Afghanistan is a landlocked country sharing borders with Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and China.
Initially, the capital city of Afghanistan was Kandahar. It was later shifted to Kabul.
The people of Afghanistan are called Afghans and not Afghanis which is the currency. A common mistake that happens among people.
99% of the Afghan population are Muslims. Only one Jewish man lives in Afghanistan. His name is Zablon Simintov and he is a carpet trader.
Zablon Simintov
Afghanistan's main source of income comes from agriculture. They produce large amounts of crops that are enough to provide for the people and export as well. They plant vegetables, fruits, rice and nuts.
Afghanistan is known for growing some of the best melons, grapes, apricots, pomegranates, dried fruit and nuts in the world.
Afghanistan is also rich in natural resources with the main ones being natural gas and oil.
The country's natural resources include: coal, copper, iron ore, lithium, uranium, rare earth elements, chromite, gold, zinc, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, marble, precious and semi-precious stones
The country is rich in the vibrant blue stone, lapis lazuli, which was used to decorate the tomb of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun.
The Greeks built a Metropolis at Ai Khanoum in northern Afghanistan. Built around 400 BC it had a gymnasium, a theater, had dedications in Greek to Hercules and Herakles and had a huge statue to Zeus.
For more information on Ai Khanoum, click Ai-Khanoum
The highest mountain range of Afghanistan is Hindu Kush, which rises above 18,000 feet.
The northeastern Hindu Kush mountain range, in and around the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan, is in a geologically active area where earthquakes may occur almost every year. They can be deadly and destructive sometimes, causing landslides in some parts or avalanche during winter.
Buzkashi or Goat Grabbing is a traditional sport, mainly among the northern Afghans. It is similar to polo, played by horsemen in two teams, each trying to grab and hold a goat carcass.
Gudiparan Bazi or Kite Flying is another popular sport in Afghanistan.
Afghans take pride in making and flying their own kites. They use wire or glass in their kites to cut the kite strings of rival kite flyers.
The Afghanistan national football team has been competing in international football since 1941 and currently has a world ranking of 179. The national team plays its home games at the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul. The national team has never competed or qualified for the World Cup.
Cricket, which is a newly introduced sport in Afghanistan fuelled by the success of the Afghan national cricket team is growing in popularity. Afghanistan participated in the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier, 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One, and 2010 ICC World Twenty20 where they played India and South Africa. It won the ACC Twenty20 Cup in 2007, 2009, and 2011.
Some of the other popular sports in Afghanistan include basketball, volleyball, taekwondo, and bodybuilding.
Afghan Hounds (a type of running dog) originated in Afghanistan and was originally used in the sport of hunting.
The Minaret of Jam, in the Hari River valley, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Page on Wikipedia
The Shrine of Hazrat Ali, also known as the Blue Mosque, is a mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif,Afghanistan. It is one of the reputed burial places of Hazrat Ali, cousin and son-in law of Muhammad.
The endorheic Sistan Basin in Afghanistan is regarded as one of the driest regions in the world and an area subjected to prolonged droughts.
Mandawi Bazaar is Kabul's busiest open-air market.
Afghan rugs are very popular around the world.
Like Americans, Afghans drive on the right hand side of the road.
In Afghanistan, the meal is incomplete without ‘naan,’ which is a flat, unleavened bread.
Tea is the favorite Afghan drink and a popular meal is Palau, made from rice, sheep and goat meats, and fruit.
