2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

32 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, and Zabol

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.8% (male 6,123,971; female 5,868,013) 15-64 years: 55.4% (male 8,240,743; female 7,671,242) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 427,710; female 385,534) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins

Airports

47 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4

total

10

under 914 m

1 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14

total

37

under 914 m

11 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Area

land

647,500 sq km

total

647,500 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Texas

Background

Afghanistan's recent history is characterized by war and civil unrest. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979, but 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, giving rise to a state of warlordism that eventually spawned the Taliban. Backed by foreign sponsors, the Taliban developed as a political force and eventually seized power. The Taliban were able to capture most of the country, aside from Northern Alliance strongholds primarily in the northeast, until US and allied military action in support of the opposition following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks forced the group's downfall. In late 2001, major leaders from the Afghan opposition groups and diaspora met in Bonn, Germany, and agreed on a plan for the formulation of a new government structure that resulted in the inauguration of Hamid KARZAI as Chairman of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) on 22 December 2001. The AIA held a nationwide Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) in June 2002, and KARZAI was elected President by secret ballot of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA). The Transitional Authority has an 18-month mandate to hold a nationwide Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and a 24-month mandate to hold nationwide elections. In December 2002, the TISA marked the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Taliban. In addition to occasionally violent political jockeying and ongoing military action to root out remaining terrorists and Taliban elements, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread land mines. Geography Afghanistan

Birth rate

40.63 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$550 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 plan est.)

revenues

$200 million

Capital

Kabul

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

the Bonn Agreement called for a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) to be convened within 18 months of the establishment of the Transitional Authority to draft a new constitution for the country; the basis for the next constitution is the 1964 Constitution, according to the Bonn Agreement

Country name

conventional long form

Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan

conventional short form

Afghanistan

former

Republic of Afghanistan

local long form

Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

local short form

Afghanestan

Currency

afghani (AFA)

Currency code

AFA

Death rate

17.15 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

NA (1996 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert Patrick John FINN; note - embassy in Kabul reopened 16 December 2001, following closure in January 1989

embassy

Great Masood Road, Kabul

mailing address

6180 Kabul Place, Dulles, VA 20189-6180

telephone

[93] (2) 290002, 290005, 290154

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

ambassador Seyyed Tayeb JAWAD

Disputes - international

thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran and Pakistan; isolating terrain and close ties among Pashtuns in Pakistan make cross-border activities difficult to control; prolonged regional drought strains water-sharing arrangements for Amu Darya and Helmand River states

Economic aid - recipient

international pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial institutions at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan reconstruction in January 2002 reached $4.5 billion through 2006, with $1.8 billion allocated for 2002; another $1.7 billion was pledged for 2003.

Economy - overview

Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on foreign aid, farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats), and trade with neighboring countries. Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during more than 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 4 to 6 million refugees. 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; severe drought added to the nation's difficulties in 1998-2002. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care, and a dearth of jobs, problems exacerbated by political uncertainties and the general level of lawlessness. International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were addressed at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002, when $4.5 billion was pledged, $1.7 billion for 2002. Of that approximately $900 million was directed to humanitarian aid - food, clothing, and shelter - and another $90 million for the Afghan Transitional Authority. Further World Bank and other aid came in 2003. Priority areas for reconstruction include upgrading education, health, and sanitation facilities; providing income generating opportunities; enhancing administrative and security arrangements, especially in regional areas; developing the agricultural sector; rebuilding transportation, energy, and telecommunication infrastructure; and reabsorbing 2 million returning refugees. The replacement of the opium trade - which may account for one-third of GDP - and the search for oil and gas resources in the northern region are two major long-term issues.

Electricity - consumption

511.4 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

200 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

334.8 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

36.3%

hydro

63.7%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Nowshak 7,485 m

lowest point

Amu Darya 258 m

Environment - current issues

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

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

Ethnic groups

Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%

Exchange rates

afghanis per US dollar - 3,000 (October-December 2002), 3,000 (2001), 3,000 (2000), 3,000 (1999), 3,000 (1998), note: before 2002 the market rate varied widely from the official rate; in 2002 the afghani was revalued and the currency stabilized

Executive branch

cabinet

the 30-member TISA

chief of state

President of the TISA, Hamid KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government

elections

nationwide elections are to be held by June 2004, according to the Bonn Agreement

head of government

President of the TISA, Hamid KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government

note

following the Taliban's refusal to hand over Usama bin LADIN to the US for his suspected involvement in the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, a US-led international coalition was formed; after several weeks of aerial bombardment by coalition forces and military action on the ground, including Afghan opposition forces, the Taliban was ousted from power on 17 November 2001; in December 2001, a number of prominent Afghans met under UN auspices in Bonn, Germany, to decide on a plan for governing the country; as a result, the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) - made up of 30 members, headed by a chairman - was inaugurated on 22 December 2001 with a six-month mandate to be followed by a two-year Transitional Authority (TA), after which elections are to be held; the structure of the follow-on TA was announced on 10 June 2002, when the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) convened establishing the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA), which has 18 months to hold a Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and 24 months to hold nationwide elections

Exports

$1.2 billion (not including illicit exports) (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Exports - partners

Pakistan 26.8%, India 26.5%, Finland 5.8%, Germany 5.1%, UAE 4.4%, Belgium 4.3%, Russia 4.2%, US 4.2% (2002)

FAX

202-483-6487

00932290153

consulate(s) general

New York

telephone

202-483-6410

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March Communications Afghanistan

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of black (hoist), red, and green, with a gold emblem centered on the red band; the emblem features a temple-like structure encircled by a wreath on the left and right and by a bold Islamic inscription above Economy Afghanistan

GDP

purchasing power parity - $19 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

60%

industry

20%

services

20% (1990 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Geographic coordinates

33 00 N, 65 00 E

Geography - note

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) People Afghanistan

Government type

transitional

Heliports

5 (2002) Military Afghanistan

Highways

paved

2,793 km

total

21,000 km

unpaved

18,207 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.01% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Illicit drugs

world's largest producer of opium; cultivation of opium poppy - used to make heroin - expanded to 30,750 hectares in 2002, despite eradication; potential opium production of 1,278 metric tons; source of hashish; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade source of instability and some government groups profit from the trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$1.3 billion (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners

Pakistan 25.1%, South Korea 14.4%, Japan 9.4%, US 9%, Kenya 5.8%, Germany 5.4% (2002)

Independence

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

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

138.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

145.99 deaths/1,000 live births

total

142.48 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

International organization participation

AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Internet country code

.af

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

NA Transportation Afghanistan

Irrigated land

23,860 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

the Bonn Agreement called for the establishment of a Supreme Court; there is also a Minister of Justice

Labor force

10 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 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

12.13%

other

87.65% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0.22%

Languages

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

Legal system

the Bonn Agreement calls for a judicial commission to rebuild the justice system in accordance with Islamic principles, international standards, the rule of law, and Afghan legal traditions

Legislative branch

nonfunctioning as of June 1993

Life expectancy at birth

female

46.23 years (2003 est.)

male

47.67 years

total population

46.97 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

21% (1999 est.)

male

51%

total population

36%

Location

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

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

18.7 years (2002)

male

19.1 years

total

18.9 years

Military branches

NA; note - the December 2001 Bonn Agreement called for all militia forces to come under the authority of the central government, but regional leaders have continued to retain their militias and the formation of a nation army will be a gradual process; Afghanistan's forces continue to be factionalized, largely along ethnic lines

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$525.2 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

7.7% (FY02) Transnational Issues Afghanistan

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

7,160,603 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

3,837,646 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

22 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

275,223 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

Nationality

adjective

Afghan

noun

Afghan(s)

Natural gas - consumption

220 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

220 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

49.98 billion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

10.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (37257)

People - note

large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states Government Afghanistan

Pipelines

gas 651 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

NA; note - political parties in Afghanistan are in flux and many prominent players have plans to create new parties; the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) is headed by President Hamid KARZAI; the TISA is a coalition government formed of leaders from across the Afghan political spectrum; there are also several political factions not holding positions in the Transitional government that are forming new groups and parties in the hopes of participating in 2004 elections

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders

Population

28,717,213 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

3.38%

note

this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (1999)

Radios

167,000 (1999)

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 (2001)

total

24.6 km

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

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

Suffrage

NA; previously males 15-50 years of age

Telephone system

domestic

in 1997, telecommunications links were established between Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul through satellite and microwave systems

general assessment

very limited telephone and telegraph service

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

29,000 (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 32 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)

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Total fertility rate

5.64 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Waterways

1,200 km

note

chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001)