FAQ: General Questions about Afghanistan
What is the size of Afghanistan?
The area of Afghanistan is 647,500 sq. km. (249,935
sq. mi.), which is slightly smaller than Texas.
What is the population?
The population is 29,863,000 (2005 est.). Since
1980, and especially during the Taliban regime, many Afghans
took refuge abroad, mainly in Pakistan and Iran. Since 2001,
Afghans are returning in record numbers every year.
What is the capital of Afghanistan?
Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan with a population
of about 2,000,000.
What natural resources are found in Afghanistan?
Natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite,
talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious
and semiprecious stones are all naturally found in Afghanistan.
Among the population, what are the major
religious, ethnic, and linguistic groups?
Afghanistan has been for centuries a land of diverse
peoples. Communities with separate religions, languages, and
ethnic backgrounds have lived side by side. With a multitude
of distinct ethnic groups, Afghanistan still remains a country
of dynamic diversity.
The main ethnic groups are Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara,
Uzbek, Turkmen, Aimaq, Baluch, Nuristani and Kizilbash.
Pashto and Dari are Afghanistan’s official
languages. Afghanistan’s Consitution stipulates that all
other languages are “official” in the areas in which
they are spoken by a majority of the population. Dari is spoken
by more than one-third of the 
population and Pashto is spoken
throughout Kabul and eastern and southern Afghanistan. Many
Afghans are multi-lingual. Tajik and Turkic languages are spoken
widely in the north. Smaller groups throughout the country also
speak more than 70 other languages and numerous dialects.
Afghanistan is an Islamic country. An estimated
80% of the population is Sunni, following the Hanafi School
of jurisprudence. The remainder of the population is predominantly
Shi'a. In recent history, Afghanistan has been host to Christian,
Jewish, Hindu, and Sikh religious groups.
What is the geography and climate of Afghanistan?
Afghanistan is a beautiful country with soaring
mountains and steep plateaus. The terrain contains numerous
mountain ranges, but also deserts, rivers, lakes, plains and
forests. Afghanistan has a relatively dry climate with four
distinct seasons. Summers are hot with plenty of sunshine; during
the spring flowers bloom across the country; falls are mild;
and winters are cold with snow in most areas. Average rainfall
is 250 mm per year, but amounts vary greatly regionally.
Afghanistan is completely landlocked, bordered
by Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan.
How did Afghanistan become a sanctuary for terrorism?
In the three decades prior to the tragic events of 9/11, the people of Afghanistan suffered from the consequences of two interconnected tragedies, the occupation by the former Soviet Union and the influx of extremism in the aftermath of the Russian withdrawal. When the country suddenly lost her strategic importance in the aftermath of the Cold War, international disengagement left Afghanistan vulnerable, effectively allowing the country to become a base of operations for transnational terrorists, extremists, and drug traffickers. In this fashion, Afghanistan was both a victim of the Cold War and a victim of the end of the Cold War. On October 7, 2001, the US-led Coalition forces reengaged Afghanistan, and the Afghan people have benefited greatly in the intervening five years.
Can U.S. citzens adopt children from Afghanistan?
At the moment, there is no adoption under Afghan law, only guardianship, which, as we understand the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security and the Board of Immigration Appeals may deem insufficient for the purposes of immigration under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Guardianship refers to sponsoring Afghan children to travel to the U.S. for obtaining an educational opportunity and etc. We occasionally received inquiries from kind and concerned citizens concerned about the plight of the children of Afghanistan and offering the possibility of adopting them. We appreciate very much your support and friendship, but regret that at this time, it is not possible to adopt Afghan children, for the aforementioned reasons.
