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Culture
Fine Arts:
Afghan cultural life is characterized by traditional arts and pastimes. Gold and
silver jewellery, the famous Afghan carpets, and various leather goods continue
to be made at home. The ancient art of storytelling continues to flourish in
Afghanistan, largely as a result of widespread illiteracy. The Afghanistan
Historical Society and the Pashto Academy, however, publish literary magazines
and encourage new writers.
Music:
Music is represented mostly by traditional folk songs, ballads, and dances. The
attan is the national dance. It is performed in a large circle, with the dancers
clapping their hands and quickening the movements of their feet to the beat of
the music.
Libraries and Museums:
The few major libraries are located in Kabul. The Kabul
Museum, the largest in the country, is best known for its collection of early
Buddhist relics.
Afghan Sport of Buzkashi:
Afghanistan’s national sport is buzkashi, in which two teams of horsemen, or
chapandoz, compete to see who can carry the boz, the headless carcass of a calf,
from a circle to a spot a moderate distance away, then return it to the circle.
The player in possession of the calf will suffer all manner of abuse to make him
drop it—sometimes even from his own team-mates, who may want the game prolonged.
It is a highly demanding and sometimes dangerous game that requires superb
horsemanship. Afghans also enjoy soccer, volleyball, and wrestling. Television
and radio play a limited role in people’s lives. Most leisure activities occur
in the evening and centre around the family. Oral traditions such as
storytelling and singing flourish, and music, played on drums, lutes, and a
clarinet-like instrument called a surnai, has traditionally been very popular.
At the moment, however, recreational activity is in a state of flux. The Taliban
has restricted many forms of recreation. A variety of sports have been banned,
as have kite flying and playing music in public. Television was banned but the
Taliban promised in February 1997 that the ban would be lifted.
Holidays and Celebrations:
The secular holidays of Afghanistan include Victory of the Muslim Nation (28
April), Remembrance Day (4 May), and Independence Day (Jashn; 18 August). Jashn,
which celebrates liberation from British control in 1919, lasts for a week.
Festivities include parades, music and dancing, games, and speeches by leaders.
In the past there have been special ceremonies in Kabul, and the Jashn holiday
was often an occasion for leaders to announce major policy decisions.
Islamic holidays, which are more important, are scheduled according to the lunar
calendar, and thus vary from year to year. Ramadan is a month-long fast. From
sunrise to sundown, people do not eat, drink, or smoke. In the evening, after
the sun has set, families and friends gather to eat. The first day of Ramadan is
a holiday, and at the end of Ramadan a three-day feast called 'Aid-e-fitr takes
place.
Nauroz, the Islamic New Year, begins on the first day of spring (around 21
March). In Afghanistan it is also Farmers’ Day, when farmers decorate their cows
in preparation for agricultural fairs at which they may win prizes. One
traditional belief is that Ajuzak, an ugly old woman, wanders around the land at
this time. If it rains (when the crops will benefit), it is said that she is
washing her hair.
Buzkashi is played at this time, with hundreds of horsemen on each team vying
for the boz. Special foods eaten in honour of the New Year include samanak, a
dessert made of wheat and sugar, and haftmewah, a compote of nuts and fruit.
Other Islamic holidays include 'Aid-e-ada, honouring Abraham for his willingness
to sacrifice his son at Allah’s command; Ashura, a Shiite day to mark the
martyrdom of Imam Husayn; and Roze-Maulud, the birthday of the prophet Muhammad.
Economy:
Gross domestic product per capita
Agriculture employs more than half of the workforce, producing food that is
mostly for domestic consumption. Much of the industry is state-controlled. Coal,
salt, copper, lapis lazuli, baryte, and talc are all mined. Exports include
natural gas, textiles, carpets, fruits, and nuts. The country’s major trading
partner was the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Since the
withdrawal of Soviet aid, the economy has disintegrated and the economic
infrastructure is in disrepair. Continuing violence has deterred investors and
new foreign aid donors. As a result, there has been an increase in the illegal
trade in hashish and heroin, but a large proportion of the money gained from
selling drugs has been used to buy arms. Illicit cross-border trade with
Pakistan and arms smuggling also contribute to the economy. Nevertheless, more
than half of the population lives in poverty. The currency is the afghani.
Commerce:
Hours of business follow the Islamic week, Friday being a holiday. During
Ramadan, business hours tend to be somewhat restricted. In urban areas, bazaars
(markets) are divided into many small shops that are grouped according to type
of goods. Prices may be fixed, but large purchases involve extensive bargaining,
preceded and accompanied by tea. In rural areas, goods are often sold at small
stalls or by individual traders.
Transport and Communication:
Radios (per 1,000 people)
Televisions (per 1,000 people)
Telephones (per 100 people)
Afghanistan’s one major road, the Ring Road, creates a large “U” as it runs
south from Herھt to Kandahar, northeast to Kabul, and then north through the
Salang Tunnel to Kondoz and on to Mazar-i-Sharجf. Paved roads run from these
major cities to the nearest border towns, such as from Kabul through Jalalabad
to the Khyber Pass on the Pakistani border. These roads have, however, been
substantially damaged in the fighting, and travel on them is difficult. Off-road
travel is dangerous because of landmines. Owing to the mountainous nature of the
country, many rural areas are essentially inaccessible to vehicles, so people
walk, ride animals, or use horse-drawn carts. In cities and over major transit
routes, buses and minibuses are used; few people own private cars. There are no
railways, but a national airline offers limited service.
The government runs one television station, but broadcasts have been disrupted
by the fighting, and television sets are not widely available. Radio ownership
is more widespread; most men listen regularly to news broadcasts of the British
Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) World Service. Telephone services are limited.
There is a countrywide postal service.
Education:
Literacy rate
Primary school enrollment (% of relevant age)
Literacy rate, female
Although some schools in urban areas operated during the war, education has been
severely disrupted in Afghanistan. The literacy rate is very low: at 32 per cent
(1995 estimate); for women the rate is only 15 per cent (1995 estimate). Many
scholars and teachers fled or were killed during the war, and the curriculum was
changed in the 1980s to reflect Communist ideology. Students also fled, were
killed, or were themselves engaged in the war. Many were and still are needed as
labourers at home. The Communist curriculum has been replaced, but enrolment
levels and limited funding remain serious problems.
Health and Welfare
Infant mortality rate:
Life expectancy at birth
Water, access to safe
Medical services are extremely limited. In 1989 there was only one doctor for
every 6,690 people. Hospitals are found in some cities only, and these are not
well equipped; most facilities are provided by international aid organizations.
Rural areas completely lack modern medical care. Accordingly, the infant
mortality rate is estimated at 172 deaths per 1,000 live births (1990), and
average life expectancy was 44 years (1995 estimate). Water is not safe, and
many diseases affect the population.
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