Afghanistan is probably one of the most long-suffering countries in the modern world. Citizens of far from every state have experienced as much trouble as its population has experienced over the past 40 years. Afghanistan, despite the long years of war, has a distinctive culture, and its citizens continue to look to the future with hope. Let's find out in more detail what the population of this Asian country is.
Geographic location and territory
Before you get to know the population of any state, you need to find out in what geographical conditions it exists.
The territory of Afghanistan is 652.9 thousand square meters. km, which is the 41st indicator in the world. The state is located in the region, which is usually referred to as Central Asia. The country has no access to the oceans. The northern border of Afghanistan is in contact with Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in the east it is a neighbor of China, in the south - Pakistan and India, and in the west - Iran. Capital - Kabul.
Afghanistan is predominantly mountainous. Climatesubtropical continental characterized by relatively cool winters and hot summers.
A Brief History
Now let's briefly look at the history of the people inhabiting Afghanistan. Since ancient times, the territory of modern Afghanistan has been part of various empires: the Achaemenids, the state of Alexander the Great, etc. At a later time, the country became the center of the Kushan empire, and then the Hephthalites (White Huns), whom some historians consider the ancestors of the Pashtuns - the modern population of Afghanistan.
Then, from the second half of the 7th century, the Islamic era began in the history of the country, which was associated with the Arab conquests. At the same time, the Turks began to penetrate into the territory of Afghanistan. A little later, it became the center of the powerful empires of the Ghaznavids and Ghurids. But after the Mongol conquest in the 13th century, there was no independent state on the territory of Afghanistan for a long time.
Starting from the 16th century, the western part of Afghanistan was part of the Iranian state of the Safavids, and the eastern part, together with Kabul, was included in the Mughal Empire with its center in India. Finally, in 1747, the Pashtun Ahmad Shah Durrani founded an independent Afghan state, which became known as the Durrani Empire. The capital of the state was first Kandahar, and then Kabul. It managed to extend its power not only to the whole of Afghanistan, but also to parts of Iran and India.
From 1838, a series of Anglo-Afghan wars began. The goal of Great Britain was to establish its protectorate over Afghanistan. The Russian Empire had similar goals. ATDuring the struggle between the two countries, Great Britain even managed to temporarily establish a protectorate over the Emirate of Afghanistan, but after the Third Anglo-Afghan War, the Central Asian state was able to defend its independence.
Since 1929, the emirate of Afghanistan has been called a kingdom. But in 1973 the monarchy was abolished by a coup. In 1978, a new coup took place, as a result of which a communist party, oriented towards the USSR, came to power. In 1979, she asked for military assistance from the Soviet Union in the fight against opponents. Since then, there has been a continuous war in Afghanistan.
In 1989, Soviet troops were withdrawn from the country, and the communist regime soon fell. His opponents came to power, who were guided by the countries of the West. But the war did not stop. The Islamist forces of the Taliban movement raised their heads. By 1997 they controlled Kabul and most of the country. The attack on skyscrapers in New York City on September 11, 2001 and the Taliban harboring its organizer Osama bin Laden served as a pretext for bringing US troops and their allies into Afghanistan.
Despite the fact that the Taliban coalition forces were forced out into the remote areas of the country, and democratic elections were held in Afghanistan, by and large, the war continues to this day.
Population
Now let's find out how many people there are in Afghanistan.
Despite the rather difficult conditions for the census of citizens, due to the ongoing hostilities, inThe last time it was held not so long ago - in 2013. According to her data, the population of Afghanistan is 31.108 million people. This figure ranks 40th in the world. Back in 2009, the population was 28.4 million.
Population density
Knowing the area of the country, it is not difficult to calculate the population density of Afghanistan. In 2013, it was 43.5 people/sq. km.
For comparison: the same indicator in Russia is 8.56 people/sq. km.
Ethnic composition
How is the population divided according to ethnic and linguistic characteristics? Afghanistan is a rather motley country in this regard, in which representatives of many ethnic groups and nationalities live.
The most numerous people in Afghanistan, without a doubt, are the Pashtuns. Actually, when the term "Afghans" is used in the narrow sense of the word, they mean exactly them. According to various estimates, the number of Pashtuns in Afghanistan is 39-42% of the total population of the country. In addition, there are significant settlements of this people in Pakistan and Iran. The Pashtun language is Pashto, the official language of Afghanistan, which belongs to the Eastern Iranian group.
The second largest ethnic group in the country are Tajiks, or Farsivans. Their share in the population of Afghanistan is 25-30%. Their language is Dari, which also belongs to the Iranian group. This language is the second state language in Afghanistan, and also serves as a means of interethnic communication between representativesvarious nationalities.
The third significant group of Afghan residents are Uzbeks. They make up 6-9% of the population of the entire country. The Uzbek language, unlike the two previous ones, already belongs to the Turkic group.
In addition, significant ethnic groups in Afghanistan are the Hazaras, Pashais, Charaimaks, Turkmens, Nuristanis, Pamir peoples, Balochs, Brahuis, Gujars, Kirghiz, Qizilbash and Afshars.
Religion
What do the people of Afghanistan believe in? Religion occupies a significant place in the life of the country. Moreover, religious life is represented by a practical one faith - Islam. It is practiced by more than 99% of the country's population. At the same time, about 80% adhere to the Sunni trend (mainly the Hanafi madhhab), and 18% - Shiite. The important role of Islam in the life of the country is emphasized by the fact that it is officially called the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. During the reign of the Taliban, the country even lived according to Sharia law, which largely violated the Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms.
But is Afghanistan represented only by Islam among religions? The number of the population professing the Christian faith in the country is 30,000 people. These are predominantly Protestants, who also have foreign citizenship. In addition, there are representatives of the following religions in Afghanistan: Hindus, Bahais, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, but they represent, in general, a rather small population. Afghanistan is thus an Islamic country.
State economy
Of coursea state battered for decades by war cannot have a powerful and stable economy. At the moment, the country is in 219th place in terms of GDP per capita, that is, it is one of the poorest in the world. It is predominantly an agrarian country producing grain, fruit, wool, etc. The industry is rather poorly developed.
However, there are no hopeless situations, and the population itself is looking for a way out. Afghanistan is a world center for the production of drugs, which causes considerable concern of various UN structures.
The future of the country
So, we have described the past and present of a country like Afghanistan. Area, population, economy and other issues were considered by us. But what awaits the state in the future? The answer to this question is quite complex and depends on many factors. But we can say with confidence that without a complete cessation of hostilities in Afghanistan and the establishment of full control over its territory by the government, a stable future for the country is impossible.
Let's hope that peace will come to Afghanistan in the near future.
