Summary
Continent: Asia
Population: 35,530,081 (2017 UN)
Literacy: 31%
Flag
Map
Afghanistan is officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It is a country in Southern Asia.
Afghanistan today
Afghanistan is home to over 36 million people. It is an orderly society with a strict law system. The country’s capital is Kabul, and as of 1870, the religion of the state is Islam.
Founded in the early 1700’s, Afghanistan was home to many groups of people. The territory has always been a very popular trade and travel route. It has even been called “a gateway to India.” Because of this, the country has a long past of political turmoil. In fact, humans there can be traced back as early as 50,000 BC. Some of these being the first farming communities in history. The current Constitution of Afghanistan dates to 26 January 2004.
Today, the Afghan people’s lives revolve around rebuilding the state and religion. They live on a diet of roasted meats, fruits, vegetables, rice, and soups. However, food and electricity are scarce in many communities.
Many schools in these areas have been reopened in recent years. The reopening of social events and activities have made daily life more relaxed.
Partly because of the location of the country, many languages are still spoken in Afghanistan today. Afghan Persian and Farsi are the two most used in everyday life. In government and business settings, Dari is widely used. In addition to these, there are hundreds of other languages spoken there as well. This makes bilingualism a very common skill.
Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
The people of Afghanistan are largely divided into various ethnic groups. A few of these are the Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazarus, and Uzbeks. Though most men have done away with wearing a turban, they still dress traditionally. This means a pair of loose trousers, a long shirt, and a heavy vest. However, women continue to wear the traditional chador, a full body covering.
Genetics
This section is under development.
mtDNA
Genographic ProjectGeno 2.0 Data
Data from Geno 2.0 is derived from the The National Geographic Society’s Genographic Project — the DAR. The Hg ID is specific to this site and is used to protect the identities of those who take part in Genographic research. Birth Country, Mother's Birth Country, and Maternal Grandmother's Birth Country have been normalized from DAR database fields. The Maternal Origin is determined based on the three previous fields.
Note: Geno 2.0 results currently use Phylotree build 16. I am working on changing results over to build 17.
| Hg ID | Hg Build 16 | Birth Country | Mother's Birth Country | Maternal Grandmother's Birth Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hap10003486 | H3 | United States | United States | Afghanistan |
| Hap10035301 | H1b1 | United States | United States | Afghanistan |
| Hap10040857 | A | Afghanistan | Afghanistan | Unspecified |
| Hap10054315 | J1c3b | United States | United States | Afghanistan |
| Hap10070548 | M3a2 | Pakistan | Australia | Afghanistan |
| Hap10082355 | U2b1 | Afghanistan | Afghanistan | Afghanistan |
| Hap10082422 | U2c1 | Afghanistan | Afghanistan | Afghanistan |
| Hap10085590 | U4b1a1a1 | Afghanistan | Afghanistan | Unspecified |
| Hap10092194 | U5b1e1a | United States | United States | Afghanistan |
| Hap10094578 | U7a3 | Afghanistan | Afghanistan | Afghanistan |
Sources and Resources
Background
A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan – PBS
Afghanistan – U.S. Department of State
Afghanistan Population – World-o-Meters
Journal Articles
- Douka, K., Slon, V., Stringer, C., Potts, R., Hübner, M., Meyer, M., Spoor, F., Pääbo, S., Higham, T. (2017). Direct radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis of the Darra-i-Kur (Afghanistan) human temporal bone. Journal of Human Evolution, 107, 86–93.
Genealogy
Asia & The Pacific – Cyndi’s List
Author: Amanda C.