I decided I wanted to start a series on the countries of the world for kids, which you can use as unit studies in a classroom or at home, or just as a way to teach your kid (and yourself!) a little more about the world. I’m trying to go in alphabetical order and to hit as many nations as I can, so we’ll see how this goes.
First up is Afghanistan.
Afghanistan Basics
Afghanistan is officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It’s a landlocked nation in Asia, bordered by Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and just a tiny bit of China. The capital is Kabul and as of 2021 the population was 40.1 million people.
The nation is 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 square miles) and is largely mountains, with plains in the north and southwest. The official languages are Dari and Pashtu.
The history of Afghanistan is marked by conflict, and there’s a brief history of Afghanistan in this post from National Geographic Kids.
National Symbols
The national flower is the tulip and the national animal is the snow leopard. The national dance is called Attan, and you can learn about it and other dances, games and music from Afghanistan from Local Passport Family. You can also hear the Afghan National Anthem on that page.
The flag of Afghanistan features black, red and green bars, representing the dark past, blood spilled in gaining their independence, and hope for the future. (Green can also be seen as a symbol of Islam.) The emblem in the center is the national emblem.
Since the Taliban took over in 2021, they have used a different flag, white with black script of the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith.
Afghanistan Activities for Kids
Radio Free Europe has a great post about kite flying in Afghanistan, so making a kite would be a great craft to do when learning about Afghanistan. Learn more about folk games of Afghanistan from Afghanistan Analysts, while Afghanistan Online has a nice post with pictures about traditional Afghanistan clothing (this site has tons of great information, from photos of Afghan stamps to a look at the history of Afghan rugs, plants, animals and more).
Want to try some Afghan food? The national dish is palau, a rice dish made with chicken or lamb that includes raisins. Try this recipe from But First Chai.
Books about Afghanistan
There are lots of great picture books about Afghanistan you can include in your learning. I recently read Brave with Beauty: A Story of Afghanistan by Maxine Rose Schur, which tells the story of Queen Goharshad, who ruled with her husband Shah Rukh during the 1400s and was a great support of the arts and learning.
Other good looking options I haven’t read include:
- My First Book — Afghanistan by Penelope Palette
- Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes by Hena Khan
- The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman (about girls trying to get an education in Afghanistan under the Taliban)
Have other resources about Afghanistan for kids that I should add? I’d love to hear about them!
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