Ancient records and archaeology show that once-rich areas have become barren stretches of rock and sand. Pathan Tajik Uzbek People Afghanistan's people reflect their country's location astride historic migration and invasion routes. Constituting about 50 percent of the population, the Pashtuns claim to be related to the Hebrews. The Turkish-descended Uzbeks and Turkmens farm the plains north of the Hindu Kush. The Tajiks, who live near Iran, are of Persian descent.
Religious codes provide standards of conduct and means of settling legal disputes.
About 99 percent of the population is Muslim, and of these about 84 percent belong to the Sunnah sect. Most of the Hazaras are Shi'ites. The official languages of Afghanistan are Pashto and Dari, which are spoken by 80 percent of the people. Turkmen and Uzbek are spoken widely in the north. In the isolated eastern mountain valleys, the smaller Kafir, or Nuristani, tribes speak a variety of languages.