The northern areas all suffer from brigandage. Commercial trade is impeded in certain non-Taleban areas, as local commanders continue to demonstrate their control over the roads by demanding road tolls and sometimes closing roads. Despite these obstacles, many people continue to travel relatively freely, with buses plying routes in most parts of the country. Agriculture, including high levels of opium poppy cultivation, is the mainstay of the economy. Afghanistan remains the second largest opium producer in the world.
Trade is mainly in fruits, minerals, and gems, as well as goods smuggled to Pakistan.
There are also rival currencies, both very inflated. Ethno-Linguistic and Religious Composition Afghanistan has long been a country in turmoil. For decades, Islamic movements, communists and tribal warriors have struggled for control of a nation that is geographically and ethnically fragmented. Afghanistan is still largely a tribal society, divided into many tribes, clans and smaller groups. Considerable variation in the types of terrain, and obstacles imposed by high mountains and deserts, account for the country's marked ethnic and cultural differences.