Officially known as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, AFGHANISTAN is a country infamously torn by internal unrest and ravaged by a recent long war. While the War in Afghanistan officially lasted from 2001 to 2014, Afghanistan still experiences terrorist attacks and events of civil strife — but surely hope lives on throughout the nation. The countries that border Afghanistan are China to the northeast (through the Wakhan Corridor), Iran to the west, Pakistan to the southeast, Tajikistan to the northeast, Turkmenistan to the north, and Uzbekistan to the north. The currency is the Afghani, subdivided into 100 pul — although as of 2018 and decades before, there are no pul coins or banknotes. The Afghani currency's ISO 4217 code is AFN.● ● ● ● ● People and Places ● ● ● ● ● According to Encyclopædia Britannica, Afghanistan's population in the year 2020 is about 32,741,000 and is ranked 42nd among populations of the whole world’s countries, dependencies, and territories. Afghanistan's capital is Kabul (Kābul), home to over 4.2 million residents (2018 population estimate) in east-central Afghanistan. Other cities and communities throughout Afghanistan include Baghlan, Balkh, Farah, Feyzabad, Ghazni ("Jewel"), Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Khost, Konduz (Kunduz), Mazar-e Sharif ("Noble Shrine"), Meymaneh, and Sheberghan.
Dari (Afghan Persian) and Pashto are the official and most widely spoken languages of Afghanistan. According to Ethnologue, at least 41 languages are used for communication in Afghanistan. Other languages beside Dari and Pashto include Aimaq, Balochi, Brahui, Hazaragi, Kati, Munji, Pashai, Shughni, Turkmen, and Uzbek. Several languages are "nearly extinct" or threatened: Gawar-Bati (32,000 people), Gujari (15,000), Ishkashimi (2,500), Ormuri (only about 50), Tajiki-spoken Arabic (less than 5,000), and Tirahi (only about 100 or less). Bilingualism is relatively common.
As of 2017, the literacy rate is still one of the lowest in the world at 32%. Ethnic groups include Pashtun (largest), Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimak, Turkmen, and Baloch. Sunni Islam is the main religion, with about 80% of Afghans adhering to its tenets. Shīʿite (Shīʿa) Muslims comprise about 20% of the population. Alternative religions comprising only about 1% of the population include Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Bahá'í, Christianity, and Sikhism.
● ● ● ● ● Land Features ● ● ● ● ● This section of additional info will come soon.
This post was updated with more information on August 10th, 2018.
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