Human Terrain: Anthropological, sociological, political and linguistics approach to understanding people that inhabit and live in a particular area.
1. Afghanistan's people: Approximately 31 million most of whom speak Dari (Afghan version of Persian) and a large minority speak Pashto.
2. Regional complexities include the country being divided into Provinces with little regard to ethnic and or tribal affiliations. This creates and exacerbates long standing tensions locally, regionally, provincially, nationally and internally.
Geo-Physical Terrain: The physical geographic layout, characteristics and features of a geographic area.
1. Harsh arid and dry terrain with extremes of hot and cold climate overlaid on desert, hilly and mountainous terrain. Key terrain feature is the Hindu Kush Mountains which means, "Killer of Hindus"
Recent History: Overall late 20th and early 21st century.
1. Late 20th Century and early 21st, civil and regional conflict and war and a more robust international war environment since late 2001.
Social Strata (Layering): The social layers of a society and who occupies it and how. For example males and females, the elderly, children - where is their place is in that society according to their norms and customs.
1.) Men dominate society in Afghanistan. This is enforced culturally at the national, provincial, regional, local and tribal levels particularly within more traditional families which are in the majority of Afghanistan.
Women: Due to social stratification or layering of Afghanistan's s culture, women have only recently begun to experience moderate women's rights benefits. There are still many social obstacles to overcome, though overall the opportunity and welfare of Women in general have improved since 2001.
Education: The educational level and reflection of the value of education to a given society or culture within a country as represented by the averages of the number of people who can read and write.
Afghanistan:
1.) Total population approximately 38.2 %
2.) Males - approximately 52%
3.) Females - Approximately 24.2 %
Final Thought: An opinion: "...the [Mullahs] religious leaders know that a population without education is more easily controlled..." circa (approximately) 1897 Winston Churchill, The Malakand Field Force
Additional General Resources:
CIA World Fact Book
