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- The main source of income in the country is agriculture
- Afghanistan March 08, 2012
- SITUATION UPDATE: … Information sources: U. S. State Dept. http://www.state.gov/ … Information cut off date: March 26, 2012 Power
- Refugees and Internally Displaced People
- U.S.-AFGHAN RELATIONS
- FACTS FIGURES: “AFGHANISTAN”
- Infant Mortality Rate
Today (May 2011). Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during two decades of war, including the nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February 1989). During that conflict one-third of the population fled the country, with Pakistan and Iran sheltering a combined peak of more than 6 million refugees. Gross domestic product has fallen substantially over the past 20 years because of the loss of labor and capital and the disruption of trade and transport; severe drought added to the nation's difficulties in 1998-2001. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care, problems exacerbated by military operations and political uncertainties. have tried to put the Afghan nation on its feet. The problems: the people of Afghanistan are trying to overcome two decades (20 years of war). The nation continues to suffer from damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts. Due to its dependence on agriculture, Afghanistan continues to be the world's largest producer of opium; cultivation of opium poppy - used to make heroin - expanded to 30,750 hectares in 2002, despite eradication; potential opium production of 1,278 tons; source of hashish; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade source of instability and some government groups profit from the trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering. Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Real GDP growth exceeded 8% in 2006. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, and the Afghan Government's inability to extend rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. It will probably take the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid and attention to significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards from its current level, among the lowest in the world. While the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $24 billion at three donors' conferences since 2002, Kabul will need to overcome a number of challenges. Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade generate roughly $3 billion in illicit economic activity and looms as one of Kabul's most serious policy concerns. Other long-term challenges include: budget sustainability, job creation, corruption, government capacity, and rebuilding war torn infrastructure. The main source of income in the country is agriculture, and during its good years, Afghanistan produces enough food and food products to provide for the people, as well as to create a surplus for export. The major food crops produced are: corn, rice, barley, wheat, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. In Afghanistan, industry is also based on agriculture, and pastoral raw materials. The major industrial crops are: cotton, tobacco, madder, castor beans, and sugar beets. The Afghan economy continues to be overwhelmingly agricultural, despite the fact that only 12% of its total land area is arable and less than 6% currently is cultivated. Agricultural production is constrained by an almost total dependence on erratic winter snows and spring rains for water; irrigation is primitive. Relatively little use is made of machines, chemical fertilizer, or pesticides. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Overall agricultural production dramatically declined following severe drought as well as sustained fighting, instability in rural areas, and deteriorated infrastructure. The easing of the drought and the end of civil war produced the largest wheat harvest in 25 years during 2003. Wheat production was an estimated 58% higher than in 2002. However, the country still needed to import an estimated one million tons of wheat to meet its requirements for the 2003 year. Millions of Afghans, particularly in rural areas, remained dependent on food aid. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium; cultivation dropped 48% to 107,400 hectares in 2005; better weather and lack of widespread disease returned opium yields to normal levels, meaning potential opium production declined by only 10% to 4,475 metric tons; if the entire poppy crop were processed, it is estimated that 526 metric tons of heroin could be processed; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade is a source of instability and some antigovernment groups profit from the trade; significant domestic use of opiates; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through informal financial networks; source of hashish
.. While not heard as much in the news .. there are about 100,000 American military men and women serving in Afghanistan .. and the situation appears to be getting worse .. not better. A gradual drawdown of US troops is “supposed to begin this summer (2011) … but time will tell. A wild card in the whole situation in Afghanistan is the impact of the recent death of Al Qai’da terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden. Side notes: Women are still afraid to walk outside unless they are completely covered. Hospitals often lack antibiotics. Diseases .. unheard of in the United States .. such as cholera and tuberculosis still exist. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to Afghanistan. The security threat to all U.S. citizens in Afghanistan remains critical. This supersedes the Travel Warning for Afghanistan issued August 13, 2010, to remind U.S. citizens of ongoing security risks, including kidnapping and insurgent attacks. No part of Afghanistan should be considered immune from violence, and the potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts, either targeted or random, against U.S. and other Western nationals at any time. Remnants of the former Taliban regime and the al-Qa'ida terrorist network, as well as other groups hostile to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) military operations, remain active. There is an ongoing threat to kidnap and assassinate U.S. citizens and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) workers throughout the country. Afghan authorities have a limited ability to maintain order and ensure the security of Afghan citizens and foreign visitors. Travel in all areas of Afghanistan is unsafe due to military combat operations, landmines, banditry, armed rivalry between political and tribal groups, and the possibility of terrorist attacks, including attacks using vehicular or other improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The security environment remains volatile and unpredictable. In August 2010 a group of doctors, nurses, and medical practitioners, including six U.S. citizens, was shot and killed near their vehicles in Badakhshan province as they completed a medical aid visit to remote areas in nearby Nuristan province. Also in Badakhshan province in spring 2010, a group of U.S. citizen missionaries who were alleged to be proselytizing in the area encountered hostility and required evacuation from the area by the Ministry of Interior and the U.S. Embassy. In Kandahar, the assassination campaign against government officials, their associates, or anyone notably linked to the government, continues. The number of attacks throughout the south and southeastern areas of the country is growing as a result of insurgent and drug-related activity, and no part of Afghanistan is immune from violence. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Kabul is also considered at high risk for militant attacks, including rocket attacks, vehicle borne IEDs, and suicide bombings. Five United Nations (UN) workers were killed during an attack on a UN guesthouse in Kabul in October 2009. More than 20 attacks were reported in Kabul over the past year, although many additional attacks were thwarted by Afghan and coalition forces. Recent incidents include the bombing of a Kabul supermarket popular with Westerners and an attack on the Kabul City Center complex, which includes a hotel frequented by foreign visitors. Insurgents have also targeted the offices, convoys, and individual implementing partners of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The attack against a Kandahar guesthouse on April 15, 2010, along with the UN attack mentioned above, highlights the growing threat against guesthouses. Buildings or compounds that lack robust security measures in comparison to neighboring facilities may be viewed as targets of opportunity by insurgents. The Kabul-Jalalabad Road (commonly called Jalalabad Road) and the Kabul to Bagram Road are highly restricted for Embassy employees and, if the security situation warrants, sometimes prohibited completely. Riots and incidents of civil disturbance can and do occur, often without warning. U.S. citizens should avoid rallies and demonstrations; even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. Ambushes, robberies, and violent crime remain a problem. U.S. citizens involved in property or business disputes — a common legal problem in Afghanistan — have reported that their adversaries in the disputes have threatened their lives. U.S. citizens who find themselves in such situations should not assume that either local law enforcement or the U.S. Embassy will be able to assist them. From time to time, depending on current security conditions, the U.S. Embassy places areas frequented by foreigners off limits to its personnel. Potential target areas include key national or international government establishments, international organizations and other locations with expatriate personnel, and public areas popular with the expatriate community. Private U.S. citizens are strongly urged to heed these restrictions as well and may obtain the latest information by consulting the embassy website below. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED From time to time, depending on current security conditions, the U.S. Embassy places areas frequented by foreigners off limits to its personnel. Potential target areas include key national or international government establishments, international organizations and other locations with expatriate personnel, and public areas popular with the expatriate community such as restaurants. Private U.S. citizens are strongly urged to heed these restrictions as well and may obtain the latest information by consulting the Embassy’s security announcements website. The U.S. Embassy's ability to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is limited, particularly for those persons outside the capital. U.S. citizens who choose to visit or remain in Afghanistan despite this Travel Warning are encouraged to enroll with the U.S. Embassy in Kabul through the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to obtain updated information on travel and security within Afghanistan. U.S. citizens without Internet access may enroll directly with the U.S. Embassy. Enrolling makes it easier for the Embassy to contact U.S. citizens in case of an emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at Great Masood Road between Radio Afghanistan and the Ministry of Public Health (the road is also known as Bebe Mahro or Airport Road) in Kabul. The Embassy phone numbers are 93-(0)700-108-001 and 93-(0)700-108-002. For after-hours, life-or-limb emergencies involving U.S. citizens, the Consular Section can be reached at 93-(0)700-201-908; please direct routine consular correspondence to USConsulKabul@state.gov. SITUATION UPDATE: … Information sources: U. S. State Dept. http://www.state.gov/ … Information cut off date: March 26, 2012 Power For nearly three decades, the availability of secure energy supplies in Afghanistan was significantly disrupted by conflict. Much of the country's power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure was destroyed, and what remained was stretched far beyond capacity. More than 90% of the population had no access to electricity. In January 2009, with the help of the Asian Development Bank and the Indian Government, electricity began to flow into Kabul along a newly constructed transmission line running from neighboring Uzbekistan. For the first time in more than a generation, the majority of the capital's 4 million people enjoy the benefits of power. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED
During his December 1, 2009 speech at West Point, President Barack Obama laid down the core of U.S. goals in Afghanistan, which are to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaeda and its safe havens in Pakistan, and to prevent their return to Afghanistan. While the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan is not open-ended, the United States plans to remain politically, diplomatically, and economically engaged in Afghanistan for the long term. The United States is willing to support fully the ambitious agenda set out by the recently re-elected Afghan president, focusing on reintegration, economic development, improving relations with Afghanistan’s regional partners, and steadily increasing the security responsibilities of Afghan security forces. Rapid progress on this agenda is UNCLASSIFIED
- Religion: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1% … watch this .. Wahabism .. a “sect” of Islam is also practiced .. people can practice both .. the branch & the sect Per Capita Income: $1,000 (2012 est.) … Unemployment rate: 35% (2012 est.) … this a 5% drop from the previous year (2011 est.) Life Expectancy: 45.02 years male: 44.79 years female: 45.25 years Infant Mortality Rate: 154.67 Literacy-- 28.1%. male: 43.1% female: 12.6% Population: 32,738,000 (2011) Telephones: 280,000 (2011) Cellphones: 2,520,000 (2011) Internet users: 535,000 (2011) Exports--$547 million … Imports--$530 billion Debt: ? ? ? ? … sorry … but the figures above are not typo errors … UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED
1. Between which three (3) countries is Afghanistan located? 2. What religion was brought to Afghanistan around the 7th century AD? 3. What is the Afghan economy based on? 4. Which nation was helping Afghanistan as early as the 1950s?
6. What was the reaction of some of the Afghan people often called "Mujahadeen"? 7. Did the Soviets really accomplish anything in Afghanistan? Why or why not?
8. How did the constant fighting between the Afghan guerillas (Mujahadeen) and the Soviet Army, affect the Afghan people? 9. Which group was in charge of Afghanistan during the 1990s .. and what religion did they adhere to/follow? 12. What group has had their "human rights" violated because of the new Afghan government .. and give a few examples. 13. What is the connection between Afghanistan & UBL (Usama Bin Laden) ? 14. What is the connection between Usama Bin Laden, Al-Qa'ida, and the United States ? - State at least 2 connections/events. - Has the situation been totally resolved / come to an end ? 16. Describe life in Afghanistan today for the average Afghan person . 17. Does the United States government want its citizens traveling to Afghanistan ... and what is the reasoning behind its position. 18. Please look at the statistics on page 13 … what stands out … is glaring ? UNCLASSIFIED PAGE Download 99.3 Kb. Share with your friends:
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