| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Asia |
| Geographical Location |
33° 00' North Latitude
65° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
647.500 sq km |
| Climate |
Arid to semiarid;cold winters and hot summers |
| Natural Resources |
Natural Gas , Petroleum , Coal , Copper , Chrome , Sulphur , Lead , Zinc , Iron , Beryllium , Ruby , Salt , Precious Gems |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan |
| Capital City |
Kabul |
| Government Type |
Islamic Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
34 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Daykondi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan,
Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Panjshir, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol,
Takhar, Vardak, and Zabol |
| Independence Day |
19 August 1919 (from UK) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
29,928,987 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Afghan |
| Ethnic Groups |
Pashtun 42% , Tajik 27% , Hazara 9% , Uzbek 9% , Aimak 4% , Turkmen 3% , Baloch 2% , Other 4% |
| Religion |
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, Other 1% |
| Languages |
Pashtu (Official) 35% , Afghan Persian (Dari) 50% , Turkic Languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11% , 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4% , much bilingualism |
| Population Growth Rate |
4.77% (2005 est.)
Note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Afghani (AFA) |
| Industries |
Small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper |
| Labor Force |
11.8 million (2001 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Opium , wheat , fruits , nuts , wool , mutton , sheepskins , lambskins |
| Export Commodities |
Opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems |
| Export Partners |
India 23.1%, Pakistan 20.5%, US 12.9%, Germany 6% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products |
| Import Partners |
Pakistan 25.2%, US 8.7%, South Korea 7.7%, India 7.6%, Germany 6.5%, Turkmenistan 4.5%, Turkey 4.1% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
24.6 km |
| Highways |
21,000 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 387 km (2004) |
| Airports |
47 (2004 Estimate) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Kheyrabad, Shir Khan |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+93 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.af |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Afghanistan's recent history is a story of war and civil unrest. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979, but was forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-Communist mujahidin forces.
The Communist regime in Kabul collapsed in 1992. Fighting that subsequently erupted among the various mujahidin factions eventually helped to spawn the Taliban, a hardline
Pakistani-sponsored movement that fought to end the warlordism and civil war that gripped the country. The Taliban seized Kabul in 1996 and were able to capture most of the
country outside of Northern Alliance strongholds primarily in the northeast. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and Northern Alliance military action
toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. In late 2001, a conference in Bonn, Germany, established a process for political reconstruction that ultimately resulted in the
adoption of a new constitution and presidential election in 2004. On 9 October 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan. The new Afghan
government's next task is to hold National Assembly elections, tentatively scheduled for April 2005. |
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