Afghanistan - 阿富汗

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan(Afghanistan for short; Pashto/Persian: Afğānistān, افغانستان;English: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) is a landlocked country located in south-central Asia, in the heart of Asia.

Due to internal security issues in war-torn Afghanistan, the number of foreign tourists visiting each year is extremely small. Currently most tourists are concentrated in the capitalKabulandBamyanRegion, and Herat in western Afghanistan. The extreme shortage of materials has also caused the backwardness of tourist facilities, and the cost of accommodation is particularly high.

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geography

Afghanistan is a land-locked and mountainous country in Central Asia, and the plains are distributed in the north and southwest of the country. The highest point in the country is Noshak Mountain, which is 7,485 meters (meters) (24,557 feet) above the horizontal. Most of this country is dry area, and the supply of clean fresh water is very limited. Sistan, Papua New Guinea, and the Inland Basin are one of the driest regions in the world. The climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters. This country often has small-scale earthquakes, mainly in the northeastern mountains of the Hindu Kush. With an area of ​​647,500 square kilometers (249,984 square miles), Afghanistan is the 41st largest country in the world (after Myanmar). (In comparison, Afghanistan is slightly smaller than the US state of Texas).

climate

For most of the winter, the temperature in the Central Plateau is below zero, and snowfall is extremely common in high-altitude areas. In low-altitude areas, summer temperatures are higher (e.g.JalababadorMazar-i-Sharif) The temperature can reach 50°C/120°F. In areas with higher elevations (e.g.Kabul) The temperature in summer is around 30°C/90°F, while the temperature in winter will drop to around 0°C/30°F. andKabulThe best travel seasons are April, May and September.

terrain

The terrain of Afghanistan is dominated by mountainous areas, and its plains are mainly distributed in the north and southwest. The Hindu Kush Mountains traverse the country from northeast to southwest. The highest peak in Afghanistan is located in the Wakhan Corridor, with a height of 7,485 meters, and in the southern part of Kandahar is the largest desert area in the country.

nationality

Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic country, and its people are loyal to their tribes and local groups, which also makes this country in a very complicated situation. Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, in addition to Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks and other ethnic minorities.

poison

Afghanistan is the main opium producer in the Golden Crescent. Since 1992 (except for the Taliban's ban on opium in 2001), it has surpassed Latin America and the Golden Triangle to become the world's largest opium producer. According to statistics, in 2007 92% of the non-medicinal opium in the world market came from Afghanistan. [13] Afghanistan is one of the largest opium poppy growing countries in the world. Opium poppy is cultivated in most provinces of the country, and its area is very extensive. In the seven years before the Taliban banned opium (1994-2000), about 200,000 families in Afghanistan depended on opium cultivation for income [14]. At the same time, Afghanistan is also the world's largest producer of cannabis. [15][16]

The Baluchist tribes are in a nomadic state, living in the vast area from Kuwait, Pakistan to Mashhad, Iran, including most of the western part of Afghanistan. If there is a flying carpet, believe their nomadic life. It will be more convenient.

The Hazaras living in the mountains of central Afghanistan have a more Mongolian face and are said to be descendants of the Genghis Khan cavalry.

In addition to Muslims, there are tens of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs living here. They are mainly distributed in Kabul, Jalalabad and Kandahar. They belong to Punjabi, Sindh, Kabuli and Sabwar.

There are two most important languages ​​in Afghanistan, Pashto and Dari (the Afghan dialect of Persian). Pashto speakers are mainly distributed among the Pashtuns in southern and eastern Afghanistan, while Dari The users of Tajik, Uzbek, and Turkmen are 11% of the total population. They are Turkic people from the north who live in areas close to their home country. The speakers of Pamir are located in the surrounding areas of the Pamirs.

history

In 1747, Iran’s Nadirsha was assassinated, and Ahmed Khan Abdah returned to Afghanistan by the Abu Dali forces. On the way, he was elected as the king by the Council of Tribal Chiefs and was named Ahmed Sha Durani. , This is the first independent country (also known as the Kingdom of Durani) established by the Afghans in history. During the reign of Ahmedsha Durrani, he continued to fight abroad. When he died in 1773, the Afghan territory started from Iran’s Mashhad in the west, Kashmir in the east, the Amu Darya in the north, and the Arabian Gulf in the south.

In 1819, Dost Muhammad Khan (reigned from 1826 to 1863) seized Kabul and established the Barak Chai Dynasty (or Muhammad Chai Dynasty). The first Afghan War of Resistance against Britain broke out in 1838 (see Afghan War of Resistance against Britain). After his death, his son Hill Ali Khan (reigned from 1863 to 1879) succeeded. During the reign of Hill Ali Khan, the Second Anti-British War broke out. In 1879, Yegub Khan, son of Hill Ali Khan, signed the humiliating Treaty of Gundamak with the British, agreeing to the British control of Afghanistan's foreign relations. On October 1, 1901, Abdul Rahman Khan died. On October 3, his son Habibullah succeeded Khan.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Britain and Russia signed the Anglo-Russian treaty in 1907 without notifying the Afghan government in order to alleviate the conflicts between each other due to competing for Iran and Afghanistan. Outside the sphere of influence. After the agreement was announced, it caused great indignation among the Afghan people. In view of the opposition of the people, Habibra Khan refused to recognize the agreement. After the outbreak of the First World War, Turkey and Germany sent delegations to Afghanistan in an attempt to win Afghanistan to join the Turkish and German operations. Habibullah remained neutral on the surface, but actually implemented a pro-British policy.

In 1919, Habibra Khan was assassinated and his son Amanullah succeeded Khan. When he came to the throne, he declared that Afghanistan was completely independent in terms of domestic and foreign affairs, and launched a war of independence. With the assistance of the young Afghan faction representative Mahmed Talzi and others, Amanullah Khan implemented reforms in the country. However, opposed by reactionary forces, a civil war broke out and Amanullah Khan was forced to abdicate. After that, the young Afghan faction gradually collapsed.

In 1933, Muhammad Zahirsha succeeded to the throne. Establish the National Bank of Afghanistan and pay attention to economic development. Maintain a neutral position in foreign policy. During the tenure of Prime Minister Mohamed Daoud, the Afghan economy has made great progress. During the first five-year plan period (1956-1961), the gross national economy increased by 17.9%. In January 1955, Afghanistan established diplomatic relations with China. In September 1964, a new constitution was passed, allowing political parties to be organized. In January 1965, Nur Mahmoud Taraki and Babulak Karmal established the Afghan People’s Democratic Party in Kabul, which was supported by the Soviet Union. In 1968, the party split into Taraki's "People's Faction" and Karl Mayer's "Banner Faction".

In 1973, the former Prime Minister Mohammed Daoud launched a coup with the help of the "flags" and declared Afghanistan a republic. On September 16, 1979, Hafizula Amin launched a coup d'etat and became the general secretary of the Communist Party and head of state. On December 27, the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan, Amin was shot dead, and Karmel was supported to take office as the chairman of the Revolutionary Committee. The armed resistance movement of the Afghan people has grown and expanded. In May 1985, the seven major resistance organizations in Afghanistan signed a joint declaration to "eliminate differences and confront the enemy together" and decided to establish the "Afghan Mujahideen Islamic Alliance", headquartered in Peshawar. The alliance is the main force in Afghanistan to resist Soviet aggression.

On April 14, 1988, the Geneva Agreement on the political settlement of the Afghanistan issue was signed at the headquarters of the United Nations Office in Europe in Geneva. Present at the signing ceremony were United Nations Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar, U.S. Secretary of State Schultz, Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze, and the foreign ministers of the Kabul regime in Afghanistan and the Pakistani government. The signing of the agreement ended the Soviet military occupation of Afghanistan for eight years. On May 15, Gromov, the commander of the Soviet Army, announced that the Soviet army had begun to withdraw from Afghanistan, and the withdrawal was completed in February 1989.

power supply

The official voltage in Afghanistan is 220V 50Hz, but the power supply is very unreliable. It is also difficult to reach the official voltage in some large cities. In some areas where the voltage is less than 150V, people can only use household generators to ensure daily power supply.

Relevant information

• "Afghan Landscape" Magazine (English)

• Strolling in Hindu Kush (English) A travel blog in the 1950s

• Between two places (English) A travel diary in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban on 9.11

• Kite Chaser (English) A novel by Afghan children, a childhood story about happiness and sadness.

area

city

• Kabul -The capital of Afghanistan, located in the east.
• Kandahar -Located in southern Afghanistan, it is deeply affected by Taliban activities. It is better not to go now.
• Herat -Located in the western part of Afghanistan, the same must pass to Iran, with a large number of Persianized historical relics.
• Mazari Sharif -It has a large mosque covered in blue tiles, not far from the border of Uzbekistan.
• Jalalabad -Located in eastern Afghanistan, between Kabul and Khyber Pass.
• Kunduz -An important city in northeastern Afghanistan, not far from the border of Tajikistan.
• Ghazni -Located in southeastern Afghanistan, between Kabul and Kandahar.
• Bamiyan -The resting place of Sakyamuni's relic is considered to be one of the wonders of the world. However, the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha by the Islamic Taliban regime is one of its anti-civilization crimes.
• Bagan-Located in the northeast of the country, 60 kilometers from Kunduz
• Balkh-It is a small town in Balkh Province, Afghanistan, 20 kilometers northwest of the capital Mazar-i-Sharif (مزار شرىف). The ancient city of Balkh is the oldest site in Afghanistan. It faces the mouth of the Balkh River and is about 365 meters above sea level. In ancient times, Balkh city was a city in Khorasan Province (جراسان) in eastern Persia. It was the center of Buddhism. It is said that Zoroastrian, the founder of Buddhism, died in Balkh city. The city is also the Buddhist center of Afghanistan.

Other destinations

arrival

Aviation

The Kabul International Airport (KBL IATA) in Kabul is the main entrance to the country. At the end of 2008, the old terminal, which was almost useless, was refurbished and is now used for domestic flights, while the brand new Japanese terminal is in operation and starting international flights.

The national airline, Ariana Afghan Airlines, is operating, which includes about 14 Airbus and Boeing (and Antonovs). They have daily flights from Dubai, as well as regular flights from Frankfurt, Islamabad, Delhi, Istanbul, Baku and Tehran. The flights of Ariane Afghan Airlines are particularly not on time, and the flights are often cancelled or delayed without prior notice.

A better option is the independent operator Kam Air, which has two flights a day from Dubai, two flights a week from Delhi and a weekly flight from Almaty, Istanbul and Mashhad. If you want to enter the country from there, some flights from Dubai to Kabul will stop at Herat. Safi Airlines also provides flights between Dubai and Kabul. They are the only airline in Afghanistan to obtain safety certification. Safi is the only Afghan airline that allows flights to Europe and direct flights to Frankfurt. The service is good and the aircraft is sound. The staff is very professional.

Saudi Arabian Airlines used to fly from Sharjah 4 times a week-but they have suspended operations. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flies from Islamabad 4 times a week and 1 time a week from Peshawar to Kabul. Another route may be through Tehran or Mashhad in Iran. Iran Air has regular flights from Tehran to Kabul. Air India has six flights a week from Delhi to Kabul. In 2011, Turkish Airlines also opened flights between Kabul and Istanbul

If you can contact the charter company PACTEC, there may be flights to other cities such as Mazar-e-Sharif, but seats are very limited.

railway

Private car

bus

Passenger ship

transportation

Language

go sightseeing

Activity

Shopping

cost

diet

Nightlife

stay

Learn

After the war, there was an extreme shortage of talents in Afghanistan. The illiteracy rate was as high as 65%, and only 4% of women had studied. The new Afghan government puts education a very high priority. With the strong support of the international community, education has made remarkable progress. Between 2002 and 2004, about 4.2 million school-age children returned to school, reaching a record high in the number of children enrolled in school. Girls’ right to education has been gradually restored. In 2003, the proportion of girls in school was 30%. Higher education is implemented by more than ten colleges and universities, including 6 comprehensive universities such as Kabul University, 1 agricultural research institute, 1 technical college, 1 national medical school and several normal colleges. At present, officials and scholars holding important positions in government agencies and schools are all returnees, and most of them are returnees from Europe and the United States. According to a report by the World Bank, three-quarters of Afghanistan’s 30 million people are still illiterate, and the average annual salary of a Chinese is only US$530.

Work

Safety

Medical treatment

manner

Although most women in Afghanistan still wearPolka(Islamic burqa), but in cities such as Kabul and Herat, many women choose Middle Eastern headscarves. For female tourists, it is recommended to wear any type of headscarf (especially outside of Kabul). As a local norm, when tourists head south, local people will become more conservative.

communication

The voltage in Afghanistan is 220 volts, 50 Hz, AC British three-hole and continental European round plugs are mixed. The penetration rate of mobile phones in Afghanistan is relatively high, and the tariffs are relatively cheap. Most of the mobile phones of Chinese standard can be used in Afghanistan, and most of the big cities have already opened 3G function.

• Afghanistan’s international area code: 0093, and the capital’s Kabul area code: 020.
• The way to dial a mobile phone is: 0093 mobile phone number.
• The way to dial a fixed line is: 009320 landline number (Kabul).
• Internet operators can provide wireless network cards, the network speed is not stable, and the tariffs are cheaper than domestic ones.