Geography
Afghanistan is a southwestern Asian country that joins the southern and central parts of the continent, and links the Middle East to the Far East. Its surface area covers 251,825 square miles (647,500 square kilometers). Afghanistan is a landlocked country with a geography comprised of mountainous regions, arid deserts, lush valleys, and “rolling” plains (Cultural Profile Project, 2001). Surrounded by six countries (Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and China), Afghanistan is part of three major regions of the world: the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia (CIA, 2009). Kabul, which is the largest city in Afghanistan and stands as its capital, is located in the east-central section of the country at an altitude of approximately 5,900 feet (l,800 meters). The country’s population was estimated at about 32 million people in 2007 (Warsaw Embassy of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2009).
Land of history
From its earliest history, Afghanistan has played a major role in proliferating civilization. It is considered one of the greatest crossroads of cultural diffusion from the prehistoric era well into the Renaissance period (Cultural Profile Project, 2001). It lies along the “Silk Route”, an ancient route stretching over five thousand miles, historically providing a path of transport for an assortment of luxurious trade items such as silk, gold, ivory, and exotic animals (CIA, 2009; Warsaw Embassy of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan website, 2009).
Substantial archeological evidence shows the presence of earlier hunting and gathering settlements in the northern Hindu Kush range caves, dating as far back as 50,000 years. These migration movements were said to have continued towards warmer plains, and smaller villages were beleived to have formed as the settlers multiplied and as domestication of animals evolved.
Reports claim, the invasion of the region by Darius I of Persia (6th century BCE), marks the beginning of Afghanistan’s long history of subjection to conquest and invasion. Following that, it is noted, came a series of dynasties including the Graeco-Bactrians, the Kushanas, the Sasanians, the Samanids, the Ghaznavids, the Ghorid, the Timurud and the Mogul. Legendary and notorious conquerors such as the Greeks, Mongols, Huns, Arabs, and Turkish Muslim Ghaznavids have been said to have gone through the Afghan territory at different periods in history.
And each group has been claimed to have left a mark on the landscape. For instance, Alexander the Great is believed to have built military forts in cities like Herat to protect his troops during uprisings such as the Sati Barzan rebellion (Warsaw Embassy of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan website, 2009). The city of Herat in 1974 was chosen as one of the first cities to become part of the world’s cultural heritage by UNESCO (Afghanistan Online, 2009). Perhaps resulting from this eventful past, a highly diverse mixture of cultures and various religious traditions emerged, including Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Islam.
However, the thriving economic and cultural activities began to decline in the 16th century when alternative and faster trade sea routes became operational. Afghanistan was eventually united in 1747 by Pashtun tribal leader Ahmad Shah Durrani, but the country’s modern borders were not formed until the 19th century during the competition period between Great Britain and Russia to control Afghanistan (Visiting Arts, 2007).
History of conflict
Because of its geographic location and central place in ancient economic trade activities, Afghanistan has been recurrently subject to invasions and conquests since antiquity (Cultural Profile Project, 2001). It has always been a strategic and prized location to the many empires that fought to subjugate it, and this has continued on into the 21st century via the US-led invasion of Afghanistan at the pursuit of Taliban combatants in 2001 (Tanner, 2009).
At the turn of the 20th century, up until the early 1970s, Afghanistan stayed an absolute monarchy, first under King Amanullah Khan (1919-1929), then under his successor Zahir Shah (1933-1973). However, in 1973, a political coup occurred led by former Prime Minister – and King’s cousin – Mohammad Sardar Daoud Khan, ending the monarchy and sending Zahir Shah in exile in Italy. President Daoud was subsequently overthrown and killed in April 1978 through a coup believed to have been backed by the former Soviet Union. Nur Muhammad Taraki became President of the Revolutionary Council and Prime Minister of the newly established Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. The government’s attempts to reform the country in a manner that was perceived to be Soviet-style failed and led to civil war. In December 1979 the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan and this occupation continued for about 10 years. During this time, it is said, the Soviet army attempted to repress the Afghan Mujahideen, which was a rebellious group allegedly funded by the USA, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In April 1992, the Mujahideen successfully overthrew the Najibullah government. Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani became the president of the newly formed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Infighting among disagreeing factions of the Mujahideen turned Kabul in a civil war zone and many civilians lost their lives. At the same time, a new Islamic movement called the Taliban was gaining ground and in 1996, its leaders took hold of the capital city and started reforming the country’s laws to a more radical interpretation of Islamic Law.
The attack of September 11 2001 led to the subsequent US-initiated international military intervention and to the fall of the Taliban. An interim government was implemented in 2002 headed by Dr Hamid Karzai, followed by elections in 2004 where Dr Karzai took presidency of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The same year, a new Constitution was adopted by the Loya Jirga (the Grand National Council). Today, government’s efforts to stabilize the political situation in Afghanistan and bring back security are ongoing, primarily aided by NATO troops on the ground working closely with the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) (Canada Afghanistan Embassy, 2009).
The Afghan Diaspora
Twenty -two years of occupation, civil and international conflict have displaced many people from their Afghanistan. About one third of the population (roughly 6,000,000) fled the country in the 1980s, making people of Afghanistan origin the largest group of refugees then worldwide (Visiting arts, 2007). Canada has welcomed many of these individuals with the majority of them settling in the Toronto area (Cultural Profile Project, 2001).
The majority of people of Afghani origin currently living in Toronto are refugees. Early refugee groups were displaced during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the late 1970s and 1980s. And since the end of the Soviet ruling in 1989, additional numbers of refugees have come to North America, to escape war-torn conditions widespread throughout the region (Ruprecht, 2005).
References:
Embassy, Ottawa. (2009). Afghanistan History. Available at: http://www.afghanemb-canada.net/en/history/
Afghanistan Online. (2009). Afghan History. Available: http://www.afghan-web.com/history/
BBC. (2009). Country Profile: Afghanistan. BBC News. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1162668.stm
CIA. (2009). The World factbook: Afghanistan. Available: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html
Cultural Profile Project. (2001). Afghanistan. Available: http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/afghanistan/index.html
Diversity Watch. (2009). Afghanistan. Available: http//www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca/backgrounds/afghanistan.html
Embassy of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Warsaw. (2009). Afghanistan, Country Profile. Available at: http://www.afghanembassy.com.pl/cms/en/afghanistan/country-profile
Ruprecht, T. (2005). Toronto’s Many Faces. Ontario, Canada: Fitzhenry & Whiteside. The Cultural Orientation Project. (2002). Cross-cultural and adjustment challenges. Available: http://www.culturalorientation.net
Visiting Arts. (2007). Afghanistan Cultural Profile. Available: http://www.culturalprofiles.net/afghanistan/Directories/Afghanistan_Cultural_Profile/-1.html
