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=====================================================================
@Afghanistan
Introduction
Afghanistan
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 in New York City, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban
Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering
Osama BIN LADIN. The 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.
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.
Geography
Afghanistan
Location:
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 65 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 647,500 sq km
land: 647,500 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
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: Nowshak 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:
27,200 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
65 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 23.26 cu km/yr (2%/0%/98%)
per capita: 779 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding;
droughts
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: 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
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
Population:
32,738,376 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.6% (male 7,474,394/female 7,121,145)
15-64 years: 53% (male 8,901,880/female 8,447,983)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 383,830/female 409,144) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 17.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.626% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
45.82 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
19.56 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 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: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 154.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 158.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 150.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.21 years
male: 44.04 years
female: 44.39 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.58 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
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 (2008)
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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 11 years
female: 4 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government
Afghanistan
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 (velayat, singular - velayat); 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:
new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16
January 2004
Legal system:
based on mixed civil and Sharia law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia
MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government; former
King ZAHIR Shah held the honorific, "Father of the Country," and
presided symbolically over certain occasions but lacked any
governing authority; the honorific is not hereditary; King ZAHIR
Shah died on 23 July 2007
head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia
MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004)
cabinet: 25 ministers; note - under the new constitution, ministers
are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly
elections: the president and two vice presidents are 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; a president can only be elected for two terms;
election last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Hamid KARZAI elected president; percent of vote -
Hamid KARZAI 55.4%, Yunus QANUNI 16.3%, Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ
11.6%, Abdul Rashid DOSTAM 10.0%, Abdul Latif PEDRAM 1.4%, Masooda
JALAL 1.2%
Legislative branch:
the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Wolesi Jirga or
House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for
five-year terms, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102
seats, one-third 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)
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 18 September 2005 (next to be held for the
Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial
councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008)
election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system
used in the election did not make use of political party slates;
most candidates ran as independents
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 [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 [Ilaj 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];
Islamic Party of the Afghan Land [Mohammad Hassan FEROZKHEL];
Islamic People's Movement of Afghanistan [Ilhaj 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 [Ustad 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. Aref 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 Bik Eized YAAR]; 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 United Front [Burhanuddin RABBANI] (a coalition); 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
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 Qayed Omul BELADI];
People's Welfare Party of Afghanistan [Mia Gul WASIQ]; People's
Welfare Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad Zubair PAIROZ]; Progressive
Democratic Party of Afghanistan [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
[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
International organization participation:
ADB, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO,
ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO
(guest), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Said Tayeb JAWAD
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 William B. WOOD
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
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
Economy
Afghanistan
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. Real GDP growth exceeded 7% in 2007. 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, and the Afghan
Government's inability to extend rule of law to all parts of the
country pose challenges to future economic growth. It will probably
take the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid and
attention to significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards from
its current level, among the lowest in the world. International
pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial
institutions at the Berlin Donors Conference for Afghan
reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for 2004-09. While
the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's
development, pledging over $24 billion at three donors' conferences
since 2002, Kabul will need to overcome a number of challenges.
Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade generate
roughly $4 billion in illicit economic activity and looms as one of
Kabul's most serious policy concerns. Other long-term challenges
include: budget sustainability, job creation, corruption, government
capacity, and rebuilding war torn infrastructure.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$35 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$8.842 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
11.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: