A revival of the arts took place in the 1960s, bringing renewed interest in traditional and Western-style art forms. About two thirds of Afghanistan's people are farmers or herdsmen, but only about 12 percent of the land is cultivated. The remainder is either too rugged or too dry for farming. The country has extensive natural gas, coal, and iron deposits. About 4 percent of the total land area is irrigated.
Farmers use terrace, tunnel, and well methods to irrigate their land.
In the mid-1990s about half of Afghanistan's land area was being used for grazing. The sheep provide wool and skins for clothing and flesh for meat. The farmers live in the fertile valleys or on the plain, wherever water is available for irrigation. Industrial crops include cotton, sugar beets, and sugarcane. Oilseed, nuts, and fruits, particularly grapes, are also important, and large quantities of vegetables, especially potatoes, are grown.