Culture of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a country that has with stood the test of time. Afghanistan has been around for roughly two thousand years, with records tracing back to 500B.C. With a population of roughly 30 million has 8 major ethnic groups, most of which believe in the teachings of Islam.
Ethnic Groups-
Afghanistan has a variety of ethnic groups that make up the total population. The majority of the population in Afghanistan is Pashtun, which constitute around 42% of the population, which are concentrated mainly in the provinces of Nahgrahar and Pakhtya. The next ethnicity is the Tajiks, which make up about 27% of the population. The Tajiks reside mainly in the provinces of Kabul and Heart, however there is a group that live in the mountains to the north of Hindu Kush. The 3rd larges ethnicity is the Uzbeks who live in Northern Afghanistan making up 9%; all three of these ethnicities are majority Sunni Muslims.
FAMILY-
The family in Afghanistan is above all the most important part of life. The roles of men and women have a clear distinction, where the men are the breadwinners and the women take on the household chores and care of the children. The family lives together in a house known as a ‘kala’, and once a son gets married the wife moves in as well to stay in the same kala as the rest of the son’s family. Parents of the children usually arrange the marriages of the Afghan people; where tribe, status, and wealth are a major factor to the arrangement. There are 2 distinct Muslim groups the Sunni making up 80% and Shi’a constituting the other 20%.
VALUES-
The Afghan people really care about what their honor with the community is. Mainly the man of a household maintains honor, it is his responsibility to make sure his family remains honored and respected. When the honor of a family has been compromised they will not stop until they regain the honor that was lost. This mentality is the fuel to a lot of violence between groups of families and within groups in the country. Pashtu and Dari constitute the two official languages of Afghanistan, however there are numerous tribal dialects and Turkish languages.
RELIGION-
Islam is the major religion of Afghanistan, which controls much of the activities that occur during the workday, political events, and legal lives. The technical term for someone who believes in the Islam ways is known as a Muslim. Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day at sunrise, noon, later afternoon, sunset, and at night. The holy day for Muslim’s is Friday, which results in the weekend being on Thursdays and Fridays. The Muslim’s have a holy month known as Ramadan, which requires them to fast from sunrise to sunset and work only 6-hour days.
LANGUAGES-
The languages of Afghanistan varies widely depending on the region. There are over 40 languages with 200 dialects; however there are 2 offical languages of Afghanistan, Dari and Pashtun. Amongst the many dialects they differ from the bordering country of that province, many have Turkish origins.
The family in Afghanistan is above all the most important part of life. The roles of men and women have a clear distinction, where the men are the breadwinners and the women take on the household chores and care of the children. The family lives together in a house known as a ‘kala’, and once a son gets married the wife moves in as well to stay in the same kala as the rest of the son’s family. Parents of the children usually arrange the marriages of the Afghan people; where tribe, status, and wealth are a major factor to the arrangement. There are 2 distinct Muslim groups the Sunni making up 80% and Shi’a constituting the other 20%.
VALUES-
The Afghan people really care about what their honor with the community is. Mainly the man of a household maintains honor, it is his responsibility to make sure his family remains honored and respected. When the honor of a family has been compromised they will not stop until they regain the honor that was lost. This mentality is the fuel to a lot of violence between groups of families and within groups in the country. Pashtu and Dari constitute the two official languages of Afghanistan, however there are numerous tribal dialects and Turkish languages.
RELIGION-
Islam is the major religion of Afghanistan, which controls much of the activities that occur during the workday, political events, and legal lives. The technical term for someone who believes in the Islam ways is known as a Muslim. Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day at sunrise, noon, later afternoon, sunset, and at night. The holy day for Muslim’s is Friday, which results in the weekend being on Thursdays and Fridays. The Muslim’s have a holy month known as Ramadan, which requires them to fast from sunrise to sunset and work only 6-hour days.
LANGUAGES-
The languages of Afghanistan varies widely depending on the region. There are over 40 languages with 200 dialects; however there are 2 offical languages of Afghanistan, Dari and Pashtun. Amongst the many dialects they differ from the bordering country of that province, many have Turkish origins.
Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/afghanistan.html
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Retrieved from http://afghanistan.saarctourism.org/culture.html
Retrieved from Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/afghanistan.html
Retrieved from http://www.afghanistan-culture.com/
Retrieved from http://afghanistan.saarctourism.org/culture.html
