My Curiosity Part 1: Knowing My World Series

Date: 01-12-2022

I really don’t know from where I got this idea, but I guess my inability to make my first abroad trip till age of 37 has urged me to write something which will also educate me about the world I live in. Also, I tried to write on so many things but now on I am taking another initiative where I will update all my knowledge about the topic in only one page and as I make progress I will keep on adding on the same page. So first topic I chose is writing about the world I live in. So basically I try to educate myself about countries. I will try to follow following template.

No.

Name

Description

History

Language

Economy

Science and Tech

Major contribution

Major Issues

First thing I notice that world hasn’t decided about total number of countries it seems, as many lands are disputed, but roughly they are approximately 200 countries in the world. I will follow this website and other relevant, I tried to mention them as and when I get information from. https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/countries_of_the_world.htm

No. 1

Name: Afghanistan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan)

Description: Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is an Asian country and a neighbour of India, the country I live in. It is also referred to as heart of Asia. It has a current population around 40 million. Kabul is the largest city and the capital.

History: Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic era, and the country’s strategic location along the historic Silk Road has led it to being described, picturesquely, as the ‘roundabout of the ancient world’. Popularly referred to as the graveyard of empires, the land has historically been home to various peoples and has witnessed numerous military campaigns, including those by the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Maurya Empire, Arab Muslims, the Mongols, the British, the Soviet Union, and most recently by an American-led coalition. Afghanistan also served as the source from which the Greco-Bactrians and the Mughals, among others, rose to form major empires. The various conquests and periods in both the Iranian and Indian cultural spheres made the area a center for Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and later Islam throughout history.

Language: Pashto, Dari

Economy: Afghanistan is prominently rich in natural resources, including lithium, iron, zinc, and copper, amongst many others. It is also the world’s largest producer of opium, second largest producer of cannabis, and third largest of both saffron and cashmere. The country is a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Due to the effects of war in recent decades, the country has dealt with high levels of terrorism, poverty, and child malnutrition. Afghanistan’s economy is the world’s 96th-largest, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $72.9 billion by purchasing power parity; the country fares much worse in terms of per-capita GDP (PPP), ranking 169th out of 186 countries as of 2018.

Science and Tech: I read that Kabul university is doing some good work and number of research paper published has been increasing steadily since 2016. That’s all I could fetch. (https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/need-protect-gains-afghan-science)

Major contribution:

Major Issues: Major issue with Afghanistan with new Talibani government is to gain confidence globally and they need to promote cohesion with larger world order.

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No. 2

Name: ALBANIA

Description: Albania officially the Republic of Albania (Albanian: Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares land borders with Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, North Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south. Tirana is its capital and largest city, followed by Durrës, Vlorë, and Shkodër.

Spoken languages are Albanian (official), English, Italian and Greek. Like neighboring and mainly Albanian-inhabited Kosovo, Albania has a Muslim majority – a legacy of centuries of Ottoman rule, other main religions are Albanian Orthodox (20%), and Roman Catholic (10%).