Afghanistan: Geographic Perspectives

About the Book

Geographic Perspectives: Afghanistan provides a concise source of information on the physical environment and culture of the country. By examining the region through many of the sub-disciplines of geography – including historical, political, economic, urban, and medical - these guides serve as a framework to better understand current events. Included are color and black and white maps, photographs, charts, and graphs.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction

Afghanistan has been a focus of U.S. and international interest since 9-11.

The country exhibits tremendous physical and cultural diversity within its borders.

Regional geography reveals the underlying processes that contribute to Afghanistan's current physical and cultural patterns.Chapter 2. Location

Afghanistan is a landlocked state that shares its borders with six other countries.

The country occupies a location at the crossroads of Central Asia.

Slightly smaller than the state of Texas, Afghanistan covers approximately 652,000 sq km (251,672 sq mi).Chapter 3. Geomorphology

Afghanistan's physical relief is dominated by the rugged Hindu Kush Mountains.

The rugged terrain restricts overland travel and canalizes movement through the mountain passes.

Earthquakes are common in the northeast provinces and recent large-magnitude events have caused thousands of deaths.Chapter 4. Climatology

Afghanistan's climate is characterized by extremes.

To understand the country's climate, one must appreciate the impacts of key climate controls such as latitude, continentality, and topography.

Significant climate hazards include drought, high winds, dust storms, and heavy snowfall.Chapter 5. Biogeography

Limited forest development occurs in the eastern part of the central highlands.

Western Afghanistan is subdivided into the southern deserts and northern grasslands.

Natural vegetation is minimal due to aridity and human activity, and environmental degradation is extensive.Chapter 6. Historical Geography

Cultural diversity can be ascribed in part to the pre-eighteenth century movement of armies across Afghanistan.

The Arab conquest in the seventh century produced a legacy of a shared faith with countries of North Africa and West Asia.

The colonial period had a lasting impact on the country's borders and Afghani attitudes toward foreigners.Chapter 7. Cultural Geogrpahy

With over 99 percent of the population Muslim, Afghanistan's religious landscape includes areas of strict fundamentalism.

Afghanistan's rugged terrain and peripheral location enabled ethnic groups to remain relatively isolated throughout history, resulting in considerable ethnolinguistic diversity.

Pashtuns and Tajiks are the two largest ethnic groups, totaling over 60 percent of the population.Chapter 8. Political Geography

Afghanistan has a long history of political instability.

Its prolonged history of conflict has led some to characterize Afghanistan as ungovernable.

After leading the country's interim government following the fall of the Taliban regime, Hamid Karzai was elected president in June 2002.Chapter 9. Economic Geography

Years of international economic sanctions and internal mismanagement have resulted in subsistence-based and black market export economies.

Although opium is the primary export, the majority of poppies are cultivated by independent farmers as a subsistence cash crop.

Afghanistan has sufficient fossil fuel reserves, but there is insufficient infrastructure to exploit this potential component of their economic base.Chapter 10. Urban Geography

Urban centers are nodes of concentrated political and economic activity.

Current locations of many Afghan cities relate to water availability and ancient caravan trade routes.

Despite the resemblance in design to modern urban c

enters, many major Afghan cities function more as overgrown villages due to decades of war and neglect.Chapter 11. Population Geography

Afghanistan has an ethnically diverse population of 26 million people.

The country's high rate of natural population growth and the return of refugees from neighboring countries may continue to hinder efforts to build a stable government.

Short life expectancy and high infant mortality rates among the population are indicative of an underdeveloped country.Chapter 12. Medical Geography

Afghanistan harbors numerous endemic and epidemic diseases.

The country lacks the physical and social infrastructure to confront disease prevention and treatment, with the most serious deficiencies being the lack of water treatment systems and limited access to health care.

Rugged terrain, periodic droughts, and warfare have limited agricultural output, contributing to malnutrition and undernutrition. Chapter 13. ConclusionBibliography