Afghanistan
全称：阿富汗伊斯兰共和国【The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan】
Capital: Kabul
Land area: 647,500 square kilometers
Population: 41.13 million (2023)
Official languages: Pashto, Dari
Ethnicity: Pashtun
Religion: Islam
Major cities: Herat, Kandahar, Mazar Sharif
National Anthem: "This is the Home of the Warriors"
Currency: Afghani
历史
The Kingdom of Afghanistan was founded in 1747 and was once powerful. In 1919, it gained independence from British colonial rule, and August 19 was Independence Day. In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and it was not until February 1989 that the Soviet troops withdrew. The Taliban rose in 1994 and seized Kabul in September 1996 and established power. In October 1997, the country was renamed the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" and implemented Islamic rule in Afghanistan. In 2001, the Taliban regime was overthrown by the United States. In June 2002, a transitional government was established in Afghanistan. In 2004, an interim constitution was promulgated and the country was named the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. In April 2021, the United States announced a full withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, along with US allies and NATO countries, triggering a rapid evolution of the situation in Afghanistan. On September 7, the Afghan Taliban announced the establishment of an interim government, and the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan after 20 years, thus ending the war in Afghanistan
geographical location
Afghanistan is located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north, a prominent narrow strip (Wakhan Corridor) to the northeast, Pakistan to the east and southeast, and Iran to the west
Geographical environment
Afghanistan is located in the central and western part of Asia. It is a mountainous plateau country with rugged terrain and slopes from northeast to southwest. At the northeastern end is the Pamirs. The Hindu Kush Mountains run diagonally from the northeast to the southwest, and the Nořak Peak, the boundary peak with Pakistan, is 7,485 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in the country. The northern part is a plain and foothill area, and the southern part is a desert plateau area, and between the two regions is a high mountain and deep valley area. The main rivers originate in the central mountainous area and are mostly inland rivers that feed into deserts and lakes
climate
Afghanistan has a subtropical arid and semi-arid climate. The whole year is dry and rainless, the annual temperature difference and the daily temperature difference are large, the winter is severe cold, and the minimum temperature in the north and northeast is below minus 30 °C. Summers are scorching, with highs of 49°C in the eastern city of Jalalabad. The average annual rainfall in the country is only 240 mm. The capital Kabul has a pleasant climate, with four distinct seasons, and an average annual temperature of around 13°C
economy
Afghanistan is an agricultural and pastoral country with an underdeveloped economy. It is rich in mineral deposits, including copper and iron reserves in the forefront of the world, as well as natural gas, coal, salt, chromium, emerald, etc. The industry is dominated by light industry and handicraft industry, mainly in the departments of textiles, fertilizers, cement, leather, carpets, electricity, sugar refining and agricultural product processing. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the backbone of the economy, with wheat, cotton, dried fruits and various fruits abundant. Important livestock products include fat-tailed sheep, cattle, goats, etc. Transportation is by road and air, and there is no railway. Afghanistan has trade relations with more than 60 countries and regions. The main export commodities are natural gas, carpets, dried and fresh fruits, wool, cotton, etc. The main import commodities are various foodstuffs, motor vehicles, petroleum products and textiles. The main export objects are Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, etc., and the main import countries are China, Pakistan, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Turkmenistan, India, etc
National symbol
national flag
The Afghan flag has been in use since 2013 and consists of black, red and green colors and the Afghan national emblem. Black symbolizes the dark years of the past war years, green is the color of Islam and represents the faith of the Afghan people in Islam, and red symbolizes the blood of martyrs who fought and died fighting for peace against the aggressors
national emblem
The coat of arms of Afghanistan is round. Two bundles of ears of grain tied with ribbons form a circle, with an Islamic mosque mosque in the center, the name of Afghanistan written in Arabic on the top and an Islamic quote on the bottom: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." The whole pattern is surrounded by two Arabic scimitars with crossed handles, which are golden yellow
culture
language
Pashto and Dari are the official languages, while other languages are Uzbek, Baluchi, Turkman, etc. Sunni Muslims make up 80 percent, Shia Muslims 19 percent, and others 1 percent
religion
Islam is widespread in Afghanistan, with Muslims accounting for about 99 percent, including 80 percent Sunnis and 19 percent Shia. All Islamic taboos apply to Afghanistan, such as abstinence from alcohol, abstinence from eating pork, etc. When working and living in Afghanistan, you should pay special attention to local religious beliefs and refrain from any words or actions that insult the Quran and related patterns
society
technology
Afghanistan is listed as one of the least developed countries by the United Nations, with a backward overall level of science and technology, no national scientific research institutions, and only some government departments have research centers, but the scale is small, the funds are lacking, and the level is backward. Except for the relatively developed telecommunications industry, there is basically no high technology, and it is difficult to carry out ordinary experiments such as import and export inspection and quarantine
physical education
The Afghanistan Premier League is the highest level of football league in Afghanistan. Founded in 2006, it was also the first time the country hosted a football league and the first large-scale football tournament since the Soviet invasion in 1979, and football was even declared frivolous and unorthodox during the Taliban era, and it was only after the war in Afghanistan in 2001 that football was gradually reborn in this land
The Afghan national team has never won a gold medal at an international competition. Afghanistan competed in the Olympics from 1936 to Athens in 2004 without winning a single Olympic medal. It wasn't until the 2008 Beijing Olympics that taekwondo player Nikpa won a bronze medal in the sub-58kg category, achieving a breakthrough of zero medals for Afghanistan
major cities
Kabul
The capital of Afghanistan, the country's largest city, is the political, economic and cultural center of Afghanistan. Located in the Kabul River valley in the east of the country, at an altitude of 1,800 meters. Kabul is a city with a history of more than 3,500 years. More than 2,000 years ago, Kabul was the center of trade between East and West. "Kabul" means "center of trade" in Sindh. After the unification of Afghanistan by the Durrani dynasty in 1773, Kabul became the capital of Afghanistan. The city's ancient royal palaces are resplendent with gold, the spires of mosques glisten in the sun, and the main streets are lined with streams and springs that flow down from the hills
diplomacy
Actively develop relations with the United States, Germany, Japan, the European Union, and other Western countries. Afghanistan attaches importance to developing relations with neighbouring countries and participating in regional cooperation. In 2002, China signed the Kabul Declaration on Good-Neighbourliness, the Kabul Declaration on Encouraging Closer Cooperation in Trade, Transit and Investment and the Kabul Declaration on Counter-Narcotics with six of its neighbours, including China
Afghanistan became a member of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Organization (CAREC) in October 2005, established a liaison group with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in November and became a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in the same month. In June 2012, it became an observer state of the SCO. It also takes advantage of its geographical advantages to become a regional trade and transportation hub