Afghanistan

Afghanistan is in Southern Central Asia. It is a landlocked country surrounded by Pakistan to the south and east, China to the northeast, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to the north and Iran to the west.

Years of civil war have left Afghanistan one of the poorest countries in the world.

Regions

Administrative divisions

32 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, and Zabol

English spellings of Afghan place names vary. For example, Q may replace K as in Qandahar or Qunduz. Konduz will be seen spelt as Qunduz, Qundoz, Qundoze and variations on these. Bamian is often spelt as Bamyian or Bamyan. Khowst may be spelt as Khost.

Cities

• Kabul - the capital

• Bagram
• Ghazni
• Herat
• Jalalabad
• Kandahar
• Konduz
• Mazar-e Sharif
• Pol-e Khomri

Ports and harbors : Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Other destinations

• The remains of the Bamian Buddhas. Once considered one of the wonders of the world, these tall stone carvings were destroyed, in what some have described as an act of cultural vandalism, by the Taliban.
• Shamali Plain north of Kabul. Shamali, meaning 'windy' is a green plain which produced a lot of the food for central Afghanistan. From Kabul it extends north through Charikar, Parwan province to Jabal os Saraj.
• Panjshir Valley
• Salang Pass High mountain pass and tunnel linking Kabul to the north.
• Mazar-e Sharif See the impressively tiled Blue Mosque and visit nearby Balkh or the Qaila Jangi fortress where Taliban prisoners attempted a breakout.

Understand

Afghanistan has recently been in the news for all the wrong reasons. While travel to this country has not been advisable for several years, it is a place which has much to offer the intrepid traveller. That said, the intrepid traveller should look elsewhere for thrillseeking at the moment, since stability and safety still do not exist in much of the country.

• Afghan Scene magazine =>

Climate

Arid to semi-arid; cold winters and hot summers.

Temperatures in the north can be below freezing for most of the winter. Snow in the higher elevations is common. Summer-time highs can exceed 140 deg F with daytime temps of 120 deg F being common.

Terrain

Mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest. The Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor). Hindu Kush translates as "killer of Hindus".

South of Kandahar is desert.

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m

History

Afghanistan has a long history of warfare, both among Afghans and against invaders from Alexander of Macedon, to the Mongol hordes, to the British empire. Recent history is no exception.

The Soviet Union invaded in 1979, to support a local socialist government. They were forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-Communist mujahidin forces supplied and trained by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others. Fighting subsequently continued among the various mujahidin fractions, giving rise to a state of warlordism.

The Taliban grew out of this chaos, providing a ruthless solution to what was by this time a civil war. Backed by foreign sponsors, and inspired by a conservative sect of Islam, Taliban developed as a political force and eventually seized power. They captured most of the country, aside from ununified warlords in the northeast. The separation was partly along ethnic lines, with Taliban strength primarily in Pushtu areas.

After the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US, Taliban refused to give up the Al Quaeda people in Afghanistan. The US and allies therefore took military action with the suport of the opposition, causing Taliban's downfall.

In late 2001, major leaders from the Afghan opposition groups and diaspora met in Bonn, Germany and agreed on a plan for the formulation of a new government structure that resulted in the inauguration of Hamid KARZAI as Chairman of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) on 22 December 2001. The AIA held a nationwide Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) in June 2002, and KARZAI was elected President by secret ballot of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA). The Transitional Authority has an 18-month mandate to hold a nationwide Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and a 24-month mandate to hold nationwide elections. In December 2002, the TISA marked the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Taliban. In addition to occasionally violent political jockeying and ongoing military action to root out remaining terrorists and Taliban elements, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread land mines.

Electricity

Officially 220V 50Hz. Electricity supplies are erratic but improving in major cities. Voltage can drop to below 150V in some places. The Afghans' enthusiasm for homemade generators or modifying low quality ones means that the frequency and voltage can also vary wildly.

There are three types of electrical outlets likely to be found in Afghanistan. They are the old British standard BS-546, the newer British standard BS-1363 and the European standard CEE-7/7 "Schukostecker" or "Schuko". There is no single recognized standard. Hence, you may encounter any or all of these outlet types there. Generally speaking, U.S. and Canadian travelers should pack adapters for these outlets if they plan to use North American electrical equipment in Afghanistan.

Get in

By plane

The national carrier Ariana is flying again, now with a small fleet of Airbuses and Boeings (plus one Antonov for old times' sake). They have daily flights from Dubai. A far better option is the independent operator Kam Air which also has daily flights from Dubai and a weekly flight from Almaty. Ariana is particularly bad at keeping to schedules. Flights can be cancelled or times changed without notice. An alternative route in may be via Baku, Azerbaijan using Azerbaijan Airlines, or from Tehran or Mashad in Iran. The main airport in Kabul is open but is in poor condition. Expect long delays at immigration and baggage reclaim. A new terminal may be built by the Japanese.

By car

Possible from Peshawar, Pakistan via Khyber Pass, from Quetta, Pakistan to Kandahar (very dangerous), from Mashad, Iran to Herat and from Uzbekistan to Mazar-e Sharif. Travelling any of these routes should not be considered safe or secure.

By bus

Buses run regularly between Herat and Mashad, Iran. Afghani buses are pulled apart by Iranian border police for drugs so expect long delays.

Get around

• Afghan Logistics Tours => is one of the first and biggest travel companies in Afghanistan, with a South East Asia branch office in Singapore.

By plane

Planes fly between Kabul and the major cities (mainly Herat and Mazar-i Sharif) every day but flights maybe delayed on weather and runway conditions.

By car

There is a growing network of public transportation between the country's cities. Buses ply some routes and Toyota vehicles have a near monopoly on minivan (HiAce) and taxi (Corolla) transportation.

Jeeps and Land Cruisers are available for hire along with drivers who speak some English. There are tour operators in Kabul that will provide a car and a guide. Links to some of these companies are at the bottom of the page. Petrol stations are scarce in the country side and fuel is expensive.

PAVED ROADS ARE THE EXCEPTION...not the rule. Even those roads are in poor repair. Once outside the major cities expect dirt roads (which turn to mud during rain or snow melt). A major highway connects Kabul to Peshawar via the Khyber pass. The highway to Kabul from Bagram is dominated by military convoys and "jingle trucks". GET OUT OF THE WAY OF MILITARY CONVOYS. They travel fast and are heavily armed. The military is currently building a highway to link Kandahar to Kabul. But will not be completed for a while.

Talk

Languages

Afghan Persian (Dari, the historical lingua franca) 50%, Pashto 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, most people speak more than one language.

Pashto is extremely helpful in the southern part of the country. However, you are most likely to encounter no problems if you are fluent in Persian or Afghan Dari. English is now understood by a large part of the population in the urban centers.

Drink

Being an Islamic country, alcohol consumption is illegal. It is however tolerated, for non-Afghans, in western restaurants in Kabul.

Sleep

Hotel and other accommodation is generally very basic and falls well below international standards. However, two new 5 star hotels are now open in Kabul.

Work

Many foreigners are finding well paid work in Afghanistan as part of the reconstruction efforts. Often with the UN or other non governmental organisations. Most of these jobs are within Kabul. Local wages are very low, especially outside of Kabul. However, everyone should read and understand the travel advice published by their respective governments or in the Stay safe section below. You will need a work visa if you are planning on working on a US military base.

Stay safe

JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A "WESTERN" PASSPORT (or retired DoD ID), DO NOT EXPECT A WARM WELCOME AT A MILITARY BASE. Access to Coalition or ISAF (International Security and Assistance Forces) bases is highly restricted.

All residents have at least an (fully automatic)AK-47 in thier home. The bad guys look just like the good guys.

Stay healthy

Afghanistan is one of the least healthy countries on the planet. Respiratory diseases and food related illness are common. Malaria is a risk in many parts of the country. TB is also common. Dust is a serious problem in most parts of the country, including the major cities. Pollution from diesel engines and heaters can also make life unpleasant. Locally grown food does not meet western standards. Locals eat from a common bowl where hands are the only utensil. There is no sewer system in most of the country and the common latrine (bathroom) is the "squat" toilet. Drink only bottled water and carry antibacterial wipes or lotion.

Respect

Women in all parts of Afghanistan still wear the bhurka or chadori. Western women are highly encouraged to wear a head scarf (especially outside Kabul). Showing the bottom of the foot is considered offensive. The further south you go the more conservative the people are.

Contact

Fixed line service in major cities (digital in Kabul) and mobile phones in most cities (2 networks). The Afghan Wireless Communications Company (AWCC) network is very unreliable, but the only alternative is the equally unreliable Roshan network.