The traditional female dress is the firaq and partūg . Women typically wear solid-colored trousers, a long kamīs shirt with a belt. Often they will wear an encompassing burqa over this outfit or a tsādar on their head.
More elaborate and fancier dresses are detailed with gold threading, gold beads, and come in many different colors on silk fabrics. These dresses are usually worn to special occasions and weddings.
Many of the co-ethnic groups who live alongside the Pasthuns in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran have also adopted the dress because of comfort or popular culture.
Perahan wa tunban. Males usually wear kufi, Peshawari cap, turban, sindhi cap or pakul as traditional headgear. Leaders sometimes wear a karakul hat, like President Hamid Karzai and former monarchs of Afghanistan.
nature of Afghanistan
Band-e Amir are a stunning group of turquoise lakes in Eastern Afghanistan. They sit high in the Hindu Kush at an altitude of 2900m, and in 2008 were declared the country's first national park.
The Buddhas of Bahamian (Persian: بت های باميان – but hay-e Bahamian) were two 6th-century..monumental statues of standing Buddha carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, 230 km (140 mi) northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). Built in 507 AD (smaller) and 554 AD (larger), the statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art
traditional sport
buzkashi
Buzkashi is the national sport and a "passion" in Afghanistan where it
is often played on Fridays and matches draw thousands of fans. Whitney
Azoy notes in his book Buzkashi: Game and Power in Afghanistan: "
... (that) leaders are men who can seize control by means foul and fair
and then fight off their rivals. The Buzkashi rider does the same".
football
Afghanistan entered the 2013 STAFF Championship as the clear favourite and the highest ranked team by FIFA in the tournament placed at 139th. Afghanistan started the campaign well with a 3 goal victory over the minnows Bhutan with goals from Amiri, Azadzai and Barakzai. The second match again ended with a 3-1 victory over Sri Lanka with goals of Rafi, Amiri
and Barakzai. Amiri scored a long range goal from the middle of the
ground very beautifully touched the top of the net. Rafi's goal went
inside directly from the corner spot touching the corner of the net. In
the last match of group stage Afghanistan draw with the goal machine
team Maldives. Semi Final of the tournament was the repeat of last Years
edition with Afghanistan defeating Nepal with a solitary goal of Sandjar Ahmadi at their home that took Afghanistan in to the final of the tournament with India. Mansur Faqiryar
of Afghanistan showed an outstanding goalkeeping performance by saving
two back to back Penalty kick of Nepal in the last minutes of the match.
Faqiryar proved to be the best goalkeaper ever Afghanistan had and this
tournaments best goal keeper. In several occasion against Nepal and
Maldives he came to save the Lions of Khorasan (Afghanistan national football team).The Final match of the tournament saw the 2011 SAFF Championship finalist again at Dashrath Stadium Nepal where in Afghanistan outplayed the defending champions India by 2 goals..Afghanistan showed an outstanding performance, attracting eyes of every corner of the globe. Goals from Azadzai and Sandjar Ahmadi in each half of the game put the lions of Khorasan (Afghanistan national football team) up front, for the first SAFF Championship title in their history. Mansur Faqiryar was named the best Player of the tournament, by his outstanding goal keeping skills throughout the tournament.
cricket
The Afghanistan national cricket team (Pashto: دافغانستان کرکټ ملي لوبډله) is the team that represents the country of Afghanistan in international cricket
matches. Cricket has been played in Afghanistan since the mid 19th
century, but it is only in recent years that the national team has
become successful. The Afghanistan Cricket Federation was formed in 1995 and became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001.. and a member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2003. They are ranked ninth in International Twenty20 cricket as of 9 November 2011, ahead of ICC full member nations Zimbabwe and the currently unranked Bangladesh.
Mines
Despite being one of the poorest nations in the world, Afghanistan
may be sitting on one of the richest troves of minerals in the world,
valued at nearly $1 trillion, according to U.S. scientists.
Afghanistan, a country nearly the size of Texas, is loaded with minerals deposited by the violent collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began inspecting what mineral resources Afghanistan had after U.S.-led forces drove the Taliban from power in the country in 2004. As it turns out, the Afghanistan Geological Survey staff had kept Soviet geological maps and reports up to 50 years old or more that hinted at a geological gold mine.
Afghanistan, a country nearly the size of Texas, is loaded with minerals deposited by the violent collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began inspecting what mineral resources Afghanistan had after U.S.-led forces drove the Taliban from power in the country in 2004. As it turns out, the Afghanistan Geological Survey staff had kept Soviet geological maps and reports up to 50 years old or more that hinted at a geological gold mine.
foods and fruit's
Kabuli Palaw, also called Qabili Pulao or simply palav, is an Afghan pilaf dish consisting of steamed rice mixed with lentils, raisins, carrots and lamb. It is one of the most popular dishes in Afghanistan and is considered the Afghan national dish.
Kabuli Palaw is a made by cooking basmati or long grained rice in a brothy sauce (which makes the rice brown). This dish may be made with lamb, chicken, or beef. Kabuli Palaw is baked in the oven and may be topped with fried sliced carrots, raisins, orange peel strips, and chopped nuts like pistachios or almonds. The meat is covered by the rice or buried in the rice mixture.
Kabuli Palaw is a made by cooking basmati or long grained rice in a brothy sauce (which makes the rice brown). This dish may be made with lamb, chicken, or beef. Kabuli Palaw is baked in the oven and may be topped with fried sliced carrots, raisins, orange peel strips, and chopped nuts like pistachios or almonds. The meat is covered by the rice or buried in the rice mixture.
korma:
Korma is a stew or casserole, usually served with chalau rice. Most are onion-based; onions are fried, then meat added, including a
variety of fruits, spices, and vegetables, depending on the recipe. The
onion is caramelized and creates a richly colored stew.- Korma Alou-Bokhara wa Dalnakhod - onion-based, with sour plums, lentils, and cardamom. Veal or chickens.
kebab:
Afghan kebab
is most often found in restaurants and outdoor vendor stalls. The most
widely used meat is lamb. Recipes differ with every restaurant. Afghan
kebab is served with bread, rarely rice, and customers have the option to
sprinkle sumac or ghora,
dried ground sour grapes, on their kebab. The quality of kebab is
solely dependent on the quality of the meat. Pieces of fat from the
sheep's tail (jijeq) are usually added with the lamb skewers to add extra flavor.Other popular kebabs include the lamb chop, ribs, kofta (ground beef) and chicken, all of which are found in better restaurants.
Chapli kebab, a specialty of Eastern Afghanistan, is a patty made from beef mince. It is a popular barbecue meal in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. The word Chapli comes from the Pashto word Chaprikh, which means flat. It is prepared flat and round, and served with naan. The original recipe of chapli kebab dictates a half meat (or less), half flour mixture, which renders it lighter in taste and less expensive.
dry fruit's
Afghanistan produces some of the world’s tastiest fruits and nuts, and
these high-value food products are in great demand in international
markets. Buyers in Europe and Asia are looking to introduce quality
Afghan agricultural products to their customers, and producers are eager
to meet that demand. However, getting commodities to market presents a
number of challenges, and USAID is assisting Afghan producers in the
proper packaging and shipping of their goods.
Food safety standards are paramount. Products that are not properly
packaged and shipped can ruin the country’s competitive edge and taint
its reputation as a reliable supplier of competitively priced quality
food products. Additionally, arranging for overseas shipping and
following customs regulations can be difficult for companies that are
just beginning to export their products.
In early spring 2009, the Afghan company Shir Ali Yaqoobzada Ltd.
struck a deal to export approximately 19 metric tons of mixed dried
fruits and nuts valued at $99,559 to Hakeemi and Turkistani Ltd. in
London, United Kingdom.
fresh fruit's
Afghanistan has a long history of growing apricots and the local
varieties are hardy, good quality and among the most pest-resistant.
Afghan apricots are used both fresh and dried, with much of the dried
crop selling to markets in India, Russia, Ukraine and the Czech
Republic. Apricot is native to regions with cold winters. The tree is
slightly more cold-hardy than the peach, tolerating winter temperatures
as cold as −30 °C or lower if healthy. In Afghanistan, the limiting
factors in apricot culture are: (1) spring frosts, which can destroy the
crop, and (2) lack of water. Apricot flowers very early (February to
March), and late spring frosts often kill the bud and flowers. Dry
climate is best for good fruit production and disease control, but
orchards need enough water every year to survive and bear a crop.
pomegranate
Afghanistan can be considered the country of the pomegranate fruit
because of the excellent quality of the cultivars that thrive there.
Afghanistan is a land for 48 leading world cultivars of pomegranate
commonly growing in Kandahar, Kapisa, Samangan, Farha, Nenroz and Balkh
Provinces.
Kandahar Province has historically, widely been known as main production
area for its high quality and productivity.
Other pomegranate orchards are located along the Arghandab River.
Pomegranate ranks 5th after grapes, almond, apricot and apple.
The area has decreased from 5667 ha (1996) to 2500 ha (2003). The
average yields are in the range of about 8600 kg/ha in Dand district to
more than 19000 kg/ha in Arghandab district.
Although one estimate says the total production is around 24,000 Mt, a
rational estimation is around 15-20,000 Mt, due to the poor production
in some areas.
Production in the Kandahar Province is approximately 10,000 metric tons;
and the main cultivar is ‘Kandahari’. Smaller volumes are produced
elsewhere in Afghanistan.
Elevation is the main restriction in production, with ‘Bedana’ produced
in Nangarhar at or above 1000 m elevation. ‘Kandahari’ is produced at
elevations from 550 m to below 1000 m.
Up to now no collection of local cultivars has been carried out by the
fruit tree projects funded by international organisations (EC, World
Bank, FAO, USAID, DFID, ICARDA, etc.).
products
The U.S. GSP program provides duty-free treatment
for about 5,000 types of exports from Afghanistan
and other developing countries. The purpose of the progr
am is to give these exports a competitive edge in
the U.S. market, as compared to products exported
from other countries. U.S.
companies and customers
are especially interested in buying goods through th
e GSP program because the exports are not charged
tariffs upon entering the United States
that can range from two percent to
seventeen percent of the items’
cost. U.S. imports under GSP in 2006 from all count
ries included in the GSP program totaled USD 32.6
billion. Afghanistan became a benefici
ary of the GSP program in March 2003.
U.S. Imports of Afghan Carpets and Other Floor Coverings
Almost all U.S. imports of Afghan carpets and othe
r floor coverings entered
duty-free into the United
States. This included about $2.2 million in carpets
in 2006 and $1.5 million in the first six months of
2007. Most of these imports entere
d “MFN (most-favored nation)” duty
free, which means that they can
enter the United States free of duty
when exported from nearly all coun
tries. The majority of the MFN
duty free carpet imports from Afghanistan in 2006 were:
•
$1.8 million (and $1.5 million January through June
(YTD) 2007) in hand-hooked carpets and other
textile floor coverings (with tufts
inserted and knotted by hand or hand
tool) of wool or fine animal
hair (HTS 57011040); and
•
$327,500 (but down by 95 percent YTD 2007) in woven ca
rpets and other textile floor coverings of
pile construction, not tufted or flocked, of
wool or fine animal hair (HTS 57024120);
In the first six months of 2007, $10,000 of
woven carpets or floor coverings
of wool or fine animal hair,
not of pile construction and not on a power-driven
loom (HTS 57029130), entered the United States duty
free under the GSP program. U.S. importers have claime
d GSP benefits for all eligible imports thus far
this year. In 2006, $5,700 of woven carpe
ts and other textile floor coveri
ngs, not of pile construction and
of other textile materials (HTS
57029920) entered under the GSP program.
Approximately $39,000 (1.8 percent) of all carpets ente
ring the United States from Afghanistan in the
first six months of 2007 and $63,000 (2.7 percent) of a
ll carpets in 2006 did not enter duty-free and were
subject to duties ranging from
4.0 percent to 6.3 percent:
•
$17,190 in woven carpets and other text
ile floor coverings of pile cons
truction, not tufted or flocked,
not made up, of wool/fine animal hair (HTS 57023120 – 4 percent duty);
•
$11,422 in carpets and other textile fl
oor coverings, of wool or fine
animal hair, not hand-hooked and
not hand-knotted during weavi
ng (HTS 57011090 – 4.5 percent duty);
•
$6,042 in woven carpets and other te
xtile floor coverings, not of p
ile construction, not made up, of
wool or fine animal hair (HTS 57025140 – 6.3 percent)
