led to the creation of Taliban by Mullah Omar, a religious preacher who taught in Pakistan. During Mullah Omar’s time, Osama Bin-Laden came to Afghanistan and he ...
Witte, Griff. "Afghanistan War (2001-present)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Canada is a great country with great opportunities to succeed with not many complaints that affect our whole life but have you ever wondered what it is like to live in a place where the odds of you living are 30 years younger? or make 97 percent less money or how about you are 5 times more likely to get murdered? This is how an everyday life looks in developing countries and specifically, Afghanistan. It is interesting to see one country struggling so much where the other is not necessarily struggling at all. What is also interesting is the similarities we do have although lifestyle may totally be different. With Afghanistan’s population of 34.66 million, it makes it the 40th largest country in the world and with Its area of 652, 230 square kilometres it makes it
Travesties are committed against women every day, in every country, in every city, town and home. In Afghanistan women are not only discriminated against, they are publicly reduced to animals. Women are deprived of basic human rights: they are not allowed to travel outside their homes without being completely covered by the traditional shroud-like burqa; they are not allowed to speak or walk loudly in public; they are not allowed to laugh or speak with other women; they are not allowed to attend school nor work; they are expected to be invisible; they are the ghosts of what were once educated, notable, and successful women. With their ruthless and extreme laws, the Taliban have effectively removed the physical presence of women in Afghanistan. The Taliban have stolen the very souls of these women and have turned them into the “living dead” of Afghanistan. The Taliban’s harsh restrictions and extreme religious laws have tainted the freedoms and basic human rights of the once valued and prominent women of Afghanistan.
The Middle Eastern country of Afghanistan has been the center of a long history of heartless violence and political strife for quite sometime now. Russia’s interest in taking over the country and converting it into another member of it’s Communist entity was one very trying obstacle that Afghanistan has had...
"Soviet invasion of Afghanistan." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.
Endersby, A. (2011, February 20). Afghanistan, invasion of. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from International Debate Education Association: http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=145
Afghanistan since its beginning has been a place of conflict, despair, and at times lost hope. It has been taken advantage of and lost its sense of identity, which has had a direct effect on its people, and there own sense of what justice truly is.
Amir and Khaled Hosseini both endured many graphic and life changing historical events that changed Afghanistan from a once peaceful country to one of brutal tyranny and turmoil. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in order to expand their Communist government which was declining due to lack of support in the 1970’s (Sullivan). The USSR sent a vast army of soldiers with the intentions of instituting Communistic reforms. This led to the mistreatment of many people in Afghanistan because the Soviet Union sought to eliminate all of the civilians and destroy the country. A bombing caused by the Soviets led to the destruction of many households, villages and millions of people (Zhang). In The Kite Runner, Amir describes the changes to Afghan lifestyle after the Soviet invasion by stating:
Tse H. (n.d), A Focused and Targeted Expansion of NATO and ISAF Involvement in Afghanistan Counter narcotics Operations pdf, pp 22 [Retrieved on: 10/05/2014]
Afghanistan; Taliban controlled, discrimination and love everywhere yet nowhere at the same time. It’s a nation where culture and tradition are of immense importance, especially to the older generation. Over 53% of Afghan population is below the poverty line, making the country one of the Earth’s poorest. Life would be lived on a day to day basis, not knowing if it’s safe to be outside, when...