Afghanistan

B

Political Divisions

For administrative purposes, Afghanistan is divided into 31 provinces: Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghaznī, Ghor, Helmand, Herāt, Jouzjan, Kabul, Kandahār, Kapisa, Kunar, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nuristan, Paktika, Parwan, Patya, Qondūz, Samangan, Sar-i-Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, and Zabul.

C

Principal Cities

The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul, with a population of 2,956,000 (2003 estimate); from its eastern location, Kabul commands vital routes through the mountain passes. Other major cities are the trading centres of Kandahār, population 225,500 (1988 estimate), and Herāt, 177,300 (1988 estimate), known for its many ancient mosques, palaces, and other architectural relics.

D

Religion

More than 99 per cent of the people of Afghanistan are Muslims, mainly of the Sunni sect. Most of the remainder, notably the Hazara, belong to the Shiite sect. Small colonies of Jews, Hindus, and Parsis are scattered in the towns. Mazār-e Sharīf is the leading place of pilgrimage.

E

Language

The official languages of Afghanistan are Southern Pashto, an Indo-Iranian Language, and Eastern Farsi, a Persian language. Pashto is written in Perso-Arabic script, and Farsi in Arabic script. Over 40 other languages are used in Afghanistan, mostly Indo-Iranian languages such as Hazaragi, Aimaq, Pashayi, and Western Baluchi. A few Turkic languages from the Altaic family are also spoken, namely Southern Uzbek and Turkmen. Tajiki Spoken Arabic, a Semitic language, is a mother tongue for a minority, as is Brahui, a Dravidian language. Non-indigenous languages including Parsi-Dari and Western Punjabi are also heard.

F

Education

Although, in theory, elementary schooling is free and compulsory for children aged 7 to 15, only about 25 per cent of the people aged 15 or more years are literate. In 2005 primary schools were attended by 4,318,819 pupils and secondary schools had an annual enrolment of 651,453 students. Institutions of higher education had an enrolment of some 10,000 students. Education, like most other aspects of life in Afghanistan, has been badly disrupted by the continuing violence in the country. The Taliban government forbade the organized education of women and girls; and in the late 1990s UNICEF estimated that only 5 per cent of primary-age children received a broad education. The University of Kabul (1932) is the country’s main institute of higher education, but it was largely destroyed in the 1990s and closed its doors in 2001 because of the war threat. Women, once banned from the University by the Taliban, are now returning alongside male students. The smaller Bayazid Roshan University of Nangarhar (1962) is in Jalālābād. In addition, there is Balkh University (1988) in Balkh; Herât University (1987) in Herât; Kabul State Medical Institute (1932) in Kabul; and Kandahâr University (1988) in Kandahâr.