Afghanistan :: essays research papers

Afghanistan BACKGROUNDAfghanistan was subdued and occupied by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (U.S.S.R. i.e. Russia) in 1979. Subsequently in ten years, anti-communist forces provided and teach by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan assisted in the removal of the Soviet power. As the fighting resumed, a fundamentalist Islamic movement referred to as the Taliban managed to seize most of the realm. Under their ascendancy, the country of Afghanistan became extremely improvished and suffered from a travel governmental infrastructure.GEOGRAPHYAfghanistan is situated in southern Asia, northwest of Pakistan eastbound of Iran. It possesses a total land area of 647,500 sq. km. In its comparative degree aspect, Afghanistan is slightly smaller than Texas. Bordering countries such as China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan surrounds it. The land is less than 12% arable. 46% of the land consists of permanent pastures and 3% are occupied with forests a nd woodlands. largely rugged mountains and plains in the north and southwest portion of the country collect up its terrain. Afghanistan is susceptible to natural hazards such as disconfirming earthquakes, floods, and droughts. This country has a seasonal climate of arid and semiarid air. They escort cold winters and hot summers. Current environmental issues involve soil degradation, overgrazing, deforestation ( a good deal of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and build materials), and desertification. This country has established international environment agreements to deter marine chuck out and nuclear testing, in addition to the implementation of environmental modification and economy of its endangered species.PEOPLEAfghanistan possess a state of 26,818,057 (July 2001 est.) This calculate consists of 42% under the age of 14, 55% classified between the ages of 15 and 64, and 3% over the age of 65. As of 2001, this country has seen a population growth rate of 3.5%, but this rate exhibits the continuous return of refugees from Iran. The spirit expectancy of the Afghan people is about 46 years of existence. Afghanistan occupies a multitude of ethnic cultures and groups such as Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek. Most people of this country adopt the religion of Islam with 84% practicing as Sunni Muslims and 15% as Shia Muslims. The languages of this country are in a variation of Pashtu, Afghan Persian, Turkic, and much of them in bilingualism. Illiteracy is the prevalent impediment among the Afghan people with exclusively 31% of the population capable of reading and writing.