By: Dillon Durst & Greg Teufel Global Studies

The Land Located in South Asia There are, however, within the mountain ranges and on their edges, many fertile valleys and plains. In the south, and particularly in the southwest, are great stretches of desert, including the regions of Seistan and Registan. The rivers are mostly unnavigable; the longest is the Helmand, which flows generally southwest from the Hindu Kush to the Iranian border The great mass of the country is steep-sloped with mountains, the ranges fanning out from the towering Hindu Kush (reaching a height of more than 24,000 ft/7,315 m) across the center of the country.

Climate/Vegetation

Climate/Vegetation cont. Has a continental climate in which the summers are warm and the winters are cold Temperatures vary daily according to the season and depending on altitude Annual average precipitation of 300mm

Government Full name is Islamic Republic of Afghanistan President is Hamid Karzai Parliament Life Expectancy: 44 years (men) 44 years (women) Population: 27.1 million (as of 2007)

History First to populate area were the nomadic tribes in 1500 B.C. (later conquered by Buddhists) Origin of nation created by Ahmad Shah Durrani who obtained union of all tribes in 1747

UK Soldier Killed In Afghanistan The serviceman, from 1st Battalion The Rifles, died of wounds received while on a foot patrol south of Lashkar Gah in the country's Helmand province.

Economy The unit of money in Afghanistan is the Afghani The fiscal year is from 21 March—20 March. Export Partners: US, France, India, Pakistan Import Partners: Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Turkmenistan, Kenya, US, Russia Labor force: 15 million (2004 est.) Unemployment rate: 40% (2005 est.) Population below poverty line: 53% (2003) Industries: small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; hand-woven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper Agriculture - products: opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins Literacy Rate: Total Population: 28.1%

Culture The Afghan culture is primarily influenced by Islam, but also by Hinduism Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. This is due to the fact that Afghanistan has been the crossroads for India, Iran and central Asia. Afghans have an interesting form of dressing as the men typically wear a Pakol hat, Lungee turban and Chapan coat. Women wear dresses and cloth that covers their face, although with the fall of the Taliban regime, many men and women have changed the way they dress. Religious holidays are celebrated according to the moon calendar and the rest of the holidays during the sun calendar (Independence Day and New Year). On these special days, Afghans visit with family and friends, prepare rich dinners and pray together.

Places To Visit

Works Cited Google Wikipedia Afghanistan Online