FYE Common Reader (2012-2013): The Kite Runner: The Setting: Afghanistan

Geography:

·         Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

·         slightly smaller than Texas

·         mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Ethnic groups:

·         Pashtun  42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%

 Languages:

·         Primarily  Dari and Pashto

Religion:

·         Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%

Population:

·         30,419,928 (July 2012 est.)

Median age:

·         18.2 years

Life Expectancy:

·         49.72 years

Literacy:

·         male  43.1%   female 12.6% (2000 est.)

School:

·         male 11 years   female: 7 years (2009)

Capital city:

·         Kabul

Government:

·         Islamic Republic

Labor force:

·         agriculture  78.6%    industry: 5.7%  services: 15.7% (FY08/09 est.)

Unemployment rate:

·         35% (2008 est.)

CIA World Factbook, May 23, 2012

 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html 

Three equal vertical bands:  black for the past; red for the blood shed for independence;  green for hope for the future, or agricultural prosperity, or Islam

Central image: national emblem in white, features a mosque with pulpit and flags on both sides

Date (solar year 1298) for 1919 (Gregorian calendar) when Afghan received independence from the UK

Image bordered by sheaves of wheat (left and right); Arabic inscription of Muslim creed with rays of rising sun over the Takbir, meaning"God is great” (upper center); scroll with name Afghanistan (bottom center)

Afghan Network  [April 24, 2012]

 Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/afghanistan.html#afcountry.html  [April 24, 2012]

Kite Flying 

·         Requires two people: one to hold the wooden spool which the wire is wound; the other (the kite flyer) to control the movement of the kite in the air

Kite Fighting

·         Two kites flown close to one another, object to use the wire of one kite to cut the wire of the other’s kite and set it free.

·         Quality of wire very important, uses finely ground glass combined with an adhesive mixture to coat the wire it strong and sharp 

·         Kite-fighting champion crowned in each neighborhood

Kite Runner

·         Cut free kites “free and legal”; neighborhood children run to retrieve the kite to fly another day

"Shows how Afghan fighter kites are flown. These kites are similar to the kites from The Kite Runner book." (4.22 minutes)  May 30, 2012