Current Events – Afghanistan Study Guide
Preparation for Exam on Tuesday, October 12th, 2010
1. Religion
a. What are the two main religious factions in Afghanistan?
b. What is the main difference between the Sunni and Shia muslims?
c. What is Purdah and when was it mostly enforced by the government?
d. What is the Qu’ran (Koran) and how is it viewed/treated by muslims?
e. What are the Mujahideen and why were they important in Afghan history?
2. Geocultural
a. What are the main four cultural factions in Afghanistan?
b. What is the role of each faction in the past 20 years?
c. How have the mountainous regions of Afghanistan played a role in the
history of the country?
d. How has the treatment of women varied in Afghanistan over the years?
e. What kind of climate does Afghanistan have?
f. What is the total size and population of Afghanistan? How does this
compare with Costa Rica?
3. Government/Politics
a. What are the three main types of government that have controlled
Afghanistan over the past 100 years?
b. Which of these forms of government do you think is the most effective?
c. Who is the present leader of Afghanistan?
d. Who are the Taliban and what type of policies did they enforce as law
from 1992-2001?
e. What is the capital of Afghanistan?
f. Where is Afghanistan on a world map?
4. International Relations
a. Who are Afghanistan’s present day enemies and allies?
b. Why did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan beginning in 1979?
c. Why did the US invade Afghanistan in 2001?
d. What is Al Qaeda and what is their relationship with Afghanistan?
e. What were the Anglo-Afghan wars?
f. Who does Afghanistan trade with and what commodities do they trade
(legally and illegally)?
g. How do these commodities affect the Afghan economy?