Afghanistan

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet country code

.af

Internet users

NA

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)

Telephone system

general assessment: very limited telephone and telegraph service domestic: 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

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)

Agriculture - products

wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin

Budget

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Currency

afghani (AFA)

Currency code

AFA

Debt - external

$5.5 billion (1996 est.)

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; according to a joint preliminary assessment conducted by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the UN Development Program, rebuilding Afghanistan will cost roughly $15 billion over the next ten years

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. 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 1998-2001. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care, problems exacerbated by military operations and political uncertainties. Inflation remains a serious problem. Following the US-led coalition war that led to the defeat of the Taliban in November 2001 and the formulation of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) resulting from the December 2001 Bonn Agreement, International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were addressed at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002, when $4.5 billion was collected for a trust fund to be administered by the World Bank. Priority areas for reconstruction include the construction of education, health, and sanitation facilities, enhancement of administrative capacity, the development of the agricultural sector, and the rebuilding of road, energy, and telecommunication links.

Electricity - consumption

453.75 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

105 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

375 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 36% hydro: 64% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

afghanis per US dollar - 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

$1.2 billion (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Pakistan 32%, India 8%, Belgium 7%, Germany 5%, Russia 5%, UAE 4% (1999)

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 60% industry: 20% services: 20% (1990 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$1.3 billion (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods

Imports - partners

Pakistan 19%, Japan 16%, Kenya 9%, South Korea 7%, India 6%, Turkmenistan 6% (1999)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Labor force

10 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 647,500 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 647,500 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m highest point: Nowshak 7,485 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

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

23,860 sq km (1998 est.)

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

Land use

arable land: 12.13% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 87.65% (1998 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

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

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

Capital

Kabul

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 1963/64 Constitution, according to the Bonn Agreement

Country name

conventional long form: Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan conventional short form: Afghanistan local short form: Afghanestan former: Republic of Afghanistan local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

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 FAX: 00932290153

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: ambassador Ishaq SHAHRYAR chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: 202-483-6487 consulate(s) general: New York telephone: 202-483-6410

Executive branch

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 an 18-month mandate to hold a Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and a 24-month mandate to hold nationwide elections chief of state: President of the TISA, Hamad KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government head of government: President of the TISA, Hamad KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government cabinet: the 30-member TISA elections: NA

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

Government type

transitional

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, IOC (suspended), IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch

the Bonn Agreement calls for the establishment of a Supreme Court

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

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 "independent" groups

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

Suffrage

NA; previously males 15-50 years of age

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.

Military branches

NA; note - the December 2001 Bonn Agreement calls for all militia forces to come under Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) control, but formation of a national army is likely to be a gradual process; Afghanistan's forces continue to be factionalized largely along ethnic lines

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 6,896,623 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 3,696,379 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age

22 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 252,869 (2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42% (male 5,953,291; female 5,706,542) 15-64 years: 55.2% (male 7,935,101; female 7,382,101) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 410,278; female 368,462) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

41.03 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

17.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

144.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 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

total population: 46.6 years female: 45.85 years (2002 est.) male: 47.32 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write male: 51% female: 21% (1999 est.) total population: 36%

Nationality

noun: Afghan(s) adjective: Afghan

Net migration rate

10.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

People - note

large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states

Population

27,755,775 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

3.43% note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002 est.)

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: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

close ties with Pashtuns in Pakistan make long border difficult to control

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 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

Airports

46 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 10 10 over 3,047 m: 3 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 4 under 914 m: 1 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 2

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 37 35 under 914 m: 4 11 (2002) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 13 914 to 1,523 m: 14 4

Heliports

5 (2002)

Highways

total: 21,000 km paved: 2,793 km unpaved: 18,207 km (1998 est.)

Pipelines

natural gas 180 km note: product pipelines from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have been in disrepair and disuse for years (2002)

Ports and harbors

Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

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 (2001)

Waterways

1,200 km note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001)