|
|
|
|
Afghanistan
Main Page
|
|
Afghanistan
Politics
|
Country name:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Government
type:
|
|
Islamic
republic
|
|
|
Capital:
|
|
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)
|
|
|
Administrative
divisions:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Independence:
|
|
19 August 1919
(from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
|
|
|
National
holiday:
|
|
Independence
Day, 19 August (1919)
|
|
|
Constitution:
|
|
constitution
drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16
January 2004; ratified 26 January 2004
|
|
|
Legal system:
|
|
based on mixed
civil and sharia law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
|
|
|
Suffrage:
|
|
18 years of
age; universal
|
|
|
Executive
branch:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Legislative
branch:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Judicial
branch:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Political
parties and leaders:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Political
pressure groups and leaders:
|
|
other: religious
groups; tribal leaders; ethnically based groups;
Taliban
|
|
|
International
organization participation:
|
|
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)
|
|
|
Diplomatic
representation in the US:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Diplomatic
representation from the US:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Flag
description:
|
|
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
|
|
|
National
anthem:
|
|
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
|
cia
fact
|
AsianInfo.org
supports I.C.E.Y. -
H.O.P.E. (non-profit org)
(International
Cooperation of Environmental Youth - Helping Our Polluted
Earth) Any advertisement you view helps save the
environment! Thanks! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
