An Overview of Kabul

Kabul is on the Kabul River, situated at an elevation of about 1800 m (about 5900 ft) making it one of the highest capital cities in the world. The population is a little over 3 million people. The nation’s chief economic and cultural center, it has long been of strategic importance because of its proximity to the Khyber Pass, an important pass in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Tajiks are the predominant population group of Kabul, and Pashtuns are an important minority (source).

Today, Kabul seems to change on an almost daily basis. Swathes of the city have been cleared, and new buildings are quickly thrown. The air is thick with the sound of mobile phones. New restaurants and busy bazaars cater to the nouveau riche Afghans surfing an economic boom and the sizeable international community helping with Afghanistan’s reconstruction. There’s a long way to go before Kabul is restored to its position, with electricity and clean water still a distant aspiration for the majority of the population, which has doubled since the end of 2001 with returning refugees. Plenty of Kabulis still live in bombed-out buildings or worse, and beggars, war widows, and street children further swell the traffic jams that clog the city. Reconstruction for the poorest has been frustratingly slow.

Kabul today is a fascinating snapshot of the birth pangs of a new nation, and a city permanently on the cusp of change. As an introduction to Afghanistan it’s exciting, frustrating, inspiring, and shocking in equal measure (source).

Religion in Kabul & Afghanistan

Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam have each made their mark in various parts and times in the past thousands of years. At present, the main religion is Islam. Surprisingly, there is still a Sikh Temple and one Hindu Temple in Kabul. The Italian Embassy has an official Catholic presence. And up until recently, the last known Jew was still living in Sharenau, Kabul.

Islam is practiced by over 99% of its citizens. Sunni Islam makes up 80-89% of the total population while the remaining 10-19% are Shi’as and about 1% or less practice other religions.

Hinduism is said to have been in Afghanistan since its existence, while Sikhs were brought by the British. A small number of people who practice other religions may also be found in the country (source).

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An Overview of Naples

Naples is the capital of the Campania region. The city is the third most populated municipality (city proper) of Italy, but the second metropolitan area, after Milan. It was founded between the 7th and 6th centuries BC by the Greeks and was named Neapolis, which means new city. Oddly enough with a name that literally means new city, it has one of the biggest historical city centres in the world, and its’ pride are the 448 historical and monumental churches, the highest number in the world for a single city. Its’ territory, particularly the iconic sight of the gulf of Naples (but also Mount Vesuvius, the music, etc. ) is arguably one of the most powerful symbolic images of Italy.
The most widely spoken language in Naples is Italian or a mixture of Italian and Napulitano (Neapolitan). Neapolitan is sometimes described as an Italian dialect, but may be considered a separate and sometimes unintelligible language. Neapolitan does not enjoy any official status, but it does have a rich literary tradition and it is still thriving in Campania and adjacent parts of Lazio, Abruzzo, Basilicata, Molise and Calabria. This said, the official language of Naples (as of all of Italy) is Italian and everyone speaks it. Neapolitan has strong Spanish and French influences originating from their occupation of the area. Therefore, more Spanish and French words are understood by the locals than in other parts of Italy. English is the most commonly spoken foreign language, although the average knowledge of English is far from excellent.

Religion in Italy

Italy is a modern European state that is secular in its government and the traditional power once held by organised religion in Italy is declining. Today, nearly one fifth of the population of Italy profess to be either Atheists or Agnostics, while much of the remainder of people in Italy who do profess a religion do not necessarily follow it that strictly. Nevertheless, in comparison to some other Western European countries, religion is still very much ingrained in the culture of Italy.

Italy is the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the Catholic branch of the Christian religion. It was in Italy that Catholic theology first developed and the Pope, who is the official head of the Catholic religion, resides in the Vatican City in Italy. About 80% of people in Italy identify themselves as followers of the Catholic religion, although regular church attendees represent only between 30-40% of the population of Italy.

While there are other denominations of the Christian religion represented in Italy, these are very small in number. Perhaps the most significant of these religions are the Jehovah’s Witnesses who number approximately half a million people. Other interpretations of the Christian religion in Italy include the Protestants.

Today, the Muslim religion is the second largest religion in Italy. The total number of followers of the Muslim religion in Italy currently stands at about 700,000. However, it should be noted that the majority of followers of the Muslim religion in Italy are either recent immigrants or second generation immigrants to Italy (source).

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An Overview of Cologne

Cologne is the centre of the Cologne/Bonn Region with around 3 million inhabitants (including the neighboring cities of Bonn, Hürth, Leverkusen, and Bergisch Gladbach). According to local statistics, in 2006 the population density in the city was 2,528 inhabitants per square kilometre. 31.4 percent of the population has migrated there, and 17.2 percent of Cologne’s population is non-German. The largest group, comprising 6.3 percent of the total population, is Turkish. As of September 2007, there are about 120,000 Muslims living in Cologne, mostly of Turkish origin. Cologne also has the oldest and one of the largest Jewish communities in Germany. In the city, the population was spread out with 15.5% under the age of 18, 67.0% from 18 to 64 and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older (source).

Cologne (German: Köln) is Germany’s fourth largest city and the largest city in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in the year 38 BC. Cologne lies on the River Rhine and is regularly affected by flooding from the river and is considered the most flood-prone European city. The University of Cologne is one of Europe’s oldest universities and the largest in Germany. Cologne’s international airport is Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN). The airport is shared with the neighbouring city of Bonn.

The city’s famous landmark and unofficial symbol is the Köln Cathedral, a Gothic church, started in 1248, and completed in 1880. It is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. Cologne also has twelve Romanesque Churches, illustrating examples of medieval sacral architecture. The roots of some of the churches date back as far as Roman times, and all the churches, with the exception of St. Maria Lyskirchen, were very badly damaged during World War II. Reconstruction was only finished in the 1990s. Other tourist attractions in the city are the Farina Fragrance museum (the birthplace of Eau de Cologne) and the Chocolate museum officially called Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum (source).

Religion in Germany

Roman Catholicism, one of Germany’s two principal religions, traces its origins to the eighth-century missionary work of Saint Boniface. In the next centuries, Roman Catholicism made more converts and spread eastward. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Knights of the Teutonic Order spread German and Roman Catholic influence by force of arms along the southern Baltic Coast and into Russia. In 1517, however, Martin Luther challenged papal authority and what he saw as the commercialization of his faith. In the process, Luther changed the course of European and world history and established the second major faith in Germany–Protestantism (source).

The second largest religion is Islam with 3.3 million adherents (4%) followed by Buddhism and Judaism. During the last few decades, the two largest churches in Germany (the Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the Roman Catholic Church), have lost significant number of adherents; both are down to roughly 30% (by the end of 2008). With 30.7 % as per the end of 2008, the Catholic Church is still close to its pre–World War II 1939 percentage of 33%.

The most notable losses occurred in the Protestant churches in East Germany largely owing to the atheistic policy under the communistic regime. However, since the fall of the communistic regime two decades ago, the EKD continued losing members, to just below 30% by the end of 2008. Other churches in Germany are all rather small (equal or less than 0.5%). As a result of re-unification (of East and West Germany), the number of Germans without a religion has grown, especially owing to the addition of the eastern states with their large non-religious majority. Due to losses of both the Protestant churches and the Catholic Church in Hamburg, this state has also joined the group of Bundesländer with a non-religious majority.

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An Overview of Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. The city is famous for its harbor as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Cape Town is also Africa’s most popular tourist destination.

Today, it is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa. As of 2007, the city had an estimated population of 3.5 million (source).

Poverty in Cape Town

A large area of wind-blown, flat land, covered predominantly by sand, lies to the north of Cape Town, known merely as the Cape Flats. Described fairly accurately as the ‘dumping ground of apartheid’ it was here that thousands of ‘non-white’ households were forced to move as a result of the Group Areas Act, and today it is home to over a million people who manage to eke out an existence in a combination of townships and informal settlements. Despite its origins, and the harsh conditions under which people still live, taking into account the present government’s housing initiatives, the area is totally unique and has emerged as a vibrant and culturally diverse part of the city that stands in strong contrast to the largely ‘white’ suburbs of Cape Town. Many visitors’ first impression of the mother city is along the N2, lined with tin and wood shacks that smack of poverty and little access to facilities. Even the country’s successful bid for the 2010 Soccer World Cup will not see these shacks vanish. According to the city’s mayor, it will take 30 years to deal with the upgrading of informal settlements, and the city already has a housing backlog of 400 000 units (source)

Religion in South Africa

More than three quarters of South Africans call themselves Christians. The largest single church is the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), which has over 4 million followers. During Christian festivals each year, more than a million ZCC members come together at Zion City in Limpopo province.

The next largest church is the Nederduitse Gereformeerde (NG) or Dutch Reformed Church, which has a congregation of about 3.5 million.

A small proportion of South Africans – about 6% – is made up of Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. Most South African Indians retain the Hindu faith of their original homeland.

The Islamic community, concentrated mostly in the Western Cape, is a small but growing one, while the Jewish community consists of approximately 100,000 followers, mostly situated in Johannesburg.

The remainder of the population is made up of atheists or agnostics, and a small number of people follow traditional African beliefs. The traditions of the latter pervade nominally Christian communities, with African rituals and traditional medicine (muti) still very popular (source).

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