1. Its People, Places, and History
Understanding the world of
The Swallows of Kabul
Afghanistan:
Its People, Places, and History

2. World Maps
Afghanistan is located on the continent of Asia

3. Regional Map
Afghanistan is bordered by Iran (west), Pakistan (south & east), and the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan (north)
Afghanistan is mostly rugged mountains and hot, dry desert.
Temperatures range from as hot as 120° F in summer and as cold as -15° F in winter
Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, and Mazar-e Sharif are its largest cities.
The country is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

4. Important Facts and Data
Capital: Kabul
Area: 251,000 square miles (slightly smaller than Texas)
Population: 33 million (2015 est.)
80% Sunni Muslim
19% Shia Muslim
Official Religion: Islam
Official languages: Pashto & Dari (+ numerous dialects)
Government: Unitary Presidential Islamic Republic
Head of Government: President
Primary Industry: Over 80% employed in agriculture (farming sheep or goat-herding)
Established: First recognized as an independent nation in 1919.
Average Yearly Earnings: $600 - $2,000 (2016 est.)
War: Afghanistan has been involved in, or affected by, war for almost the past 50 years, including 2 civil wars
Invasions: Afghanistan was invaded by the Soviet Union in 1979, and again by the United States in 2001.

5. Ethnic Groups (Tribes)

6. Terrain and Physical Features

7. The People Some of the poorest in the world
Members of many different ethnic groups (tribes)
Life is difficult for most Afghans, especially women and children
Faced drought, famine, and war for many years

9. Political History
1979 – the Soviet Union invades and eventually takes control of Afghanistan.
– Soviet/Afghan War
1989 – Soviet Union signs peace agreement with Afghanistan, ending the war. Soviet army retreats.
– Afghan Civil War
1995 – the Taliban comes into power, promising traditional Islamic values based on strict interpretation of Islamic law (Sharia)
2001 – U.S. troops invade and force Taliban from power
2004 – Hamid Karzai becomes first elected President of Afghanistan (with serious assistance from the U.S.).

10. Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

11. Resistance in the Countryside
Mujahideen (resistance fighters), saw Christian or atheist Soviets as defilement of Islam
Proclaimed a jihad (holy war) - gained support of the Islamic world
Used guerrilla tactics with weapons they took from Soviets soldiers or that were provided by the U.S.
They were not formally trained Afghan army.

12. The Rise of the Taliban
The Taliban (literally "the Seekers“) were graduates of Pakistani religious schools
Taliban promised to bring peace and enforce Sharia (Islamic law)
Captured one Afghan province/region at a time, starting in 1994
By 1998, controlled 90% of Afghanistan
Taliban Leader
Mullah Mohammad Omar
(died 2013).
Provided refuge to Osama bin Laden following September 11 terrorist attacks

13. Killed in 2011 by U.S. military forces

14. WHY ATTACK AMERICA?
American foreign policy towards, and American actions in, the Muslim world (American allies also considered targets)
U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia, home to Mecca and Medina, the two most holy sites in the Islamic world
U.S. support for Israel in its ongoing occupation of Arab land (Palestine)
US. support for corrupt and repressive governments in the Muslim world (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Pakistan).
Post-9/11, the U.S. has continued to anger the Muslim world by invading and occupying Afghanistan and Iraq.