Introduction+to+Afghanistan

Period 1 - Ronald, Peter, Rashel, Michele

Afganistan is made up of 35 million people. Most of the population in Afghanistan are Muslims. Pastuns dominiate the country. The official languages of Afghanistan are Pastu and Dari.. Although in Afghanistan they do not have a concrete caste system like in India, they do have a structured heierachy which dominates "inter ethnic interactions and relations."
 * Quick facts about Afghanistan:**

1.1 - **Uzbek and Turkmen**

//Interesting Facts// -->Population: Uzbek (9%) Turkmen (3%) -->groups are related -->don't hold any positions of power in Afghanistan

1.1 - **Hazaras**

//Interesting Facts// -->They reside in the central Afghanistan mountain region called 'Hazarajat' --> Hazarians make up about 9% of Afghanistan's population -->Some Hazarians also reside in Pakistan and Iran. -->Hazarians have Monogolian origins. -->It is believed that the Hazara are decendants of Genhis Khans army.

__Note__ : Genghis Khan"s army marched into the area, hazara, in the 12th Century. Many of the Mongol soldiers and their familes settled in the area even after the Mongol empire disappeared in the 13th Century.

//Word Terms//
 * Sovereignty**- Royal rank, authority, or power.; or complete independence and self government.
 * Influencer**- the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others
 * Occupier**-someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
 * Narco-State**-an area that has been taken over and is controlled and corrupted by drug cartels and where law enforcement is effectively nonexistent.

Guerilla Warfare

Central Government

Imperial Rivalries: Phrase is related to imperialism where one power country will take over power of another nation. When more than one imperial nation fights over the same country then they become rivals. They will both fight for the control and influence.
 * Warlords** - a man or group of men who use military strength to rule the streets; rise up against government
 * Fundamentalists** - are also known as religious extremists or fanatics; they believe that a country should be run by literal translations of any religious Scripture
 * Regionalism** - when every social community (such as town, village, city, borough, province, etc.) within a country has its own politcal, economic, and social culture. These regions are led by thier own leaders and not by the country's leader. Regionalism ocurs when the central government can't support the entire country
 * Economic Reconstruction** - when a country has a plummeting economy, this is used for rebuilding; not only is it for the economy it is also for the social and political infrastructure

**Ethnic Harmony**: Also goes back to the definition of the mini-states, this harmony can only be achieved once all of these ethnic groups can live together without having to compete against each other. This creates a more calm environment between all people.
 * Mini-States** : This major division of the ethnic groups within one state. According to each ethnic group every region will set the guidelines politically, socially, and economically.

National Integration Nation State

Period 2: Mathew, Andrea, Francois, Ashley, Malcolm Geography of Afganistan.

Here is a topographical map of Afganistan

Afghanistan is a landlocked and mountainouse country in the Middle East. It has many tall mountains which are rather rare for the region. It borders Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. The country's natural resources include gold, silver, and iron ore. There are also some regions in which precious stones have been found.


 * Afghan Ethnic Groups: ** Afghanistan is an incredibly diverse in ethnicities and languages. Its two main languages are Pashtu and Dari and are spoken by the majority of its citizens, though thirty other languages are also spoken there. 90% of Afghanistan’s population is Muslim. The major ethnic group in Afghanistan is the Pashtuns, who make up about 42% of the total population. The Pashtuns are mostly Sunni Muslims and they heavily involved in the Afghan government. Tajiks make up about three tenths of the nation’s population. They are generally low on the social ladder and are spread throughout the cities and countrysides of the nation. Hazaras make up 9% of Afghanistan’s population and mostly reside in Hazarajat.