Why Afghanistan is in constant turmoil

Afghanistan’s geographical location, history, religion, and natural resources have always been the main contradictions in various disputes and even wars.

From a geographical point of view, Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in central Asia, with direct access to the Indian Ocean to the south, Constantinople to the west, and India, an important trade hub, to the east. heartland. Often referred to as the crossroads of Central Asia, it was an important trading point on the Silk Road and a migration point for nomadic peoples in ancient times. It was on the edge of many major empires in various periods, mainly the Alexander Empire, the Persian Empire, the Mauryan Dynasty, the Kushan Dynasty, the Tang Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Qing Empire, the British Empire and the Soviet Union. Has an extremely important strategic position.

From a historical perspective, Afghanistan became a buffer zone in the game between Britain and Russia in the 19th century. On August 19, 1919, with the end of the third Anglo-Afghan War, Afghanistan regained its complete independence from Britain and eliminated external intervention forces. During the British intervention in Afghanistan, the Pashtun territory was divided into two parts by the Durand Line, resulting in tensions between Afghanistan and British India and later Pakistan, known as the Pashtunistan dispute. From 1973 to September 1979, the Soviet Union launched three coups in Afghanistan. In 1979, the former Soviet Union used a coordinated land and air assault to sweep across Afghanistan within seven days and established the Karmal regime directly controlled by the former Soviet Union. Afghanistan has been engaged in a protracted struggle with the invading Soviet forces and government forces supported by the Soviet Union. The last Soviet troops left in early 1989. The first Afghan war came to an end. From 1989 to 2001, there was a civil war between the People's Mujahideen and the puppet government of Najibullah. In 1994, the Taliban was established in Kandahar, mainly composed of Pashtuns. It came to power in 1996 and basically occupied the entire country in 1997. Brutal torture, discrimination against women, resistance to all modernization except weapons, and hatred of all pagans made this country live in depression and terror until the United States overthrew the Taliban regime after 9/11 in 2001 on the pretext of attacking the hiding bin Laden. . October 2001-present, the second war in Afghanistan. In 2001, the United States-led coalition launched a war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan on October 7. It was the United States' revenge for the September 11th incident and also marked the beginning of the war on terrorism.

From a religious perspective, Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic country. Pashtuns are the main ethnic group. Other ethnic groups include Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, etc. Pashtuns are mainly distributed in the south and In the southeast, other ethnic minorities are mainly in the north. Tribes play an important role in rural areas, where they make up the vast majority of the population. They exist not only in nomadic societies, but also in settled agricultural societies, and have influence in cities. The vast majority of Afghans are Muslims, most of whom are Sunni. Shias are mainly limited to the Hazaras, who are descendants of the Mongols and have a low social status and are subject to discrimination. Therefore, there are profound ethnic, tribal and sectarian conflicts in Afghanistan. The Taliban are mainly Pashtuns. ?

From the perspective of natural resources, Afghanistan is rich in mineral resources, but they are basically undeveloped. It is estimated that Afghanistan's energy and mineral resources are worth more than 3 trillion US dollars. As of 2014, more than 1,400 mineral deposits have been discovered, including iron, iron, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, lithium, beryllium, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, talc, marble, barite, precious and semi-precious stones, and salt. , coal, uranium, oil and natural gas, etc. Famous mineral deposits include Hajigak Iron Mine, Aynak Copper Mine, Bamiyan Coal Mine, Herat Lithium Mine, Amdalia Oil and Gas Field, Afghanistan-Tajik Basin Oil and Gas Field, etc. Natural gas reserves are approximately 150 billion cubic meters, and coal reserves are approximately 100 million tons. Salt reserves are 300 million tons, lapis lazuli reserves are 1,300 tons, iron ore reserves are 1.7 billion tons, and copper ore reserves are 500 million tons. Due to transportation difficulties and lack of funds, only natural gas, coal, salt, and chromium have been exploited in small quantities.

Geographical location: Located in Central Asia, it borders Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the north, China in the east, Pakistan in the southeast, and Iran in the west.

Mineral resources: In the southeast of Afghanistan, there are natural resources such as gold mines, silver mines, copper mines, zinc mines, and iron mines. It also has precious gemstone veins, such as lapis lazuli and granite in the northeast. Green and cyanite. There may also be important oil and natural gas deposits in the north. It also has natural resources such as coal, chromite, talc, barite, sulfur, lead and salt.

Natural climate: Most areas have a continental climate, with large temperature differences between winter and summer, day and night. The hottest temperature in low-lying basin areas in summer can reach over 43 degrees Celsius, and the lowest temperature in winter is around 43 degrees Celsius. -22-26 degrees. Summers in the mountainous areas are cool, and the temperature in the capital Kabul rarely exceeds 38 degrees Celsius. Winters are cold and snowy, and sometimes there are blizzards. The precipitation increases from 100-150 mm in the northwest to 250-400 mm in the east. The annual precipitation in Kabul is about 330 mm. Precipitation is mostly concentrated from December to April of the following year. It gets very windy from June to September every year, especially in the west.

History and culture: It has a long history with many dynasty changes, including the period of Persian Empire rule (mid-6th century BC - 330 BC); Alexander Empire period (330 BC - 312 BC); Seleucid period Kingdom rule period (312 BC - about 250 BC); Kingdom of Bactria (about 250 BC - about 135 BC); Da Yuezhi, Bactria, Jibin (2nd century BC - 8th century BC); Gui Frost Kingdom (1st century AD - 3rd century AD); Sasanian Dynasty (3rd century - 5th century AD); Gida (5th century - 568 AD); Western Jue Khanate (568 - 660 AD); Tang Dynasty Imperial rule (660-710); Arab Empire (710-822); Tahir dynasty (822-873); Safar dynasty (873-900) ; The reign of the Samanid dynasty (900-962); the Ghaznavid dynasty (962-1151); the Gur dynasty (1151-1215); the reign of Khwarezm (1215-1220) ;The Mongol Empire and the reign of the Il-Khans (1220-1337); the Celtic Dynasty (1245-1389); the Timurid Dynasty (1389-1507); the Mughal Empire and the Persian Safavid Dynasty During the period of rule (16th century - 1747); in 2001, the United States united with the anti-Taliban alliance to launch a military attack on the Taliban in the name of "anti-terrorism" and overthrew the Taliban regime. Afghanistan established a government headed by Karzai to carry out difficult post-war reconstruction work.

Economic situation: Due to years of war, Afghanistan’s industrial base has almost collapsed. Light industry and handicrafts are the main industries, including textiles, fertilizers, cement, leather, carpets, electricity, sugar, metal manufacturing, agricultural products and fruit processing; agriculture and animal husbandry are the main pillars of the national economy. The main crops include wheat, cotton, sugar beets, dried fruits and various fruits. The main livestock products are fat-tailed sheep, cattle, goats, etc.; Afghanistan is a landlocked country with no outlet to the sea. There are almost no railways in the territory. Transportation mainly relies on roads and aviation. Parts of the Amu Darya and Kunduz rivers on the northern border with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are navigable; Afghanistan has trade relations with more than 60 countries and regions. The main export commodities include natural gas, carpets, dried and fresh fruits, wool, cotton, etc. The main imported goods include various foods, motor vehicles, petroleum products and textiles. The main export destinations are Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, etc. The main import countries are China, Pakistan, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Turkmenistan, India, etc. Afghanistan is one of the most backward countries. After more than thirty years of war, the economy has been completely devastated. Transportation, communications, industry, education and agricultural infrastructure have been severely damaged. Production and living materials are in short supply. More than 6 million people have become refugees.

Religion and customs: Islam is widely believed in Afghanistan, with Muslims accounting for approximately 99%, including 80% Sunnis and 19% Shia. Afghanistan is an Islamic country, and all Islamic taboos also apply, such as prohibition on alcohol and pork. Dress more conservatively. Men should not wear shorts on the streets. Women should not wear narrow and revealing clothing. It is best to wear a headscarf.

Government workers generally dress neatly, especially middle- and upper-level officials who all wear suits. Therefore, Chinese personnel should pay attention to their attire when visiting Afghan officials. Afghanistan has quite a few restrictions on women. Generally, women have to wear a kind of clothing called BURKAR when going out. They are invisible from head to toe and can only see things through a small mesh window. After the fall of the Taliban regime, this situation has changed a lot, and many urban women have bravely put on Western clothes to "show their faces." Afghans usually greet each other by shaking hands or putting their hands on their chests to show respect, and friends perform a cheek-to-cheek salute.