- published: 04 Nov 2012
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The culture of Afghanistan has been around for over two millennia, tracing record to at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BCE.Afghanistan translates to "Land of the Afghans" or "Place of Afghans" in the nation's official languages, Pashto and Dari. It is mostly a tribal and rural society with different regions of the country having their own native language. Despite some differences, majority of the Afghans live by the same tradition and behave the same. For example, nearly all Afghans follow Islamic traditions, celebrate the same holidays, dress the same, consume the same food, listen to the same music and are usually multi-lingual.
In the southern and eastern region, as well as western Pakistan which was historically part of Afghanistan, the Pashtun people live according to the Pashtun culture by following Pashtunwali (way of the Pashtuns). The western, northern, and central regions of Afghanistan are influenced by neighboring Central Asian and Persian cultures. Some of the non-Pashtuns who live in close proximity with Pashtuns have adopted Pashtunwali in a process called Pashtunization (or Afghanization) while some Pashtuns and others became Persianized.
Coordinates: 33°N 65°E / 33°N 65°E / 33; 65
Afghanistan i/æfˈɡænᵻstæn/ (Pashto/Dari: افغانستان, Afġānistān), officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia. It has a population of approximately 32 million, making it the 42nd most populous country in the world. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east; Iran in the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the north; and China in the far northeast. Its territory covers 652,000 km2 (252,000 sq mi), making it the 41st largest country in the world.
Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era, and the country's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia. Through the ages the land has been home to various peoples and witnessed numerous military campaigns; notably by Alexander the Great, Muslim Arabs, Mongols, British, Soviet Russians, and in the modern-era by Western powers. The land also served as the source from which the Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, Khiljis, Mughals, Hotaks, Durranis, and others have risen to form major empires.
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