Kochi people

Kochis or Kuchis (from the Persian word: کوچ koch; meaning "migration") are Afghan nomads similar to Arabian Bedouins, primarily from the Ghilji tribal confederacy. Some of the most notable Ghilji Kochi tribes include the Kharoti, Andar and Ahmadzai. Sometimes Durrani tribes can be found among the Kochi, and occasionally there may also be some Baloch people among them that live a pastoral nomadic lifestyle. In the Pashto language, the terms are Kochai (singular) and Kochian (plural). In the Persian language, "Kochi" and "Kochiha" are the singular and plural forms (respectively).

Description

The National Multi-sectoral Assessment of Kochi in 2004, estimated that there are about 2.4 million Kochis in Afghanistan, with around 1.5 million (60%) remaining fully nomadic, and over 100,000 have been displaced due to natural disasters such as flood and drought in the past few years.

History

Kochis historically abstained from politics, because they are nomadic, but under Afghanistan's constitution, they were given ten seats in parliament. Provisions are written into the Afghanistan Constitution (Article 14) aimed at improving the welfare of Kochis, including provisions for housing, representation, and education. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, before the 30 years of war, Kochis owned 30 per cent of the country's goats and sheep and most of the camels for years, and they were largely responsible for the supply of slaughter animals, wool, ghee and quroot to the national economy.

Kuchi (dog)

The Kuchi or Afghan Shepherd (alternatively spelled Coochi and Koochee in English) dog is an Afghan herding dog, taking its name from the Kuchi people of Afghanistan. It is also a guard and working dog following the nomads, protecting caravans and flocks of sheep, goats, camels and other livestock from wolves, big cats and thieves. It is sometimes known as just a local variant of the Central Asian Shepherd Dog and its status as a distinct breed is disputable.

Sage Kuchi or Sage Jangi is the standard Persian name, and the Pashto name is De Kochyano Spai or Jangi Spai, meaning "Dog of the nomads" and "Fighter Dog". It is found around the central and northern parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the surrounding regions in Central Asia. This Mountain dog shares similar genetic background to the Central Asian Ovtcharka (CAO).

Because the dog is intricately associated with nomad life in remote and rugged regions where Western breeding techniques are not used, it is difficult to identify a "true" Kuchi type of dog. Warfare and general unrest in the region has also affected the Kuchi people, of whom many have settled around cities creating ample opportunity for the Kuchi to interbreed with other dogs. There is no organizing body for dogs in Afghanistan and some Kuchi dogs have been exported to Europe.

Ōkuchi, Kagoshima

Ōkuchi (大口市, Ōkuchi-shi) was a city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. It is now part of the city of Isa. The city was founded on April 1, 1954.

As of 2008, the city had an estimated population of 21,643 and the density of 78.02 persons per km². The total area was 291.88 km².

On November 1, 2008, Ōkuchi was merged with the town of Hishikari (from Isa District) to create the city of Isa. Isa District was dissolved as a result of this merger.

Ōkuchi was the northernmost city on the mainland part of Kagoshima Prefecture. Only the island portion of Nagashima extends further north. Ōkuchi is a mountainous area that borders on Kumamoto Prefecture and Miyazaki Prefecture. Part of the southern border of the city is the Sendai River and the artificial lake formed from the Tsuruta dam. It is the only city in Kagoshima Prefecture that is not bordered by the sea.

At one time, Ōkuchi was a prosperous city but has declined for several reasons in recent years. First, there has been a decline in forestry and agriculture in the area, but the aging Japanese population and the flight to larger cities have also been significant factors. For these reasons two Japanese National Railways railway lines that served Ōkuchi were discontinued in the 1987 and 1988. They were the Yamano line that went from Minamata to Kurino and the Miyajo line that went from Sendai to Ōkuchi.