Animal And Planet

Vegetation is sparse in the southern part of the country, particularly toward the west, where dry regions and sandy deserts predominate. Trees are rare, and only in the rainy season of early spring is the soil covered with flowering grasses and herbs. The plant cover becomes denser toward the north, where precipitation is more abundant; and at higher altitudes the plants are almost luxuriant, particularly in the mountainous region north of Jalalabad, where the climate is influenced by the monsoons. The high mountains abound in large forest trees, among which conifers, such as pine and fir, predominate. Some of these trees are 180 feet high. The average altitude for the fir line is over 10,000 feet. At lower altitudes, somewhere between 5,500 and 7,200 feet, cedar is abundant; below the fir and cedar lines, oak, walnut, alder, ash, and juniper trees can be found. There are also shrubs, several varieties of roses, honeysuckle, hawthorn, and currant and gooseberry bushes.

Most of the wild animals of the subtropical temperate zone inhabit Afghanistan. Large mammals, formerly abundant, are now greatly reduced in numbers. The Siberian tiger, which inhabited the banks of the Amu River, has all but disappeared, as have the tigers that inhabited the southeastern region. There is still a great variety of wild animals roaming the mountains and foothills, including wolves, foxes, striped hyenas, and jackals. Gazelles, wild dogs, and wild cats, such as snow leopards, are widespread. Wild goats, including the markhor (prized for its long, twisted horns) and the ibex (with long, backward-curving horns), can be found in the Pamirs, and wild sheep, including the urial and argali (or Marco Polo sheep), in the Pamirs and the Hindu Kush. Brown bears are found in the mountains and forests. Smaller animals, such as mongooses, moles, shrews, hedgehogs, bats, and several species of kangaroo rat (jerboas), may be found in the many isolated, sparsely populated areas.

Birds of prey include vultures, which occur in great numbers, and eagles. Migratory birds abound during the spring and fall seasons. There are also many pheasant, quail, cranes, pelicans, snipe, partridge, and crows.

There are many varieties of freshwater fish in the rivers, streams, and lakes, but their numbers are not great except on the northern slopes of the Hindu Kush, where the rivers are well stocked with brown trout.

Settlement patterns

The Hindu Kush divides the country into northern and southern regions, which can be further subdivided on the basis of topography, national and ethno linguistic settlement patterns, or historical tradition. Northern Afghanistan, for example, may be subdivided into the Badakhshan-Vakhan region in the east and the Balkh-Meymaneh region in the west. The east, which is mainly a conglomeration of mountains and high plateaus, is inhabited chiefly by Tajiks, while the west, which is mostly plains of comparatively low altitude, contains a mixture of peoples in which Uzbeks and Turkmens of Turkic origin predominate.

Southern Afghanistan can be subdivided into four subregions--those of Kabul, Qandahar, Herat, and Hazarajat. The Kabul region combines the area drained by the Kabul River and the high plateau of eastern Afghanistan, bounded in the south by the Gowmal (Gumal) River. This region is inhabited by Pashtuns (formerly called Pathans, a term now considered to be derogatory), Tajiks, and Nuristanis. This region is the main corridor connecting the other regions and their peoples.

The Qandahar region consists of the sparsely populated southern part of Afghanistan. The people inhabiting this region belong principally to the Durrani branch of the Pashtuns. In addition, there are a small number of Baluch and Brahui peoples. The city of Qandahar is located in a fertile oasis near the Arghandab River.

The region of Herat, or western Afghanistan, is inhabited by a mixture of Tajiks, Pashtuns, and Chahar Aimaks. The life of the region revolves around the city of Herat.

The mountainous region of Hazarajat occupies the central part of the country and is inhabited principally by the Hazaras. Although Hazarajat is located in the heart of the country, its high mountains and poor communication facilities make it the most isolated part of Afghanistan