2015 Edition

Background

Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahedin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama BIN LADIN.

A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan and the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December. KARZAI was reelected in August 2009 for a second term. Despite gains toward building a stable central government, a resurgent Taliban and continuing provincial instability - particularly in the south and the east - remain serious challenges for the Afghan Government. The 2014 presidential election was the country’s first to include a runoff, which featured the top two vote-getters from the first round, Abdullah ABDULLAH and Ashraf GHANI. Throughout the summer of 2014, their campaigns disputed the results and traded accusations of fraud, leading to a US-led diplomatic intervention that included a full vote audit as well as political negotiations between the two camps. In September 2014, GHANI and ABDULLAH agreed to form the Government of National Unity, with GHANI inaugurated as President and ABDULLAH elevated to the newly-created position of Chief Executive Officer. The day after the inauguration, the Ghani administration signed the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO Status of Forces Agreement, which provide the legal basis for the post-2014 international military presence in Afghanistan.

Area

land

652,230 sq km

total

652,230 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

almost six time the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Noshak 7,485 m

lowest point

Amu Darya 258 m

Environment - current 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

Environment - international 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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

823.1 cu m/yr (2005)

total

20.28 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%)

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)

Irrigated land

21,760 sq km (2011)

Land boundaries

border countries (6)

China 91 km, Iran 921 km, Pakistan 2,670 km, Tajikistan 1,357 km, Turkmenistan 804 km, Uzbekistan 144 km

total

5,987 km

Land use

arable land 11.9%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 46%

agricultural land

58.1%

forest

2.1%

other

39.8% (2011 est.)

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; droughts

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Total renewable water resources

65.33 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

41.47% (male 6,861,021/female 6,644,780)

15-24 years

22.41% (male 3,716,738/female 3,579,701)

25-54 years

29.69% (male 4,928,181/female 4,741,601)

55-64 years

3.88% (male 621,970/female 641,307)

65 years and over

2.55% (male 384,267/female 444,776) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

38.57 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

note

data on child labor in Afghanistan is uncertain and may be higher than the estimated 25.3% of children ages 5-14 derived from 2010-11 survey results; UNICEF estimated that 30% of children ages 5-14 in 2011 were engaged in child labor (2010/11 est.)

percentage

25.3%

total number

2,082,722

Contraceptive prevalence rate

21.2% (2010/11)

Death rate

13.89 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.6%

potential support ratio

21.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

87%

youth dependency ratio

82.3%

Drinking water source

urban: 78.2% of population

rural: 47% of population

total: 55.3% of population

urban: 21.8% of population

rural: 53% of population

total: 44.7% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, other (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz)

note

current statistical data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghanistan is not available, and ethnicity data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a reliable alternative; Afghanistan's 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai (2015)

Health expenditures

8.1% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.03% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

300 (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

4,500 (2013 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

107.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

122.64 deaths/1,000 live births

total

115.08 deaths/1,000 live births

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, but Dari functions as the lingua franca

note

the Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashai, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them

Life expectancy at birth

female

52.29 years (2015 est.)

male

49.52 years

total population

50.87 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

24.2% (2015 est.)

male

52%

total population

38.2%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)

vectorborne disease

malaria

Major urban areas - population

KABUL (capital) 4.635 million (2015)

Median age

female

18.2 years (2014 est.)

male

18.1 years

total

18.1 years

Nationality

adjective

Afghan

noun

Afghan(s)

Net migration rate

-1.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

2.4% (2014)

Physicians density

0.27 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

32,564,342 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.32% (2015 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 45.1% of population

rural: 27% of population

total: 31.9% of population

urban: 54.9% of population

rural: 73% of population

total: 68.1% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

7 years (2011)

male

11 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.86 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.33 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

26.7% of total population (2015)

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

34 31 N, 69 11 E

name

Kabul

time difference

UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004 (2012)

Country name

conventional long form

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

conventional short form

Afghanistan

former

Republic of Afghanistan

local long form

Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan

local short form

Afghanistan

note

the name "Afghan" originally refered to the Pashtun people (today it is understood to include all the country's ethnic groups), while the suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country"; so Afghanistan literally means the Land of the Afghans

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador P. Michael MCKINLEY (since 22 December 2014)

embassy

The Great Masood Road, Kabul

FAX

[00 93] 0700 108 564

mailing address

U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806

telephone

[00 93] 0700 108 001

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ramin MANAWI (since 20 April 2015)

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC

FAX

[1] (202) 483-6488

telephone

[1] (202) 483-6410

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet consists of 25 ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly

chief of state

President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai (since 29 September 2014 ); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014 ); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

percent of vote in first round - Abdullah ABDULLAH (National Coalition of Afghanistan) 45%, Ashraf GHANI (independent) 31.6%, Zalmai RASSOUL 11.4%, other 12%; percent of vote in second round - Ashraf GHANI 56.4%, Abdullah ABDULLAH 43.6%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held in 2 rounds on 5 April and 14 June 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

head of government

President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai (since 29 September 2014 ); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014 ); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014)

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

Government type

Islamic republic

Independence

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

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, CP, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), 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, SCO (dialogue member), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Stera Mahkama (consists of the Supreme Court Chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions or dewans)

judge selection and term of office

court chief and justices appointed by the president with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga; court chief and justices serve single 10-year terms

subordinate courts

Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law

Legislative branch

description

the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by district councils to serve 3-year terms, 34 indirectly elected by provincial councils to serve 4-year terms, and 34 nominated by the president of which 17 must be women, 2 must represent the disabled, and 2 must be Kuchi nomads; members serve 5-year terms) and the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 250 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

results by party - NA; note - ethnicity is the main factor influencing political alliances; approximate percentage of seats by ethnic group - Pashtun 39%, Hazara 24%, Tajik 21%, Uzbek 6%, other 10% (including Aimak, Arab, Baloch, Nuristani, Pahhai, Turkmen, Turkic); women hold 69 seats

elections

last held on 18 September 2010 (next expected in 2015)

note

the constitution allows the government to convene a constitutional 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; no Loya Jirga of this type has ever been held, and district councils have never been elected

National anthem

lyrics/music

Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA

name

"Milli Surood" (National Anthem)

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: red, green, black

Political parties and leaders

note - the Ministry of Justice licensed 84 political parties as of December 2012

Political pressure groups and leaders

other

religious groups, tribal leaders, ethnically based groups, Taliban

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$5.037 billion (2013 est.)

revenues

$4.91 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

15.08% (31 December 2013 est.)

15% (31 December 2012 est.)

Current account balance

$1.158 billion (2014 est.)

-$743.9 million (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$1.28 billion (FY10/11)

$2.7 billion (FY08/09)

Economy - overview

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. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, weak governance, lack of infrastructure, and the Afghan Government's difficulty in extending 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. The international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $67 billion at nine donors' conferences between 2003-10. In July 2012, the donors at the Tokyo conference pledged an additional $16 billion in civilian aid through 2015. Despite this help, 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. Afghanistan's growth rate slowed markedly in 2014. Newly elected President Ashraf GHANI is dedicated to instituting economic reforms. However, the drawdown of international security forces that occurred in 2014 will negatively effect economic growth, as a substantial portion of commerce, especially in the services sector, has catered to the ongoing international troop presence in the country.

Exchange rates

afghanis (AFA) per US dollar -

55.38 (2013 est.)

50.92 (2012 est.)

46.75 (2011 est.)

46.45 (2010)

Exports

$2.785 billion (2012 est.)

$388.5 million (2011 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

India 31.9%, Pakistan 28.5%, Tajikistan 7.5%, US 6.2% (2013)

Fiscal year

21 December - 20 December

GDP - composition, by end use

(2011 est.)

exports of goods and services

18.1%

government consumption

23.3%

household consumption

96.5%

imports of goods and services

-63.4%

investment in fixed capital

25.4%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

24.6%

industry

21.8%

note

data exclude opium production (2012 est.)

services

53.5%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,900 (2014 est.)

$1,900 (2013 est.)

$1,800 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.5% (2014 est.)

3.7% (2013 est.)

14% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.31 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$60.58 billion (2014 est.)

$59.66 billion (2013 est.)

$57.56 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

26.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

30.1% of GDP (2013 est.)

31.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24% (2008)

lowest 10%

3.8%

Imports

$6.39 billion (2012 est.)

$5.154 billion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners

Pakistan 28%, US 18.6%, Russia 7.6%, India 6.3%, Kazakhstan 4.5%, China 4.3% (2013)

Industrial production growth rate

7.7% (2012 est.)

Industries

small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.6% (2014 est.)

7.2% (2012 est.)

Labor force

7.512 million (2012 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

78.6%

industry

5.7%

services

15.7% (FY08/09 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

36% (FY08/09 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$6.442 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$5.983 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of broad money

$6.499 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$6.351 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$-819.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$-520.2 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$6.121 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$5.928 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate

35% (2008 est.)

40% (2005 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

8.552 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

1,950 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

NA bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

Electricity - consumption

3.021 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

23.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

76.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

2.246 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

489,100 kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

833.1 million kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

140 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

140 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

50,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

36,250 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operates a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces; an estimated 150 private radio stations, 50 TV stations, and about a dozen international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.af

Internet users

percent of population

5.9% (2014 est.)

total

1.9 million

Radio broadcast stations

48 (station types NA) (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

aided by the presence of multiple providers, mobile-cellular telephone service continues to improve rapidly; the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information claims that more than 90 percent of the population live in areas with access to mobile-cellular services

general assessment

limited fixed-line telephone service; an increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone networks

international

country code - 93; multiple VSAT's provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2012)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

100,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

74 (2014 est.)

total

23.4 million

Television broadcast stations

16 (1 state-run station and 15 registered private stations) (2009)

Airports

52 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

11

2,438 to 3,047 m

4

914 to 1,523 m

2

over 3,047 m

4

total

23

under 914 m

2 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

6 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

13

2,438 to 3,047 m

4

914 to 1,523 m

6

total

29

Heliports

9 (2013)

Pipelines

gas 466 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Roadways

paved

12,350 km

total

42,150 km

unpaved

29,800 km (2006)

Waterways

1,200 km; (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

6,653,419 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

7,056,339

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

3,797,087 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

4,050,222

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

370,295 (2010 est.)

male

392,116

Military branches

Afghan National Security Forces: Afghan National Army, Afghan Air Force, Afghan National Police, Afghan Local Police (2015)

Military expenditures

NA% (2012)

4.74% of GDP (2011)

NA% (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Disputes - international

Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan's restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries

Illicit drugs

world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation increased 7 percent, to a record 211,000 hectares in 2014 from 198,000 hectares in 2013 while eradication dropped sharply; relatively low opium yields due to poor weather kept potential opium production—6,300 metric tons—below the record set in 2007; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; Afghanistan is also struggling to respond to a burgeoning domestic opiate addiction problem; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; illicit cultivation of cannabis and regional source of hashish

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

948,000 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to drought and instability) (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

241,641 (Pakistan) (2015)