2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

652,000 sq km

total

652,000 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Nowshak 7,485 m

lowest point

Amu Darya 258 m

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

Geographic coordinates

33 00 N, 65 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked

Irrigated land

30,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km

total

5,529 km

Land use

arable land

12%

forests and woodland

3%

other

39% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

46%

Location

Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

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.)

Birth rate

41.82 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

18.01 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)

Infant mortality rate

149.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Life expectancy at birth

female

45.1 years (2000 est.)

male

46.62 years

total population

45.88 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

15% (1999 est.)

male

47.2%

total population

31.5%

Nationality

adjective

Afghan

noun

Afghan(s)

Net migration rate

11.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

25,838,797 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

3.54% (2000 est.)

note

this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran

Religions

Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%

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.)

Total fertility rate

5.87 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Kabul

Constitution

none

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

former

Republic of Afghanistan

local long form

Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

local short form

Afghanestan

Data code

AF

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US embassy in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant)

note

embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997

telephone

(202) 234-3770

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

FAX

(202) 328-3516

consulate(s) general

New York

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

Government type

no functioning central government, administered by factions

Independence

19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

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

Judicial branch

non-functioning as of March 1995, although there are local Shari'a (Islamic law) courts throughout the country

Legal system

a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law)

Legislative branch

non-functioning as of June 1993

National holiday

Victory of the Muslim Nation, 28 April; Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled, 4 May; Independence Day, 19 August

Political parties and leaders

Harakat-i-Islami (Islamic Movement) ; Harakat-Inqilab-i-Islami (Islamic Revolutionary Movement) ; Hizbi Islami-Gulbuddin (Islamic Party) ; Hizbi Islami-Khalis (Islamic Party) ; Hizbi Wahdat-Akbari faction (Islamic Unity Party) ; Ittihad-i-Islami Barai Azadi Afghanistan (Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan) ; 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)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Australia, US, and elsewhere have organized politically; Mellat (Social Democratic Party) ; Peshawar, Pakistan-based groups such as the Coordination Council for National Unity and Understanding in Afghanistan or CUNUA ; tribal elders represent traditional Pashtun leadership; Writers Union of Free Afghanistan or WUFA

Suffrage

NA; previously males 15-50 years of age

Agriculture - products

opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts; wool, mutton

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

revenues

$NA

Currency

1 afghani (AF) = 100 puls

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

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.

Electricity - consumption

510 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

110 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

430 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

41.86%

hydro

58.14%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

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

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

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $21 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

53%

industry

28.5%

services

18.5% (1990)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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

Industries

small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Labor force

8 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 68%, industry 16%, services 16% (1980 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

8% (1995 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

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)

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

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

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)

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.)

Highways

paved

2,793 km

total

21,000 km

unpaved

18,207 km (1998 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas 180 km

Ports and harbors

Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Railways

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

total

24.6 km

Waterways

1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to about 500 DWT

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 expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

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 - military age

22 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

244,958 (2000 est.)

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

ALBANIA