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Location: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east
of Iran
Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 647,500 sq km
land: 647,500 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,
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
Population: 25,824,882 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 5,640,841; female 5,422,460)
15-64 years: 54% (male 7,273,681; female 6,776,750)
65 years and over: 3% (male 374,666; female 336,484) (1999
est.)
Population growth rate: 3.95% (1999 est.)
note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees
Birth rate: 41.93 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 17.02 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 14.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 140.55 deaths/1,000 live births
(1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.33 years
male: 47.82 years
female: 46.82 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.94 children born/woman (1999 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% (1995 est.)
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: transitional government
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: undetermined; 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; the UN has deferred a decision on credentials
and 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: 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]; other smaller
parties are Hizbi Islami-Gulbuddin (Islamic Party) [Gulbuddin HIKMATYAR
faction]; Hizbi Islami-Khalis (Islamic Party) [Yunis KHALIS faction];
Ittihad-i-Islami Barai Azadi Afghanistan (Islamic Union for the
Liberation of Afghanistan) [Abdul Rasul SAYYAF]; Harakat-Inqilab-i-Islami
(Islamic Revolutionary Movement) [Mohammad Nabi MOHAMMADI]; Jabha-i-Najat-i-Milli
Afghanistan (Afghanistan National Liberation Front) [Sibghatullah
MOJADDEDI]; Mahaz-i-Milli-Islami (National Islamic Front) [Sayed
Ahamad GAILANI]; Hizbi Wahdat-Akbari faction (Islamic Unity Party)
[Mohammad Akbar AKBARI]; Harakat-i-Islami (Islamic Movement) [Mohammed
Asif MOHSENI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: tribal elders represent
traditional Pashtun leadership; Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Australia,
US, and elsewhere have organized politically; Peshawar, Pakistan-based
groups such as the Coordination Council for National Unity and Understanding
in Afghanistan or CUNUA [Ishaq GAILANI]; Writers Union of Free Afghanistan
or WUFA [A. Rasul AMIN]; Mellat (Social Democratic Party) [leader
NA]
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
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. Now, only 750,000 registered Afghan refugees
remain in Pakistan and about 1.2 million in Iran. Another 1 million
have probably moved into and around urban areas within Afghanistan.
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. Much of the population continues to suffer
from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Inflation
remains a serious problem throughout the country, with one estimate
putting the rate at 240% in Kabul in 1996. International aid can
deal with only a fraction of the humanitarian problem, let alone
promote economic development. Government efforts to encourage foreign
investment have not worked. The economic situation did not improve
in 1998. Numerical data are likely to be either unavailable or unreliable.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$20 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: NA%
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$800
(1998 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): 240% (1996 est.)
Labor force: 7.1 million
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture and animal
husbandry 67.8%, industry 10.2%, construction 6.3%, commerce 5%,
services and other 10.7% (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: 540 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 35.19%
hydro: 64.81%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 660 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996) (1996)
Electricity—imports: 120 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul
pelts; wool, mutton
Exports: $80 million (1996 est.)
Exports—commodities: 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: food and petroleum products;
most consumer goods
Imports—partners: FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore,
India, South Korea, Germany
Debt—external: $2.3 billion (March 1991 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $214.6 million (1995); note—US
provided $450 million in bilateral assistance (1985-93); 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—4,750 (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 on April 1996
Fiscal year: 21 March—20 March
Telephones: 31,200 (1983 est.)
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 6 (5 are inactive), FM 1,
shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios: 1.67 million (1998 est.)
Television broadcast stations: NA
note: in 1997, there was a station in Mazar-e Sharif reaching
four northern Afghanistan provinces; also, the government ran a
central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine
of the 30 provinces; it is unknown if any of these stations currently
operate
Televisions: 100,000 (1998 est.)
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 (1996 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
Merchant marine:
total: 1 container ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,982
GRT/14,101 DWT (1998 est.)
Airports: 44 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 33
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 10 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 3 (1998 est.)
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: 6,326,135 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,392,336 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 248,320 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: NA%
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 second-largest illicit opium producer
after Burma (cultivation in 1998—41,720 hectares, a 7% increase
over 1997; potential production in 1998—1,350 metric tons)
and 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
Source: 1999 CIA World Factbook
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