|
|
Geography
|
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) |
Location: | Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran |
Geographic coordinates: | 33 00 N, 65 00 E |
Area: |
total: 652,230 sq km
land: 652,230 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Size comparison: 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: Noshak 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: 12.13%
permanent crops: 0.21% other:
87.66% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 31,990 sq km (2008) |
Natural hazards: | damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts |
Current Environment Issues: |
limited natural freshwater
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 |
International Environment Agreements: |
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 |
|
People
|
Population: |
29,835,392 (July 2011 est.)
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 |
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 42.3% (male
6,464,070/female 6,149,468) 15-64 years:
55.3% (male 8,460,486/female 8,031,968) 65 years and
over: 2.4% (male 349,349/female 380,051) (2011 est.) |
Median age: |
total: 18.2 years
male: 18.2 years female:
18.2 years (2011 est.) |
Population growth rate: | 2.375% (2011 est.) |
Birth rate: | 37.83 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
Death rate: | 17.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
Net migration rate: | 3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
Sex ratio: |
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 (2011 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 149.2 deaths/1,000 live
births male:
152.75 deaths/1,000 live births female:
145.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 45.02 years
male: 44.79
years female: 45.25 years (2011 est.) |
Total fertility rate: | 5.39 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.01% (2001 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
Nationality: | noun: Afghan(s) adjective: Afghan |
Ethnic groups: |
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%,
Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4% |
Religions: | Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1% |
Languages: |
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 |
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over
can read and write total population: 28.1%
male: 43.1% female:
12.6% (2000 est.) |
|
Government
|
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: | mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law |
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:
results by party - NA; note - ethnicity is the main factor
influencing political alliances; compositon of Loya Jirga seats by
ethnic groups - Pashtun 96, Hazara 61, Tajik 53, Uzbek 15, Aimak 8, Arab
8, Turkmen 3, Nuristani 2, Baloch 1, Pahhai 1, Turkic 1; women hold 68
seats |
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, 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
Eklil Ahmad HAKIMI 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
Ryan CROCKER 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 |
|
Economy
|
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. |
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$27.36 billion (2010 est.)
$25.28 billion (2009 est.) $20.92 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $15.61 billion (2010 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate: |
8.2% (2010 est.)
20.9% (2009 est.) 3.6% (2008
est.) |
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
GDP - per capita (PPP): $900
(2010 est.) $900 (2009 est.)
$800 (2008 est.) note: data are
in 2010 US dollars |
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 31.6%
industry: 26.3% services:
42.1% note: data exclude opium
production (2008 est.) |
Labor force: | 15 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 78.6%
industry: 5.7% services:
15.7% (FY08/09 est.) |
Unemployment rate: | 35% (2008 est.) 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): |
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.3% (2009 est.) 20.7% (2008
est.) |
Budget: |
revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $3.3 billion note:
Afghanistan has also received $2.6 billion from the
Reconstruction Trust Fund and $63 million from the Law and Order Trust
Fund (FY09/10 est.) |
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..) |
Electricity - consumption: | 231.1 million kWh (2009 est.) |
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
Electricity - imports: | 120 million kWh (2008 est.) |
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
Oil - consumption: | 4,800 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
Oil - imports: | 4,512 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
Natural gas - production: | 30 million cu m (2009 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption: | 30 million cu m (2009 est.) |
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
Current account balance: |
-$2.475 billion (2009 est.)
$85 million (2008 est.) |
Exports: |
$547 million (2009 est.)
$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: | Pakistan 25.9%, India 25.5%, US 14.9%, Tajikistan 9.6%, Germany 5% (2010) |
Imports: | $5.3 billion (2008 est.) $4.5 billion (2007) |
Imports - commodities: | machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products |
Imports - partners: | US 29.1%, Pakistan 23.3%, India 7.6%, Russia 4.5%, Germany 4.2% (2010) |
Debt - external: | $2.7 billion (FY08/09) $8 billion (2004) |
Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
Exchange rates: | afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 46.45 (2010) 50.23 (2009) |
|
Communications
|
Telephones in use: | 129,300 (2009) country comparison to the world: 140 |
Cellular Phones in use: | 12 million (2009) |
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) |
Radio broadcast stations: |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
|
Internet country code: | .af |
Internet hosts: | 46 (2010) |
Internet users: | 1 million (2009) |
|
Transportation
|
Airports: | 53 (2010) country comparison to the world: 90 |
Airports (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 (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 (2010) |
Roadways: |
total: 42,150 km
paved: 12,350 km
unpaved: 29,800 km (2006) |
Waterways: |
1,200 km; (chiefly Amu
Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2008)
|
Ports and terminals: | Kheyrabad, Shir Khan |
|
Military
|
|
Military branches: | Afghan Armed Forces: Afghan National Army (ANA, includes Afghan Air Force (AAF)) (2011) |
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: 7,056,339
females age 16-49: 6,653,419 (2010 est.) |
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 4,050,222
females age 16-49: 3,797,087 (2010 est.) |