Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Switzerland

National Anthem

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The Afghanistan National Anthem was adopted and officially announced in May 2006. According to article 20 of the Constitution of Afghanistan, "The national anthem of Afghanistan shall be in Pashto with the mention of "God is Greatest" as well as the names of the ethnicities of Afghanistan. The lyrics were written by Abdul Bari Jahani and the music was written by German-Afghan composer Babrak Wassa.

Download (Afghanistan National Anthem Vocal)

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Lyrics and translation

Afghan National Anthem
Pashto Lyrics	English Translation	Persian Translation
	First stanza
دا وطن افغانستان دى دا عزت د هر افغان دى كور د سولې، كور د تورې هر بچى يې قهرمان دى	This land is Afghanistan, it is the pride of every Afghan The land of peace, the land of sword, each of its sons is brave	این کشور افغانستان است این عزت هر افغان است خانهٔ صلح، خانهٔ شمشیر هر فرزندش قهرمان است
	Second stanza
دا وطن د ټولو كور دى د بلوچو، د ازبكو د پــښــتون او هزارهوو د تركمنو، د تاجكو	This is the country of every tribe, The land of Balochs and Uzbeks Pashtuns and Hazaras, Turkmens and Tajiks	این کشور خانهٔ همه است از بلوچ، از ازبک از پشتون و هزاره از ترکمن و تاجیک
	Third stanza
ور سره عرب، ګوجر دي پاميريان، نورستانيان براهوي دي، قزلباش دي هم ايماق، هم پشايان	With them, there are Arabs and Gujjars, Pamiris, Nuristanis Brahuis, and Qizilbash, also Aimaqs and Pashais	هم عرب و گوجر است پامیری‌ها، نورستانی ها براهویی است و قزلباش است هم ایماق و پشٌه‌ای ها
	Fourth stanza
دا هيواد به تل ځلېږي لكه لمر پر شنه آسمان په سينې كې د آسيا به لكه زړه وي جاويدان	This land will shine for ever, like the sun in the blue sky In the chest of Asia, it will remain as heart for ever	این کشور همیشه تابان خواهد بود مثل آفتاب در آسمان کبود در سینهٔ آسیا مثل قلب جاویدان
	Fifth stanza
نوم د حق مو دى رهبر وايو الله اكبر وايو الله اكبر وايو الله اكبر	We will follow the one God We all say, "Allah is the greatest!", we all say, "Allah is the greatest!", we all say, "Allah is the greatest!"	نام حق است ما را رهبر میگویم الله اکبر میگویم الله اکبر میگویم الله اکبر

Historical flags

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Years of Use	Flag	Government	Notes
1747–1826		Durrani Empire	Flag flown under the rule of Ahmad Shah Durrani and his dynasty.
1826–1880	No official flag during this period.	Emirate of Afghanistan	Prior to 1880, the Barakzai dynasty did not use the flag associated with the Durranis, or an official alternative.
1880–1901		Emirate of Afghanistan	Flag flown under the rule of Abdur Rahman Khan.
1901–1919		Emirate of Afghanistan	Flag flown under the rule of Habibullah Khan. Habibullah added to his father’s flag a seal that is the precursor of the modern-day seal.
1919–1926		Emirate of Afghanistan	First flag flown under the rule of Amanullah Khan. He expanded upon his father’s flag by adding rays emanating from the seal in the form of an octogram. This new style of seal was common in the Ottoman Empire. Afghanistan became a kingdom in 1926.
1926–1928		Kingdom of Afghanistan	Second flag flown under the rule of Amanullah Shah. He replaced the octogram with a wreath and slightly modified the national seal.
1928		Kingdom of Afghanistan	Third flag flown under the rule of Amanullah Shah. The black, red, and green tricolor, respectively representing the past (previous flags), the bloodshed for independence (Third Anglo-Afghan War), and hope for the future, was probably influenced by Khan’s visit abroad to Europe in 1927.
1928–1929		Kingdom of Afghanistan	Fourth flag flown under the rule of Amanullah Shah. The new seal shows the sun rising over two snow-capped mountains, representing a new beginning for the kingdom.
1929		Kingdom of Afghanistan	Flag flown under the rule of Habibullah Kalakani or Habibullah Khan, formerly known as Bacha-i-Saqao. The red, black, and white tricolor was the same flag that was used when modern-day Afghanistan was under Mongol occupation in the 13th century.
1929–1930		Kingdom of Afghanistan	First flag flown under the rule of Mohammed Nadir Shah. The black, red, and green tricolor was re-established; the octogram seal borrowed from the first flag of Amanullah Shah replaced the sun and mountains seal.
1930–1973		Kingdom of Afghanistan	Second flag flown under the rule of Mohammed Nadir Shah, it was also used by his son, Mohammed Zahir Shah. The black, red, and green tricolor were retained. The octogram rays were removed, and the seal enlarged. In between the mosque and the seal is the year ١٣٤٨ (1348 of the lunar Islamic calendar, or 1929 AD of the Gregorian calendar) the year Mohammed Nadir Shah’s dynasty began.
1973–1974		Republic of Afghanistan	First flag flown for the Republic of Afghanistan. It is identical to the previous flag, except that the year ١٣٤٨ was removed.
1974–1978		Republic of Afghanistan	Second flag flown for the Republic of Afghanistan. The same colors were used, but the meanings reinterpreted: black for the obscure past, red for blood shed for independence, and green for prosperity from agriculture. In the canton is a new seal, with an eagle with spread wings, a pulpit on the eagle’s chest (for a mosque), wheat surrounding the eagle, and the sun’s rays above the eagle (for the new republic).
1978		Democratic Republic of Afghanistan	When the leader of the republic was killed in a coup, the new regime established a communist government. The same flag design was kept, but no seal.
1978–1980		Democratic Republic of Afghanistan	This flag used a red field with a yellow seal in the canton, a common design for communist regimes. The wreath of wheat remained, but a star was added at top (representing the five ethnic groups of the nation) and the word 'Khalq' in Arabic script (meaning people) in the center. The flag was also the flag of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan's Khalq faction under President Nur Muhammad Taraki until his murder in September 1979.
1979–1987		Democratic Republic of Afghanistan	After the overthrow of the Khalq faction by the Parcham faction (led by Babrak Karmal), the flag was changed again. The overthrow occurred in December 1979. The new leadership re-established the black, red, and green tricolor, representing the past, blood shed for independence, and the Islamic faith, respectively. A new seal was designed, with a rising sun (a reference to the former name, Khorasan, meaning "Land of the Rising Sun"), a pulpit and the Qur'an for Islam, ribbons with the national colors, a cogwheel for industry, and a red star for communism.
1987–1992		Republic of Afghanistan	Same as the previous flag, except that in the national seal, the cogwheel is moved from the top to the bottom, the red star and the book are removed, and the green field curved to resemble the horizon.
1992		Republic of Afghanistan	This flag was used as a provisional flag after the fall of the pro-Soviet regime. It appeared in many variants of which one is shown here. In the upper stripe is Arabic Allahu Akbar, (“God is great”); the center stripe contains the Shahadah.
1992–1996		Islamic State of Afghanistan	The black and green stripes are switched from the previous flag. Also, the Shahadah is written with in a logo. This flag, for the first time since 1928, replaced the red color of nationalism and tribalism with the three colors of green, white and black, which were raised by Muslims in the past. The three colors of green white and black can be seen on several Muslim nations' flags. At the bottom part of the logo it was written "دا افغانستان اسلامی دولت", 'The Islamic State of Afghanistan'.
1996–1997		Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan	A plain white flag was flown by the Taliban.
1997–2001		Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan	In 1997 the Taliban added the Shahadah on the flag.
2001–2002		Islamic State of Afghanistan	The 1992 Flag was re-adopted after the Taliban regime was deposed.
2002–2004		Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan	This flag consists of three vertical stripes of the colors black, red, and green. This has been present on most flags of Afghanistan in the last twenty years. The center emblem is the classical emblem of Afghanistan with a mosque with its mihrab facing Mecca. This flag is similar to the one flown in Afghanistan during the monarchy between 1930 and 1973. The difference is the addition of the shahadah at the top of the coat-of-arms (seen in white) in the center. It now shows the year ١۲۹٨ (1298), the solar Islamic calendar equivalent of 1919 AD of the Gregorian Calendar, the year of independence from Great Britain. There was an unofficial variation with a gold emblem.
2004–Present		Islamic Republic of Afghanistan	Similar to the previous flag, but a different ratio. "د افغانستان اسلامی دولت" The Islamic State of Afghanistan has been replaced with simply "افغانستان" Afghanistan.

 

AFGHANISTAN CONSTITUTION

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To view the Dari, Pashto or English version of the Afghanistan constitution, click on one of the links below:

To download [English] [Dari] [Pashto] version of Afghanistan constitution

AFGHANISTAN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (ANDS)

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The Interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy (I-ANDS) was the product of twelve-months of intensive consultations between the Afghan government and a wide array of stakeholders including tribal and religious leaders, the private sector, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), and the international community.

The document outlines the Government of Afghanistan's policy objectives and analyses the obstacles to their achievement. It is an evolving strategy that is regularly reviewed and updated according to the needs of Afghanistan. Along with the I-ANDS, the Afghanistan Compact serves as the primary mechanism for coordinating future Afghan and international reconstruction. Launched on January 31, 2006 at the London Conference for Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Compact marked the formal end of the Bonn Process and established a five-year framework for cooperation between the Government of Afghanistan and its international partners.

To download the full text of either the I-ANDS or the Afghanistan Compact, please visit the official website of Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) at: http://www.ands.gov.af.

AFGHANISTAN IN BRIEF

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Name in:

English: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Dari/Pashto: جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان/دافغانستان اسلامی جمهورت

French: République islamique d'Afghanistan

Capital: (and largest city) Kabul 34°31′N 69°08′E

Official language(s): Pashto and Dari (Persian)

Demonym: Afghan

Government: Islamic republic

President: Hamid Karzai

Vice President: Mohammed Fahim

Vice President: Karim Khalili

Chief Justice: Abdul Salam Azimi

Chief of Parliament: Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi

Establishment: First Afghan state October 1747

Independence: August 19, 1919

Area: Total 647,500 km (41st) 251,772 sq mi - Water (%) negligible

Population 2010:  29,863,000 (2005 est.)

Capital: Kabul, 2,000,000 (approx.)

Currency: Afghani (AFN)

Time zone: D† (UTC+4:30)

ISO 3166 code AF

Internet TLD: .af

Calling code: +93

Natural Resources:

Natural gas, petroleum, coal, cooper, chromite, talc, barites, sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Land Use: Arable land 12% Permanent pastures 46% Forests and woodland 3% other 39%.
Literacy Rate: 28.7 per cent (According to UN Afghanistan Human Development Report of 2005)

THE NATIONAL FLAG

According to Article 19 of the Afghanistan Constitution, the Afghan flag is made up of three equal parts, with black, red and green colours placed side by side from left to right. Black symbolizes invasion and the bleak era of Afghanistan while red represents the change through bloodshed.

 

Green symbolizes victory and prosperity.

Located in the centre of the flag is the national insignia, flanked by two smaller flags. In the upper-middle part of the insignia the phrases "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet" and "Allah is Great" are written beneath a rising sun. The word "Afghanistan" and the Afghan year 1298 (dating back to 1919 A.D. when the reformist King Amanullah promulgated modern laws) is located in the lower part of the insignia.

The insignia is encircled with two branches of wheat.

MAP OF AFGHANISTAN AND MAJOR CITIES

Kabul (CAPITAL):

Herat

Kandahar

Mazar

Jalalabad

Afghan Government

The executive branch of the Afghan government consists of a powerful and popularly elected President and two Vice Presidents. A National Assembly consisting of two Houses, the House of People (Wolesi Jirga) with 249 seats and the House of Elders (Meshrano Jirga) with 102 seats forms the Legislative Branch. There is an independent Judiciary branch consisting of the Supreme Court (Stera Mahkama), High Courts and Appeal Courts. The President appoints the nine members of the Supreme Court with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga.

President Hamid Karzai became the first democratically elected President of Afghanistan on December 7, 2004. Previously, Hamid Karzai had been Chairman of the Transitional Administration and Interim President from 2002.

LOYA JIRGA (GRAND ASSEMBLY)

Loya Jirga is a national council of notables, tribal chiefs, religious leaders, which may be called to assemble in order to address a major issue, problem or reform considered important to the nation. Originally called upon by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, it was time-honoured tradition to gather members of all ethnic groups to support the establishment of modern Afghanistan. Uniquely Afghan in nature, it is a consensus-building mechanism based on the Pashtun institution of Jirga, which in tribal structure refers to the council of elders, tribal leaders, lineages, clans, qaums or heads of families.

During Amir Abdul Rahman Khan's rule (1880-1901), the Loya Jirga included certain Sardars (princes), important khans (rural elites) and religious leaders. That tradition was maintained until the Communist coup in 1978.

In June of 2002, after the Taliban was driven from power, the new Interim Administration was chosen by a Loya Jirga, comprised of about 1,500 delegates from around the country who gathered in Kabul. Each of Afghanistan's 362 districts had at least one seat, with a further seat allotted for every 22,000 people. 160 seats were also given to women. No group was excluded, except for those alleged to have committed acts of terrorism or suspected of crimes. In January of 2004, a second Loya Jirga ratified the newly-drafted Constitution of Afghanistan. The Taliban was not represented, though groups sharing some their views participated.

Major Religious, Ethnic, And Linguistic Groups:

For centuries, Afghanistan has been a mosaic of people with diverse cultures, religions and languages. Afghanistan's ethnically and linguistically rich and mixed population reflects its location at the crossroads of Central, South and Southwest Asia. Communities with separate religions,

languages, and ethnic backgrounds have lived side by side for generations. Afghanistan still remains a country of dynamic diversity.

The main ethnic groups are Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkmen, Aimaq, Baluch, Nuristani, and Kizilbash.

Pashto and Dari are Afghanistan's official languages. Afghanistan's Constitution stipulates that all other languages are "official" in the areas in which they are spoken by a majority of the population. Dari is spoken by more than one-third of the population and Pashto is spoken throughout Kabul and eastern and southern Afghanistan. Many Afghans are multi-lingual. Tajik and Turkic languages are spoken widely in the north. Smaller groups throughout the country also speak more than 70 other languages and numerous dialects.

Afghanistan is an Islamic country. An estimated 80% of the population is Sunni, following the Hanafi School of jurisprudence. The remainder of the population is predominantly Shi'a; however, a minority of Hindus and Sikhs also reside in Afghanistan.

Women in Afghanistan

Afghanistan, prior to the Soviet occupation and Taliban takeover, was a relatively liberal country with a progressive outlook on women's rights. Afghan women made up 50 percent of government workers, 70 percent of schoolteachers and 40 percent of doctors in Kabul. However, the effects of war and the Taliban regime quickly effaced the rights of women in public life and relegated them to solely the domestic domain.

In 2001, with the overthrow of the Taliban, Afghan women were once again able to enjoy some of the freedoms that had been stripped from them. In particular, the education and health sector have provided greater access to women and advanced their social development in an emergent state.

With the fall of the Taliban, women have been able to re-enter schools and universities. In fact, girls composed a third of the nearly six million children who returned to school this year. Women have also started serving as teachers and faculty members again, and are filling political positions and participating in the national elections.

The health sector is working hard to improve the lives of Afghan women, and, free from the prohibitions of the Taliban, male physicians are now allowed to examine and treat female patients. However, while women can see male doctors, the availability of clinics and hospitals is nonetheless limited. Only 15 percent of births in Afghanistan are attended by qualified health professionals, thus contributing to the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world; one pregnant woman dies for every 6 live births. Besides pregnancy-related deaths, a lack of sanitation and potable water has led to outbreaks of tuberculosis, among which 64 percent of the deaths are women. Continued efforts in the health sector will be pursued to provide women with advanced healthcare and promote their well-being.

Afghan women have suffered through war, poverty, famine and violence, but with the help of the Government of Afghanistan and the international community, they are re-emerging with even stronger voices for change.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

Afghanistan's rugged terrain and seasonally harsh climate have presented a challenge to habitants and conquering armies for centuries. Afghanistan extends from the imposing Pamir Mountains in the northeast Wakhan Corridor, through branches of smaller mountain ranges, down to the south-western plateau where the fertile regions of Kandahar merge with the deserts of Farah and Seistan. More than 49 percent of the total land area lies above 2,000 meters. There are a number of smaller mountain ranges spanning Afghanistan but the largest mountains are found in the north-eastern section of the 600 km Hindu Kush mountain range.

Afghanistan is completely landlocked, bordered by Iran to the west (925 kilometres), by the Central Asian States of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north and northeast (2,380 kilometres), by China at the easternmost top of the Wakhan Corridor (96 kilometres), and by Pakistan to the east and south (2,432 kilometres).

For the most part, Afghanistan may be described as semi-arid but regional variations and climate contrasts according to levels of elevation. Annual rainfall is low, but the high mountains contain sources for many streams and rivers which supply water for cultivation.