Afghanistan+Today



The Economy The unit of money in Afghanistan is the Afghani (AFA), divided into 100 puls. (5)

 Afghanistan's economy has recovered greatly since the fall of the Taleban in 2001 (7)
 * [[image:http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39835000/gif/_39835961_afghanistan_opium2_map416.gif align="right"]]infusion of multi-billion dollars in international assistance
 * investments
 * remittances from Afghan expats

 However the country still remains one of the world's poorest (World Bank) (6)

 Nearly 7% of the Afghan population now works in the opium trade (7)
 * earning as much as Afghanistan receives in foreign aid
 * seeking $300m in donations
 * reducing opium production by 70%
 * within four years and cracking down on money laundering.

 The nation's (5)
 * Gross domestic product stands at about $27 billion
 * Exchange rate of $15 billion
 * GDP per capita is about $900

 About 35% of its population is (7)
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Unemployed
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Living below the Poverty Threshold
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Suffering from shortages of housing
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Clean drinking water
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">electricity

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> The Karzai administration along with international donors by prioritizing (7)
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">infrastructure development
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">education
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">housing development
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">jobs programs
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">medical care
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">economic reform

** Positive ** (5) The main source of income:
 * agriculture
 * produces enough food and food products

The major food crops produced are:
 * corn
 * rice
 * barley
 * wheat
 * vegetables
 * fruits
 * nuts

In Afghanistan, industry is also based on agriculture, and pastoral raw materials. The major industrial crops are:
 * cotton
 * tobacco
 * madder
 * castor beans
 * sugar beets

<span style="border-left: 3px solid; font-size: 120%; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #9d1515; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">Social Conditions ** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Sunni Muslims 80% (11) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Shia Muslims 19% (11) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Other (including Hindus)1% (11) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Small groups of Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, and Jews are scattered in towns. (11)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day - at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. (10)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-Friday is the Muslim holy day. Most shops and offices will be closed. Government offices and businesses may also close on Thursday, making the weekend Thursday and Friday. (10)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-Pashtu and Dari (Afghan Persian/Farsi) are the official languages of Afghanistan. (7)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-The family is the single most important unit in the Afghan culture. (9)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-Women are generally responsible for household duties, where as men will be the bread winners. In the cities professional women do exist. (9) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-Families commonly arrange marriages for their children. Factors such as tribe, status, network, and wealth are the major factors forming any choice. (9)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-During the holy month of Ramadan all Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk and are only permitted to work six hours per day. Fasting includes no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing. (9)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-Foreigners are not required to fast; however, they must not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum in public. (9)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-Men are in total control over women.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-Border police officials in Herat estimate that up to 200 men, women and children are smuggled daily to Iran from the three Western border provinces Herat, Nimroz <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">and Farah alone. (7)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">-US has 90,000 troops in Afghanistan. (7)

<span style="border-left: 3px solid; color: #9d1515; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">Political Overview of Post-Taliban <span style="color: #9d1515; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">Afghanistan (13)

- After the Taliban falls- prompting political restructure, Afganistan holds its first election under a new democratic political system.

- Other countries making up an international support team for Afghanistan have promised over $100 billion to help them restructure.

- Currently, Afghan priorities include strengthening homeland security forces to protect themselves and uphold a strong political/government system on which a more stable Afghan society can function.


 * Basic Facts:**

- President: Hamid Karzai

- First Vice President: Mohammad Qasim Fahim

- Second Vice President: Abdul Karim Khalili

** Discussion Questions: **
 * 1) After reading Kite Runner and being informed about Afghanistan Today, do you think the counrty would rise?
 * 2) If you had to live in Afghanistan in the novel and Afghanistan Today, how would you feel and what do you think would happen?
 * 3) Women in Afghanistan are still "invisible"; in the novel Hassan did not stand up for his wife. Women would you want you husband to stand up for you? Men would you stand up for your wife?

12) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Afgahnistan. (2012, March 14). //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">The World Fact Book //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from https://www.cia.gov

6) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Afghan Activists Want US Out, No Deal with Taliban. (2012, March 15). //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 29, 2012, from http://www.rawa.org

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">9) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Afghanistan - Language, Culture, Customs and Business Etiquette. (n.d.). //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Kwintessential //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/afghanistan.html

7) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Ahmadi, M. (2011, December 19). Lure of a Better Life. //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Afghanistan Today //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 29, 2012, from http://www.afghanistan-today.org/article/?id=193

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">11) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Afghanistan Religion and Beliefs. (n.d.). //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Welcome to Afghanistan Culture! //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from http://www.afghanistan-culture.com/

13) Bureau <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">of South and Central Asian Affairs. (2011, November 28). Background Note: Afghanistan. //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">U.S. Department of State //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5380

<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">1) Calculating the Price of a Civilian life in Afghanistan . (2012, March 14). //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">CBS News World //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from http://www.cbsnews.com

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">4) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Institute for Security Studies. (2011, March 30). Afghanistan: Situation Assessment, March 2011 INSS Insight No, 248. //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 19px;">ReliefWeb //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from reliefweb.int/ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">5) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Life in Afghanistan. (n.d.). //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 19px;">BBC News //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from http://news.bbc.co.uk <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">2) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">On the Present Situation in Afghanistan. (1987, May 6). //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Cold War International History Project //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from legacy.wilsoncenter.org/

3) <span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Povey, E. R. (n.d.). The Reality of Life in Afghanistan Since the Fall of the Taliban. //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">State of Nature - An Online Journal of Radical Ideas //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 29, 2012, from http://www.stateofnature.org/lifeAfgha

<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">8) Religion. (n.d.). //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Afgahnistan's Web Site //<span style="background-color: #efefef; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from http://www.afghanistans.com/