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Afghanistan
Main Page
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Background:
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Ahmad
Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun
tribes and founded Afghanistan
in 1747. The country served as a
buffer between the British and
Russian Empires until it won
independence from notional
British control in 1919. A brief
experiment in democracy ended in
a 1973 coup and a 1978 Communist
counter-coup. The Soviet Union
invaded in 1979 to support the
tottering Afghan Communist
regime, touching off a long and
destructive war. The USSR
withdrew in 1989 under
relentless pressure by
internationally supported
anti-Communist mujahedin rebels.
A series of subsequent civil
wars saw Kabul finally fall in
1996 to the Taliban, a hardline
Pakistani-sponsored movement
that emerged in 1994 to end the
country's civil war and anarchy.
Following the 11 September 2001
terrorist attacks in New York
City and Washington, D.C., a US,
Allied, and anti-Taliban
Northern Alliance military
action toppled the Taliban for
sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. The
UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in
2001 established a process for
political reconstruction that
included the adoption of a new
constitution, a presidential
election in 2004, and National
Assembly elections in 2005. In
December 2004, Hamid KARZAI
became the first democratically
elected president of Afghanistan
and the National Assembly was
inaugurated the following
December. Karzai was re-elected
in August 2009 for a second
term. Despite gains toward
building a stable central
government, a resurgent Taliban
and continuing provincial
instability - particularly in
the south and the east - remain
serious challenges for the
Afghan Government.
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Location:
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Southern
Asia, north and west of
Pakistan, east of Iran
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Geographic
coordinates:
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33
00 N, 65 00 E
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Map
references:
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Asia
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Area:
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total:
652,230
sq km
country
comparison to the world: 41
land:
652,230
sq km
water:
0
sq km
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Area
- comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Texas
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Land
boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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0
km (landlocked)
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Maritime
claims:
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none
(landlocked)
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Climate:
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Current
Weather
arid
to semiarid; cold winters and
hot summers
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Terrain:
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mostly
rugged mountains; plains in
north and southwest
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Elevation
extremes:
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lowest
point: Amu
Darya 258 m
highest
point: Noshak
7,485 m
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Natural
resources:
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natural
gas, petroleum, coal, copper,
chromite, talc, barites, sulfur,
lead, zinc, iron ore, salt,
precious and semiprecious stones
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Land
use:
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arable
land: 12.13%
permanent
crops: 0.21%
other:
87.66%
(2005)
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Irrigated
land:
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27,200
sq km (2003)
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Total
renewable water resources:
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65
cu km (1997)
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Freshwater
withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total:
23.26
cu km/yr (2%/0%/98%)
per
capita: 779
cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural
hazards:
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damaging
earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush
mountains; flooding; droughts
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Environment
- current issues:
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limited
natural fresh water resources;
inadequate supplies of potable
water; soil degradation;
overgrazing; deforestation (much
of the remaining forests are
being cut down for fuel and
building materials);
desertification; air and water
pollution
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Environment
- international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed,
but not ratified: Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Life Conservation
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Geography
- note:
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landlocked;
the Hindu Kush mountains that
run northeast to southwest
divide the northern provinces
from the rest of the country;
the highest peaks are in the
northern Vakhan (Wakhan
Corridor)
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Population:
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29,121,286
country
comparison to the world: 41
note:
this
is a significantly revised
figure; the previous estimate of
33,609,937 was extrapolated from
the last Afghan census held in
1979, which was never completed
because of the Soviet invasion;
a new Afghan census is scheduled
to take place in 2010 (July 2010
est.)
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Age
structure:
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0-14
years: 43.6%
(male 6,343,611/female
6,036,673)
15-64
years: 54%
(male 7,864,422/female
7,470,617)
65
years and over: 2.4%
(male 326,873/female 353,520)
(2010 est.)
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Median
age:
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total:
18
years
male:
17.9
years
female:
18
years (2010 est.)
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Population
growth rate:
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2.471%
(2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 33 |
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Birth
rate:
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38.11
births/1,000 population (2010
est.)
country
comparison to the world: 19 |
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Death
rate:
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17.65
deaths/1,000 population (July
2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 3 |
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Net
migration rate:
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4.24
migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 23 |
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Urbanization:
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urban
population: 24%
of total population (2008)
rate
of urbanization: 5.4%
annual rate of change (2005-10
est.)
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Sex
ratio:
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at
birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under
15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.05
male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.92
male(s)/female
total
population: 1.05
male(s)/female (2010 est.)
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Infant
mortality rate:
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total:
151.5
deaths/1,000 live births
country
comparison to the world: 2
male:
155.15
deaths/1,000 live births
female:
147.67
deaths/1,000 live births (2010
est.)
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Life
expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 44.65
years
country
comparison to the world: 221
male:
44.45
years
female:
44.87
years (2010 est.)
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Total
fertility rate:
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5.5
children born/woman (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 13 |
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HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate:
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0.01%
(2001 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 168 |
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HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
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NA
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Major
infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: high
food
or waterborne diseases: bacterial
and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne
disease: malaria
animal
contact disease: rabies
note:
highly
pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza
has been identified in this
country; it poses a negligible
risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who
have close contact with birds
(2009)
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Nationality:
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noun:
Afghan(s)
adjective:
Afghan
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Ethnic
groups:
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Pashtun
42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek
9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch
2%, other 4%
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Religions:
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Sunni
Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%,
other 1%
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Languages:
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Afghan
Persian or Dari (official) 50%,
Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic
languages (primarily Uzbek and
Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages
(primarily Balochi and Pashai)
4%, much bilingualism
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Literacy:
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definition:
age
15 and over can read and write
total
population: 28.1%
male:
43.1%
female:
12.6%
(2000 est.)
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School
life expectancy (primary to
tertiary education):
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total:
8
years
male:
11
years
female:
5
years (2004)
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Education
expenditures:
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NA
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Country
name:
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conventional
long form: Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan
conventional
short form: Afghanistan
local
long form: Jomhuri-ye
Eslami-ye Afghanestan
local
short form: Afghanestan
former:
Republic
of Afghanistan
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Government
type:
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Islamic
republic
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Capital:
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name:
Kabul
geographic
coordinates: 34
31 N, 69 11 E
time
difference: UTC+4.5
(9.5 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative
divisions:
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34
provinces (welayat, singular -
welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,
Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi,
Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor,
Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul,
Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar,
Kunduz, Laghman, Logar,
Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan,
Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir,
Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul,
Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul
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Independence:
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19
August 1919 (from UK control
over Afghan foreign affairs)
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National
holiday:
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Independence
Day, 19 August (1919)
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Constitution:
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constitution
drafted 14 December 2003-4
January 2004; signed 16 January
2004; ratified 26 January 2004
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Legal
system:
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based
on mixed civil and sharia law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal
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Executive
branch:
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chief
of state: President
of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since
7 December 2004); First Vice
President Mohammad FAHIM Khan
(since 19 November 2009); Second
Vice President Abdul Karim
KHALILI (since 7 December 2004);
note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of
government
head
of government: President
of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since
7 December 2004); First Vice
President Mohammad FAHIM Khan
(since 19 November 2009); Second
Vice President Abdul Karim
KHALILI (since 7 December 2004)
cabinet:
25
ministers; note - ministers are
appointed by the president and
approved by the National
Assembly
(For
more information visit the World
Leaders website )
elections:
the
president and two vice
presidents elected by direct
vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); if
no candidate receives 50% or
more of the vote in the first
round of voting, the two
candidates with the most votes
will participate in a second
round; election last held on 20
August 2009 (next to be held in
2014)
election
results: Hamid
KARZAI reelected president;
percent of vote (first round) -
Hamid KARZAI 49.67%, Abdullah
ABDULLAH 30.59%, Ramazan
BASHARDOST 10.46%, Ashraf GHANI
2.94%; other 6.34%; note -
ABDULLAH conceded the election
to KARZAI following the first
round vote
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Legislative
branch:
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the
bicameral National Assembly
consists of the Meshrano Jirga
or House of Elders (102 seats,
one-third of members elected
from provincial councils for
four-year terms, one-third
elected from local district
councils for three-year terms,
and one-third nominated by the
president for five-year terms)
and the Wolesi Jirga or House of
People (no more than 250 seats);
members directly elected for
five-year terms
note:
on
rare occasions the government
may convene a Loya Jirga (Grand
Council) on issues of
independence, national
sovereignty, and territorial
integrity; it can amend the
provisions of the constitution
and prosecute the president; it
is made up of members of the
National Assembly and
chairpersons of the provincial
and district councils
elections:
last
held on 18 September 2010 (next
election expected in 2015)
election
results: NA
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Judicial
branch:
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the
constitution establishes a
nine-member Stera Mahkama or
Supreme Court (its nine justices
are appointed for 10-year terms
by the president with approval
of the Wolesi Jirga) and
subordinate High Courts and
Appeals Courts; there is also a
minister of justice; a separate
Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission established by the
Bonn Agreement is charged with
investigating human rights
abuses and war crimes
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Political
parties and leaders:
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Afghanistan
Peoples' Treaty Party [Sayyed
Amir TAHSEEN]; Afghanistan's
Islamic Mission Organization
[Abdul Rasoul SAYYAF];
Afghanistan's Islamic Nation
Party [Toran Noor Aqa Ahmad ZAI];
Afghanistan's National Islamic
Party [Rohullah LOUDIN];
Afghanistan's Welfare Party [Meer
Asef ZAEEFI]; Afghan Social
Democratic Party [Anwarul Haq
AHADI]; Afghan Society for the
Call to the Koran and Sunna [Mawlawee
Samiullah NAJEEBEE];
Comprehensive Movement of
Democracy and Development of
Afghanistan Party [Sher Mohammad
BAZGAR]; Democratic Party of
Afghanistan [Al-hajj Mohammad
Tawos ARAB]; Democratic Party of
Afghanistan [Abdul Kabir RANJBAR];
Elites People of Afghanistan
Party [Abdul Hamid JAWAD];
Freedom and Democracy Movement
of Afghanistan [Abdul Raqib
Jawid KOHISTANEE]; Freedom Party
of Afghanistan [Abdul MALEK];
Freedom Party of Afghanistan
[Dr. Ghulam Farooq NEJRABEE];
Hizullah-e-Afghanistan [Qari
Ahmad ALI]; Human Rights
Protection and Development Party
of Afghanistan [Baryalai NASRATI];
Islamic Justice Party of
Afghanistan [Mohammad Kabir
MARZBAN]; Islamic Movement of
Afghanistan [Mohammad Ali JAWID];
Islamic Movement of Afghanistan
Party [Mohammad Mukhtar MUFLEH];
Islamic Party of Afghanistan
[Mohammad Khalid FAROOQI, Abdul
Hadi ARGHANDIWAL]; Islamic Party
of the Afghan Land [Mohammad
Hassan FEROZKHEL]; Islamic
People's Movement of Afghanistan
[Al-haj Said Hussain ANWARY];
Islamic Society of Afghanistan [Ustad
RABBANI]; Islamic Unity of the
Nation of Afghanistan Party [Qurban
Ali URFANI]; Islamic Unity Party
of Afghanistan [Mohammad Karim
KHALILI]; Islamic Unity Party of
the People of Afghanistan [Haji
Mohammad MOHAQQEQ]; Labor and
Progress of Afghanistan Party [Zulfiqar
OMID]; Muslim People of
Afghanistan Party [Besmellah
JOYAN]; Muslim Unity Movement
Party of Afghanistan [Wazir
Mohammad WAHDAT]; National and
Islamic Sovereignty Movement
Party of Afghanistan [Ahmad Shah
AHMADZAI]; National Congress
Party of Afghanistan [Abdul
Latif PEDRAM]; National Country
Party [Ghulam MOHAMMAD];
National Development Party of
Afghanistan [Dr. Assef BAKTASH];
National Freedom Seekers Party
[Abdul Hadi DABEER]; National
Independence Party of
Afghanistan [Taj Mohammad WARDAK];
National Islamic Fighters Party
of Afghanistan [Amanat
NINGARHAREE]; National Islamic
Front of Afghanistan [Pir Sayed
Ahmad GAILANEE]; National
Islamic Moderation Party of
Afghanistan [Qara Baik IZADYAR];
National Islamic Movement of
Afghanistan [Sayed NOORULLAH]
National
Islamic Unity Party of
Afghanistan [Mohammad AKBAREE];
National Movement of Afghanistan
[Ahmad Wali MASOOUD]; National
Party of Afghanistan [Abdul
Rashid ARYAN]; National Patch of
Afghanistan Party [Sayed Kamal
SADAT]; National Peace Islamic
Party of Afghanistan [Shah
Mohammood Popal ZAI]; National
Peace & Islamic Party of the
Tribes of Afghanistan [Abdul
Qaher SHARIATEE]; National Peace
& Unity Party of Afghanistan
[Abdul Qader IMAMI]; National
Prosperity and Islamic Party of
Afghanistan [Mohammad Osman
SALEKZADA]; National Prosperity
Party [Mohammad Hassan JAHFAREE];
National Solidarity Movement of
Afghanistan [Pir Sayed Eshaq
GAILANEE]; National Solidarity
Party of Afghanistan [Sayed
Mansoor NADREEI]; National
Sovereignty Party [Sayed Mustafa
KAZEMI]; National Stability
Party [Mohammad Same KHAROTI];
National Stance Party [Habibullah
JANEBDAR]; National Tribal Unity
Islamic Party of Afghanistan
[Mohammad Shah KHOGYANI];
National Unity Movement [Sultan
Mohammad GHAZI]; National Unity
Movement of Afghanistan
[Mohammad Nadir AATASH];
National Unity Party of
Afghanistan [Abdul Rashid JALILI];
New Afghanistan Party [Mohammad
Yunis QANUNI]; Peace and
National Welfare Activists
Society [Shamsul al-Haq Noor
SHAMS]; Peace Movement [Shahnawaz
TANAI]; People's Aspirations
Party of Afghanistan [Ilhaj
Saraj-u-din ZAFAREE]; People's
Freedom Seekers Party of
Afghanistan [Feda Mohammad EHSAS];
People's Liberal Freedom Seekers
Party of Afghanistan [Ajmal
SUHAIL]; People's Message Party
of Afghanistan [Noor Aqa WAINEE];
People's Movement of the
National Unity of Afghanistan
[Abdul Hakim NOORZAI]; People's
Party of Afghanistan [Ahmad Shah
ASAR]; People's Prosperity Party
of Afghanistan [Ustad Mohammad
ZAREEF]; People's Sovereignty
Movement of Afghanistan [Hayatullah
SUBHANEE]; People's Uprising
Party of Afghanistan [Sayed
Zahir Qayedam Al-BELADI];
People's Welfare Party of
Afghanistan [Miagul WASIQ];
People's Welfare Party of
Afghanistan [Mohammad Zubair
PAIROZ]; Progressive Democratic
Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad
Wali ARYA]; Republican Party [Sebghatullah
SANJAR]; Solidarity Party of
Afghanistan [Abdul Khaleq NEMAT];
The Afghanistan's Mujahid
Nation's Islamic Unity Movement
[Saeedullah SAEED]; The People
of Afghanistan's Democratic
Movement [Mohammad Sharif NAZARI];
Tribes Solidarity Party of
Afghanistan [Mohammad Zarif
NASERI]; Understanding and
Democracy Party of Afghanistan [Ahamad
SHAHEEN]
United
Afghanistan Party [Mohammad
Wasil RAHIMEE]; United Islamic
Party of Afghanistan [Wahidullah
SABAWOON]; Young Afghanistan's
Islamic Organization [Sayed
Jawad HUSSINEE]; Youth
Solidarity Party of Afghanistan
[Mohammad Jamil KARZAI]; note -
includes only political parties
approved by the Ministry of
Justice
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Political
pressure groups and leaders:
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other:
religious
groups; tribal leaders;
ethnically based groups; Taliban
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International
organization participation:
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ADB,
CICA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA,
NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner),
SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
(observer)
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Diplomatic
representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires
Khojesta F. EBRAHIMKHEL
chancery:
2341
Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008
telephone:
[1]
(202) 483-6410
FAX:
[1]
(202) 483-6488
consulate(s)
general: Los
Angeles, New York
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Diplomatic
representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador
Karl W. EIKENBERRY
embassy:
The
Great Masood Road, Kabul
mailing
address: U.S.
Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806
telephone:
[93]
0700 108 001
FAX:
[93]
0700 108 564
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Flag
description:
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three
equal vertical bands of black
(hoist side), red, and green,
with the national emblem in
white centered on the red band
and slightly overlapping the
other two bands; the center of
the emblem features a mosque
with pulpit and flags on either
side, below the mosque are
numerals for the solar year 1298
(1919 in the Gregorian calendar,
the year of Afghan independence
from the UK); this central image
is circled by a border
consisting of sheaves of wheat
on the left and right, in the
upper-center is an Arabic
inscription of the Shahada
(Muslim creed) below which are
rays of the rising sun over the
Takbir (Arabic expression
meaning "God is
great"), and at bottom
center is a scroll bearing the
name Afghanistan; black
signifies the past, red is for
the blood shed for independence,
and green can represent either
hope for the future,
agricultural prosperity, or
Islam
note:
Afghanistan
had more changes to its national
flag in the 20th century than
any other country; the colors
black, red, and green appeared
on most of them
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National
anthem:
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name:
"Milli
Surood" (National Anthem)
lyrics/music:
Abdul
Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA
note:
adopted
2006; the 2004 constitution of
the post-Taliban government
mandated that a new national
anthem should be written
containing the phrase "Allahu
Akbar" (God is Great) and
mentioning the names of
Afghanistan's ethnic groups
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Economy
- overview:
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Afghanistan's
economy is recovering from
decades of conflict. The economy
has improved significantly since
the fall of the Taliban regime
in 2001 largely because of the
infusion of international
assistance, the recovery of the
agricultural sector, and service
sector growth. Despite the
progress of the past few years,
Afghanistan is extremely poor,
landlocked, and highly dependent
on foreign aid, agriculture, and
trade with neighboring
countries. Much of the
population continues to suffer
from shortages of housing, clean
water, electricity, medical
care, and jobs. Criminality,
insecurity, weak governance, and
the Afghan Government's
inability to extend rule of law
to all parts of the country pose
challenges to future economic
growth. Afghanistan's living
standards are among the lowest
in the world. While the
international community remains
committed to Afghanistan's
development, pledging over $67
billion at four donors'
conferences since 2002, the
Government of Afghanistan will
need to overcome a number of
challenges, including low
revenue collection, anemic job
creation, high levels of
corruption, weak government
capacity, and poor public
infrastructure.
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|
GDP
(purchasing power parity):
|
$29.81
billion (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 109
$27.38
billion (2009 est.)
$22.34
billion (2008 est.)
note:
data
are in 2010 US dollars
|
|
GDP
(official exchange rate):
|
$16.63
billion (2010 est.)
|
|
GDP
- real growth rate:
|
8.9%
(2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 6
22.5%
(2009 est.)
3.4%
(2008 est.)
|
|
GDP
- per capita (PPP):
|
$1,000
(2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 212
$1,000
(2009 est.)
$800
(2008 est.)
note:
data
are in 2010 US dollars
|
|
GDP
- composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
31%
industry:
26%
services:
43%
note:
data
exclude opium production (2008
est.)
|
|
Labor
force:
|
15
million (2004 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 39 |
|
Labor
force - by occupation:
|
agriculture:
78.6%
industry:
5.7%
services:
15.7%
(FY08/09 est.)
|
|
Unemployment
rate:
|
35%
(2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 183
40%
(2005 est.)
|
|
Population
below poverty line:
|
36%
(FY08/09)
|
|
Household
income or consumption by
percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: NA%
highest
10%: NA%
|
|
Inflation
rate (consumer prices):
|
13.3%
(2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 214
20.7%
(2008 est.)
|
|
Commercial
bank prime lending rate:
|
15%
(31 December 2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 48
14.92%
(31 December 2008 est.)
|
|
Stock
of narrow money:
|
$3.943
billion (31 December 2009)
country
comparison to the world: 100
$2.819
billion (31 December 2008)
|
|
Stock
of broad money:
|
$4.149
billion (31 December 2009)
country
comparison to the world: 125
$2.915
billion (31 December 2008)
|
|
Stock
of domestic credit:
|
$363.6
million (31 December 2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 166
$20.06
million (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Market
value of publicly traded shares:
|
$NA
|
|
Agriculture
- products:
|
opium,
wheat, fruits, nuts; wool,
mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
|
|
Industries:
|
small-scale
production of textiles, soap,
furniture, shoes, fertilizer,
apparel, food-products,
non-alcoholic beverages, mineral
water, cement; handwoven
carpets; natural gas, coal,
copper
|
|
Industrial
production growth rate:
|
NA%
|
|
Electricity
- production:
|
285.5
million kWh (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 168 |
|
Electricity
- consumption:
|
231.1
million kWh (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 175 |
|
Electricity
- exports:
|
0
kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity
- imports:
|
230
million kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil
- production:
|
0
bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 116 |
|
Oil
- consumption:
|
5,000
bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 164 |
|
Oil
- exports:
|
0
bbl/day (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 138 |
|
Oil
- imports:
|
4,404
bbl/day (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 161 |
|
Oil
- proved reserves:
|
0
bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 99 |
|
Natural
gas - production:
|
30
million cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 84 |
|
Natural
gas - consumption:
|
30
million cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 108 |
|
Natural
gas - exports:
|
0
cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 46 |
|
Natural
gas - imports:
|
0
cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 70 |
|
Natural
gas - proved reserves:
|
49.55
billion cu m (1 January 2010
est.)
country
comparison to the world: 65 |
|
Current
account balance:
|
-$2.475
billion (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 160
$85
million (2008 est.)
|
|
Exports:
|
$547
million (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 164
$603
million (2008 est.); note - not
including illicit exports or
reexports
|
|
Exports
- commodities:
|
opium,
fruits and nuts, handwoven
carpets, wool, cotton, hides and
pelts, precious and
semi-precious gems
|
|
Exports
- partners:
|
US
26.47%, India 23.09%, Pakistan
17.36%, Tajikistan 12.51% (2009)
|
|
Imports:
|
$5.3
billion (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 109
$4.5
billion (2007)
|
|
Imports
- commodities:
|
machinery
and other capital goods, food,
textiles, petroleum products
|
|
Imports
- partners:
|
Pakistan
26.78%, US 24.81%, India 5.15%,
Germany 5.06%, Russia 4.04%
(2009)
|
|
Debt
- external:
|
$2.7
billion (2008/2009)
country
comparison to the world: 134
$8
billion (2004)
|
|
Exchange
rates:
|
afghanis
(AFA) per US dollar - 50.23
(2009), 50.25 (2008), 50 (2007),
46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48
(2004)
|
|
|
|
Communications
::Afghanistan |
|
129,300
(2009)
country
comparison to the world: 139 |
|
Telephones
- mobile cellular:
|
12
million (2009)
country
comparison to the world: 57 |
|
Telephone
system:
|
general
assessment: limited
fixed-line telephone service; an
increasing number of Afghans
utilize mobile-cellular phone
networks
domestic:
aided
by the presence of multiple
providers, mobile-cellular
telephone service continues to
improve rapidly
international:
country
code - 93; multiple VSAT's
provide international and
domestic voice and data
connectivity (2009)
|
|
Broadcast
media:
|
state-owned
broadcaster, Radio Television
Afghanistan (RTA), operates a
series of radio and television
stations in Kabul and the
provinces; an estimated 50
private radio stations, 8 TV
networks, and about a dozen
international broadcasters are
available; more than 30
community-based radio stations
broadcasting (2007)
|
|
Internet
country code:
|
.af
|
|
Internet
hosts:
|
46
(2010)
country
comparison to the world: 211 |
|
Internet
users:
|
1
million (2009)
country
comparison to the world: 98 |
|
Communications
- note:
|
Internet
access is growing through
Internet cafes as well as public
"telekiosks" in Kabul
(2005)
|
|
|
|
Transportation
::Afghanistan |
Airports:
|
53
(2010)
country
comparison to the world: 89 |
|
Airports
- with paved runways:
|
total:
19
over
3,047 m: 4
2,438
to 3,047 m: 3
1,524
to 2,437 m: 8
914
to 1,523 m: 2
under
914 m: 2
(2010)
|
|
Airports
- with unpaved runways:
|
total:
34
2,438
to 3,047 m: 5
1,524
to 2,437 m: 14
914
to 1,523 m: 6
under
914 m: 9
(2010)
|
|
Heliports:
|
11
(2010)
|
|
Pipelines:
|
gas
466 km (2009)
|
|
Roadways:
|
total:
42,150
km
country
comparison to the world: 87
paved:
12,350
km
unpaved:
29,800
km (2006)
|
|
Waterways:
|
1,200
km; (chiefly Amu Darya, which
handles vessels up to 500 DWT)
(2008)
country
comparison to the world: 59 |
|
Ports
and terminals:
|
Kheyrabad,
Shir Khan
|
|
|
|
Military
branches:
|
Afghan
Armed Forces: Afghan National
Army (ANA, includes Afghan
National Army Air Force, ANAAF)
(2010)
|
|
Military
service age and obligation:
|
22
years of age; inductees are
contracted into service for a
4-year term (2005)
|
|
Manpower
available for military service:
|
males
age 16-49: 6,800,888
females
age 16-49: 6,413,647
(2010 est.)
|
|
Manpower
fit for military service:
|
males
age 16-49: 3,888,358
females
age 16-49: 3,641,998
(2010 est.)
|
|
Manpower
reaching militarily significant
age annually:
|
male:
378,996
female:
357,822
(2010 est.)
|
|
Military
expenditures:
|
1.9%
of GDP (2009)
country
comparison to the world: 75
|
|
|
|
Transnational
Issues ::Afghanistan |
Disputes
- international:
|
Pakistan
has built fences in some
portions of its border with
Afghanistan which remains open
in some areas to foreign
terrorists and other illegal
activities
|
|
Refugees
and internally displaced
persons:
|
IDPs:
132,246
(mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis
displaced in south and west due
to drought and instability)
(2007)
|
|
Illicit
drugs:
|
world's
largest producer of opium; poppy
cultivation decreased 22% to
157,000 hectares in 2008 but
remains at a historically high
level; less favorable growing
conditions in 2008 reduced
potential opium production to
5,500 metric tons, down 31
percent from 2007; if the entire
opium crop were processed, 648
metric tons of pure heroin
potentially could be produced;
the Taliban and other
antigovernment groups
participate in and profit from
the opiate trade, which is a key
source of revenue for the
Taliban inside Afghanistan;
widespread corruption and
instability impede counterdrug
efforts; most of the heroin
consumed in Europe and Eurasia
is derived from Afghan opium;
vulnerable to drug money
laundering through informal
financial networks; regional
source of hashish (2008)
|
|
|
|
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