Culture of Afghanistan

The culture of Afghanistan has been around for over two millenniums, tracing record to at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BCE. Afghanistan translates to "Land of the Afghans" or "Place of Afghans" in the nation's official languages, Pashto and Dari. It is mostly a tribal and rural society with different regions of the country having their own native language. Despite some differences, majority of the Afghans live by the same tradition and behave the same. For example, they all practice Islam, celebrate the same holidays, live in the same type of houses, dress the same, feel the same way about women's freedom, consume the same food, listen to the same music, and are usually multi-lingual.

In the southern and eastern region, as well as western Pakistan which was historically part of Afghanistan, the Pashtun people live according to the Pashtun culture by following Pashtunwali (way of the Pashtuns). The western, northern, and central regions of Afghanistan are influenced by neighboring Central Asian and Persian cultures. Afghans living in cities, particularly Kabul, are further influenced to some degree by the Indian culture through Bollywood films and music. Some of the non-Pashtuns who live in close proximity with Pashtuns have adopted Pashtunwali in a process called Pashtunization (or Afghanization) while some Pashtuns and others became Persianized.