Afghanistan. Land and Economy

Afghanistan is a rugged, arid, mountainous country with dramatic scenery. The country also has many rivers, river basins, lakes, and desert areas.

Landscape and climate. Afghanistan can be divided into three land regions: (1 ) the Northern Plains, (2) the Central Highlands, and (3) the Southwestern Lowlands.

The Northern Plains extend across northern Afghanistan. They consist of mountain plateaus and rolling hills. Although the soil in the region is fertile, the land can be cultivated only in river valleys and mountain areas, where water is available. Afghan farmers have built large irrigation systems along the Harirud, Helmand, Qonduz, and other rivers to provide water for their crops.

Corn dries on the roof of a mud hut in the Panj River Valley

Seminomadic people also live in the Northern Plains. They wander on its vast grasslands with their flocks of sheep and goats.

Summers in the Northern Plains are hot and dry, with average temperatures of about 90° F. (32° C). Winters are cold and dry, with average temperatures of about 38° F. (3° C). The Central Highlands consist of the Hindu Kush mountain range and its branches. This region covers about two-thirds of Afghanistan. Most Afghans live in the high, narrow valleys of the Hindu Kush.

Winters in the Central Highlands are cold, with average temperatures of about 25° F. ( -4° C) in January. Summers are mild, with average temperatures of 75° F. (24° C).

The Southwestern Lowlands are mainly desert or semidesert. The Helmand River crosses the region, flowing from the Hindu Kush to the Sistan Basin on the Iranian border. Barley, corn, fruits, and wheat are grown in the Helmand Valley.

Temperatures in the Southwestern Lowlands average about 35° F. (2° C) in January and about 85° F. (29° C) in July. The Sistan Basin suffers from a crop-destroying summer wind called the "wind of 120 days."

Farming and raising livestock is how most Afghans make their living, map below The people who live off the land make their homes in the high mountain valleys and on the broad, rolling grasslands that cover much of the country

The economy. Even though only about 12 per cent of Afghanistan's land is suitable for farming, about 85 per cent of its people work the land for a living. To water their fields, Afghan farmers depend on river irrigation systems and underground springs and streams called qanats.

Wheat is Afghanistan's chief crop. Other crops include barley, corn, cotton, fruits, nuts, rice, sugar beets, and vegetables. The chief livestock products are dairy items, mutton, wool, animal hides, and the skins of karakul sheep.

Afghanistan's rich mineral resources, including iron ore, are still undeveloped. Since natural gas was discovered in the northern Sheberghan area during the 1 960's, it has become the fastest-growing part of the country's economy. Most of the natural gas is exported to the former Soviet republics by pipeline.

The civil war between the government and the resistance fighters severely damaged Afghanistan's economy. Because so many Afghans fled the country, much farmland has been left uncultivated. In addition, irrigation systems have been neglected or damaged by the fighting.