Afghanistan

Afghanistan  Brandon Winchip and Madison Paquin **__Political__** Current leader: Hamid Karzai. Type of government: Islamic Republic. legal system: Laws are based on mixed and Sharia Law. Sufferage age: 18 years old Constitution: New constitution drafted December 1 4, 2003. Ratified January 26, 2004. media type="googlemap" key="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Afghanistan&sll=37.857507,-95.712891&sspn=20.69313,43.857422&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Afghanistan&ll=33.93911,67.709953&spn=10.653981,23.181152&t=h&z=6&output=embed" width="425" height="350"

** Social ** The HIV and AIDS rate in Afghanistan is .01%. Languages: Afghan, Persian and Dali make up 50% of languages spoken, Pashto is 35%, Turkic languages is 11%, other languages is 4% Population: In July 2009 the population was 33,609,937 people average life expectancy is 44.21 years, women:44.39 years, men: 44.04 years literacy rate is 28% ethnic groups: Pashtun is 42% of the people, Tajik is 27% of the people, Hazara is 9% of the people, Uzbec is 9% of the people, Aimak is 4% of the people, Turkmen is 3% of the people, Baloch is 2% of the people, other ethnic groups is 4% of the people. media type="custom" key="5702113" media type="custom" key="5702399"

__Economic__

Afghanistan has rcovered from many decades of conflicts. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, they had improved significantly. Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, highly dependant on foreign aid, agriculture and trade with neighboring countries. They have a shortage of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care and jobs. Te living standards are amongst the lowest in the world. The GPD per capita is $800 and the population of people below poverty is 36%. The number one export is opium, followed by fruits, nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides, pelts and gems. natural gas and oil are the natural resourcesand the exchange rate is 50 afghans and 25 cents is equal to 1 U.S. dollar. The currency is afghanis and the largest industry is opium. media type="custom" key="5878595"

__Current Events __ media type="custom" key="5846717" This is a clip of American soldiers training for there travel to Afghanistan. The marines use digital avatars to help with the training exercises for “shoot don’t shoot situations”. The marines use clay bullets on their digital avatars. In the training facility there are tight corners, different smells, and smoke grenades. This military facility is located at a military base in California. This unique exercise teaches the marines to work as a team under fire.  I think that this is a good idea to let the marines practice before they go into war so they can work as a team before they go in to Afghanistan. And because it is real, and it includes a simulator. This is why it makes it makes it better for the marines. “It is better to train here in the United States then to train in a foreign place says one of the in training marines”. media type="custom" key="5847165" This is a clip of American soldiers in Afghanistan during the war. These people in this video work at the mobile trama unit in Afghanistan. When there are wounded personel they help with directing the helicopters for landing when there is a emergency with one of the army personel. If there is not good flying conditions for the helicopters the mobile trama unit will get them and put them in the truck and either drive the patient to the nearest military base or keep them in the back until the helicopter is able to land. This could safe the life of the military person.

I believe that this is a good idea to take docters from the United States and bring them to Afghanistan to help the wounded members of the United States. Just by duing this many American military personel can make it out of Afghanistan alive and in well condition.