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Afghanistan
[Top of Page]
Background: Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by
the Soviet Union in 1979. The USSR was forced to withdraw 10
years later by anti-communist mujahidin forces supplied and trained
by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others. Fighting subsequently
continued among the various mujahidin factions, but the fundamentalist
Islamic Taliban movement has been able to seize most of the country.
In addition to the continuing civil strife, the country suffers
from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread
live mines.
[Top of Page]
Location: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan,
east of Iran
Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 652,000 sq km
land: 652,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,529 km
border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430
km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137
km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and
southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper,
chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt,
precious and semiprecious stones
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 39% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 30,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu
Kush mountains; flooding
Environment - current issues: soil degradation; overgrazing;
deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down
for fuel and building materials); desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: landlocked
[Top of Page]
Population: 25,838,797 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.37% (male 5,598,403; female 5,371,054)
15-64 years: 54.86% (male 7,362,961; female 6,839,914)
65 years and over: 2.77% (male 378,741; female 337,724)
(2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.54% (2000 est.)
note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees
from Iran
Birth rate: 41.82 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 18.01 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 11.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 149.28 deaths/1,000 live births
(2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 45.88 years
male: 46.62 years
female: 45.1 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.87 children born/woman (2000
est.)
Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan
Ethnic groups: Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara
19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)
Religions: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other
1%
Languages: Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic
languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages
(primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 31.5%
male: 47.2%
female: 15% (1999 est.)
[Top of Page]
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic State of Afghanistan;
note - the self-proclaimed Taliban government refers to the country
as Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan
Data code: AF
Government type: no functioning central government,
administered by factions
Capital: Kabul
Administrative divisions: 30 provinces (velayat, singular
- velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah,
Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar,
Kapisa, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan,
Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak,
Zabol
note: there may be two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan)
and Khowst
Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK control over
Afghan foreign affairs)
National holiday: Victory of the Muslim Nation, 28
April; Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled, 4 May; Independence
Day, 19 August
Constitution: none
Legal system: a new legal system has not been adopted
but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic
law)
Suffrage: NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Executive branch: on 27 September 1996, the ruling
members of the Afghan Government were displaced by members of
the Islamic Taliban movement; the Islamic State of Afghanistan
has no functioning government at this time, and the country remains
divided among fighting factions
note: the Taliban have declared themselves the legitimate
government of Afghanistan; however, the UN still recognizes the
government of Burhanuddin RABBANI; the Organization of the Islamic
Conference has left the Afghan seat vacant until the question
of legitimacy can be resolved through negotiations among the
warring factions; the country is essentially divided along ethnic
lines; the Taliban controls the capital of Kabul and approximately
two-thirds of the country including the predominately ethnic
Pashtun areas in southern Afghanistan; opposing factions have
their stronghold in the ethnically diverse north
Legislative branch: non-functioning as of June 1993
Judicial branch: non-functioning as of March 1995,
although there are local Shari'a (Islamic law) courts throughout
the country
Political parties and leaders: Harakat-i-Islami (Islamic
Movement) [Mohammed Asif MOHSENI]; Harakat-Inqilab-i-Islami (Islamic
Revolutionary Movement) [Mohammad Nabi MOHAMMADI]; Hizbi Islami-Gulbuddin
(Islamic Party) [Gulbuddin HIKMATYAR faction]; Hizbi Islami-Khalis
(Islamic Party) [Yunis KHALIS faction]; Hizbi Wahdat-Akbari faction
(Islamic Unity Party) [Mohammad Akbar AKBARI]; Ittihad-i-Islami
Barai Azadi Afghanistan (Islamic Union for the Liberation of
Afghanistan) [Abdul Rasul SAYYAF]; Jabha-i-Najat-i-Milli Afghanistan
(Afghanistan National Liberation Front) [Sibghatullah MOJADDEDI];
Mahaz-i-Milli-Islami (National Islamic Front) [Sayed Ahamad GAILANI];
Taliban (Religious Students Movement) [Mohammad OMAR]; United
Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan comprised of Jumbesh-i-Melli
Islami (National Islamic Movement) [Abdul Rashid DOSTAM]; Jamiat-i-Islami
(Islamic Society) [Burhanuddin RABBANI and Ahmad Shah MASOOD];
and Hizbi Wahdat-Khalili faction (Islamic Unity Party) [Abdul
Karim KHALILI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Afghan refugees
in Pakistan, Australia, US, and elsewhere have organized politically;
Mellat (Social Democratic Party) [leader NA]; Peshawar, Pakistan-based
groups such as the Coordination Council for National Unity and
Understanding in Afghanistan or CUNUA [Ishaq GAILANI]; tribal
elders represent traditional Pashtun leadership; Writers Union
of Free Afghanistan or WUFA [A. Rasul AMIN]
International organization participation: AsDB, CP,
ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM,
OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
note: embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-3770
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3516
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US embassy
in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green
(top), white, and black with a gold emblem centered on the three
bands; the emblem features a temple-like structure with Islamic
inscriptions above and below, encircled by a wreath on the left
and right and by a bolder Islamic inscription above, all of which
are encircled by two crossed scimitars
note: the Taliban uses a plain white flag
[Top of Page]
Economy - overview: Afghanistan is an extremely poor,
landlocked country, highly dependent on farming and livestock
raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations have played
second fiddle to political and military upheavals during two
decades of war, including the nearly 10-year Soviet military
occupation (which ended 15 February 1989). During that conflict
one-third of the population fled the country, with Pakistan and
Iran sheltering a combined peak of more than 6 million refugees.
In early 1999, 1.2 million Afghan refugees remained in Pakistan
and about 1.4 million in Iran. Gross domestic product has fallen
substantially over the past 20 years because of the loss of labor
and capital and the disruption of trade and transport. The majority
of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food,
clothing, housing, and medical care. Inflation remains a serious
problem throughout the country. International aid can deal with
only a fraction of the humanitarian problem, let alone promote
economic development. The economic situation did not improve
in 1998-99, as internal civil strife continued, hampering both
domestic economic policies and international aid efforts. Numerical
data are likely to be either unavailable or unreliable. Afghanistan
was by far the largest producer of opium poppies in 1999, and
narcotics trafficking is a major source of revenue.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $21 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (1999
est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 53%
industry: 28.5%
services: 18.5% (1990)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: 8 million (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 68%, industry
16%, services 16% (1980 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: small-scale production of textiles, soap,
furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets;
natural gas, oil, coal, copper
Electricity - production: 430 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 41.86%
hydro: 58.14%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 510 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 110 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: opium poppies, wheat, fruits,
nuts, karakul pelts; wool, mutton
Exports: $80 million (does not include opium) (1996
est.)
Exports - commodities: opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven
carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious
gems
Exports - partners: FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India,
UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic
Imports: $150 million (1996 est.)
Imports - commodities: capital goods, food and petroleum
products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners: FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore,
India, South Korea, Germany
Debt - external: $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: US provided about $70 million
in humanitarian assistance in 1997; US continues to contribute
to multilateral assistance through the UN programs of food aid,
immunization, land mine removal, and a wide range of aid to refugees
and displaced persons
Currency: 1 afghani (AF) = 100 puls
Exchange rates: afghanis (Af) per US$1 - 4,700 (January
2000), 4,750 (February 1999), 17,000 (December 1996), 7,000 (January
1995), 1,900 (January 1994), 1,019 (March 1993), 850 (1991);
note - these rates reflect the free market exchange rates rather
than the official exchange rate, which was fixed at 50.600 afghanis
to the dollar until 1996, when it rose to 2,262.65 per dollar,
and finally became fixed again at 3,000.00 per dollar in April
1996
Fiscal year: 21 March - 20 March
[Top of Page]
Telephones - main lines in use: 31,200 (1983); note
- there were 21,000 main lines in use in Kabul in 1998
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system:
domestic: very limited telephone and telegraph service;
in 1997, telecommunications links were established between Mazar-e
Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul through satellite
and microwave systems
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean) linked only to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean
region); commercial satellite telephone center in Ghazni
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7 (6 are inactive; the
active station is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in
Pushtu, Dari, Urdu, and English) (1999)
Radios: 167,000 (1999)
Television broadcast stations: at least 10 (one government
run central television station in Kabul and regional stations
in nine of the 30 provinces; the regional stations operate on
a reduced schedule; also, in 1997, there was a station in Mazar-e
Sharif reaching four northern Afghanistan provinces) (1998)
Televisions: 100,000 (1999)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
[Top of Page]
Railways:
total: 24.6 km
broad gauge: 9.6 km 1.524-m gauge from Gushgy (Turkmenistan)
to Towraghondi; 15 km 1.524-m gauge from Termiz (Uzbekistan)
to Kheyrabad transshipment point on south bank of Amu Darya
Highways:
total: 21,000 km
paved: 2,793 km
unpaved: 18,207 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles
vessels up to about 500 DWT
Pipelines: petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram
and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas 180 km
Ports and harbors: Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Airports: 46 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 32
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 11 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 3 (1999 est.)
[Top of Page]
Military branches: NA; note - the military does not
exist on a national basis; some elements of the former Army,
Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Forces,
National Police Force (Sarandoi), and tribal militias still exist
but are factionalized among the various groups
Military manpower - military age: 22 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,401,980 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,432,236 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 244,958 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
[Top of Page]
Disputes - international: support to Islamic militants
worldwide by some factions; question over which group should
hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN
Illicit drugs: world's largest illicit opium producer,
surpassing Burma (potential production in 1999 - 1,670 metric
tons; cultivation in 1999 - 51,500 hectares, a 23% increase over
1998); a major source of hashish; increasing number of heroin-processing
laboratories being set up in the country; major political factions
in the country profit from drug trade
[The
World Factbook Home (external link)
George S.
Patton's speech to the Third Army / Leonard Pitts' column / CIA
Factbook file on Afghanistan / Know your Foe! / (The
Ground Zero Cross) / (A Poem for
A Marine at Christmas/ Video
Phone Technology
|