Axion 3D Atlas/ATLAS.iso/stats/1.txt

Text File | 1998-01-23 | 15KB | 352 lines

{bitmap= 26,50,"flags\afghan.bmp"}
{bigtext=150,120,"Afghanistan"}



{1}Geography{4}
{4}To see a map of Afghanistan, click {z,"54.370706,24.933455,77.870240,42.753205",here}{4}!

{2}Location:{4} Southern Asia, north of Pakistan

{2}Area:{4}
{3}total area:{4} 647,500 sq km
{3}land area:{4} 647,500 sq km
{3}comparative area:{4} slightly smaller than Texas

{2}Land boundaries:{4}
{3}total:{4} 5,529 km
{3}border countries:{4} China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km,
Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km

{2}Coastline:{4} 0 km (landlocked)

{2}Maritime claims:{4} none (landlocked)

{2}International disputes:{4} periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights; Iran supports clients
in country, private Pakistani and Saudi sources also are active; power struggles among various
groups for control of Kabul, regional rivalries among emerging warlords, traditional tribal disputes
continue; support to Islamic fighters in Tajikistan's civil war; border dispute with Pakistan (Durand
Line); support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions

{2}Climate:{4} arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

{2}Terrain:{4} mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
{3}lowest point:{4} Amu Darya 258 m
{3}highest point:{4} Nowshak 7,485 m

{2}Natural resources:{4} natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore,
salt, precious and semiprecious stones

{2}Land use:{4}
{3}arable land:{4} 12%
{3}permanent crops:{4} 0%
{3}meadows and pastures:{4} 46%
{3}forest and woodland:{4} 3%
{3}other:{4} 39%

{2}Irrigated land:{4} 26,600 sq km (1989 est.)

{2}Environment:{4}
{3}current issues:{4} soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are
being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification

{2}natural hazards:{4} damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding

{2}international agreements:{4} party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

{2}Geographic note:{4} landlocked


{1}People{4}

{2}Population:{4} 22,664,136 (July 1996 est.)

{2}Age structure:{4}
{3}0-14 years:{4} 43% (male 4,972,469; female 4,784,900)
{3}15-64 years:{4} 54% (male 6,377,231; female 5,916,954)
{3}65 years and over:{4} 3% (male 325,808; female 286,774) (July 1996 est.)

{2}Population growth rate:{4} 4.78% (1996 est.)

{2}Birth rate:{4} 43.03 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Death rate:{4} 18.16 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Net migration rate:{4} 22.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Sex ratio:{4}
{3}at birth:{4} 1.05 male(s)/female
{3}under 15 years:{4} 1.04 male(s)/female
{3}15-64 years:{4} 1.08 male(s)/female
{3}65 years and over:{4} 1.14 male(s)/female
{3}all ages:{4} 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

{2}Infant mortality rate:{4} 149.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

{2}Life expectancy at birth:{4}
{3}total population:{4} 45.85 years
{3}male:{4} 46.43 years
{3}female:{4} 45.24 years (1996 est.)

{2}Total fertility rate:{4} 6.14 children born/woman (1996 est.)

{2}Nationality:{4}
{3}noun:{4} Afghan(s)
{3}adjective:{4} Afghan

{2}Ethnic divisions:{4} Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Chahar
Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)

{2}Religions:{4} Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%

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

{2}Literacy:{4} age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
{3}total population:{4} 31.5%
{3}male:{4} 47.2%
{3}female:{4} 15%


{1}Government{4}

{2}Name of country:{4}
{3}conventional long form:{4} Islamic State of Afghanistan
{3}conventional short form:{4} Afghanistan
{3}local long form:{4} Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan
{3}local short form:{4} Afghanestan
{3}former:{4} Republic of Afghanistan

{2}Type of government:{4} transitional government

{2}Capital:{4} Kabul

{2}Administrative divisions:{4} 30 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,
Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol,
Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia,
Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol
{3}note:{4} there may be two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan) and Khowst

{2}Independence:{4} 19 August 1919 (from UK)

{2}National holiday:{4} Victory of the Muslim Nation, 28 April; Remembrance Day for Martyrs and
Disabled, 4 May; Independence Day, 19 August

{2}Constitution:{4} none

{2}Legal system:{4} a new legal system has not been adopted but the transitional government has
declared it will follow Islamic law (Shari'a)

{2}Suffrage:{4} undetermined; previously males 15-50 years of age

{2}Executive branch:{4}
{3}chief of state:{4} President Burhanuddin RABBANI (interim president July-December 1992, president
since 2 January 1993) was elected to a two-year term (later amended by multi-party agreement to
18 months) by a national shura (council); election last held 31 December 1992 (next to be held
NA); results - percent of vote NA; Vice President Mohammad NABI MOHAMMADI (since NA) was
appointed by the president; note - in June 1994 failure to agree on a transfer mechanism resulted
in RABBANI's extending his term to 28 December 1994; following the expiration of the term and
while negotiations on the formation of a new government go on, RABBANI continues in office
{3}head of government:{4} Prime Minister Ahmad Shah AHMADZAI (since NA) was appointed by
President RABBANI as de facto prime minister, but does not have any real authority; First Deputy
Prime Minister Qutbuddin HELAL (since 17 March 1993) and Deputy Prime Minister Arsala
RAHMANI (since 17 March 1993)
{3}cabinet:{4} Council of Ministers; note - term of present government expired 28 December 1994;
factional fighting since 1 January 1994 has kept government officers from actually occupying
ministries and discharging government responsibilities; the government's authority to remove
cabinet members, including the prime minister, following the expiration of their term is
questionable

{2}Legislative branch:{4} a unicameral parliament consisting of 205 members was chosen by a national
shura (council) in January 1993; non-functioning as of June 1993

{2}Judicial branch:{4} an interim Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has been appointed by the
president in consultation with the prime minister, but a new court system has not yet been
organized

{2}Political parties and leaders:{4} current political organizations include Jamiat-i-Islami (Islamic
Society), Burhanuddin RABBANI, Ahmad Shah MASOOD; Hizbi Islami-Gulbuddin (Islamic Party),
Gulbuddin HIKMATYAR faction; Hizbi Islami-Khalis (Islamic Party), Yunis KHALIS faction; Ittihad-
i-Islami Barai Azadi Afghanistan (Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan), Abdul Rasul
SAYYAF; Harakat-Inqilab-i-Islami (Islamic Revolutionary Movement), Mohammad Nabi
MOHAMMADI; Jabha-i-Najat-i-Milli Afghanistan (Afghanistan National Liberation Front),
Sibghatullah MOJADDEDI; Mahaz-i-Milli-Islami (National Islamic Front), Sayed Ahamad GAILANI;
Hizbi Wahdat-Khalili faction (Islamic Unity Party), Abdul Karim KHALILI; Hizbi Wahdat-Akbari
faction (Islamic Unity Party), Mohammad Akbar AKBARI; Harakat-i-Islami (Islamic Movement),
Mohammed Asif MOHSENI; Jumbesh-i-Milli Islami (National Islamic Movement), Abdul Rashid
DOSTAM; Taliban (Religious Students Movement), Mohammad OMAR
{3}note:{4} the former ruling Watan Party has been disbanded

{2}Other political or pressure groups:{4} the former resistance commanders are the major power brokers
in the countryside and their shuras (councils) are now administering most cities outside Kabul;
tribal elders and religious students are trying to wrest control from them; ulema (religious
scholars); tribal elders; religious students (talib)

{2}International organization participation:{4} AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

{2}Diplomatic representation in US:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Abdul RAHIM
{3}chancery:{4} 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
{3}telephone:{4} [1] [phone], 3771
{3}FAX:{4} [1] [phone]
{3}consulate(s) general:{4} New York
consulate(s): Washington, DC

{2}US diplomatic representation:{4} the US does not have an embassy in Afghanistan (embassy closed
January 1989)

{2}Flag:{4} three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a gold emblem centered on
the three bands; the emblem features a temple-like structure with Islamic inscriptions above and
below, encircled by a wreath on the left and right and by a bolder Islamic inscription above, all of
which are encircled by two crossed scimitars


{1}Economy{4}

{2}Economic overview:{4} Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on
farming (wheat especially) and livestock raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations have
played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during more than 16 years of war, including
the nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February 1989). Over the past
decade, one-third of the population fled the country, with Pakistan and Iran sheltering more than 6
million refugees. Now, only 1.0 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan and about 1.3 million in
Iran. Another 1 million probably moved into and around urban areas within Afghanistan. Gross
domestic product has fallen substantially over the past 15 years because of the loss of labor and
capital and the disruption of trade and transport. Millions of people continue to suffer from
insufficient food, clothing, housing, and lack of medical care. Numerical data are extremely shaky.

{2}GDP:{4} purchasing power parity - $12.8 billion (1995 est.)

{2}GDP real growth rate:{4} NA%

{2}GDP per capita:{4} $600 (1995 est.)

{2}GDP composition by sector:{4}
{3}agriculture:{4} 65%
{3}industry:{4} 15%
{3}services:{4} 20%

{2}Inflation rate (consumer prices):{4} NA%

{2}Labor force:{4} 4.98 million
{3}by occupation:{4} agriculture and animal husbandry 67.8%, industry 10.2%, construction 6.3%,
commerce 5.0%, services and other 10.7% (1980 est.)

{2}Unemployment rate:{4} NA%

{2}Budget:{4}
{3}revenues:{4} $NA
{3}expenditures:{4} $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

{2}Industries:{4} small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement;
handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper

{2}Electricity:{4}
{3}capacity:{4} 480,000 kW
{3}production:{4} 550 million kWh
{3}consumption per capita:{4} 39 kWh (1993)

{2}Agriculture:{4} wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts; wool, mutton

{2}Illicit drugs:{4} an illicit cultivator of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade;
world's second-largest opium producer after Burma (1,250 metric tons in 1995) and a major
source of hashish

{2}Exports:{4} $188.2 million (f.o.b., 1991)
{3}commodities:{4} fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and
semi-precious gems
{3}partners:{4} FSU countries, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg,
Czechoslovakia

{2}Imports:{4} $616.4 million (c.i.f., 1991)
{3}commodities:{4} food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
{3}partners:{4} FSU countries, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Germany

{2}External debt:{4} $2.3 billion (March 1991 est.)

{2}Economic aid:{4}
{3}recipient:{4} ODA, $NA
{3}note:{4} US provided $450 million assistance (1985-93); the UN provides assistance in the form of
food aid, immunization, land mine removal, and a wide range of aid to refugees and displaced
persons

{2}Currency:{4} 1 afghani (AF) = 100 puls

{2}Exchange rates:{4} afghanis (Af) per US$1 - 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 is a fixed rate of 50.600 afghanis to the dollar

{2}Fiscal year:{4} 21 March - 20 March


{1}Transportation{4}

{2}Railways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 24.6 km
{3}broad gauge:{4} 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

{2}Highways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 21,000 km
{3}paved:{4} 2,800 km
{3}unpaved:{4} 18,200 km (1984 est.)

{2}Waterways:{4} 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to about 500 DWT

{2}Pipelines:{4} petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas
180 km

{2}Ports:{4} Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

{2}Airports:{4}
{3}total:{4} 35
{3}with paved runways over 3,047 m:{4} 3
{3}with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 4
{3}with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 2
{3}with paved runways under 914 m:{4} 7
{3}with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 3
{3}with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 13
{3}with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 3 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 3 (1995 est.)


{1}Communications{4}

{2}Telephones:{4} 31,200 (1983 est.)

{2}Telephone system:{4}
{3}domestic:{4} very limited telephone and telegraph service; 1 public telephone in Kabul
{3}international:{4} satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) linked only to Iran and 1
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region)

{2}Radio broadcast stations:{4} AM 5, FM 0, shortwave 2

{2}Radios:{4} NA

{2}Television broadcast stations:{4} NA
{3}note:{4} several television stations run by factions and local councils which provide intermittent
service

{2}Televisions:{4} 100,000 (1993 est.)


{1}Defense{4}

{2}Branches:{4} NA; note - the military still does not exist on a national scale; some elements of the
former Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Forces, National Police
Force (Sarandoi), and tribal militias still exist but are factionalized among the various mujahedin
and former regime leaders

{2}Manpower availability:{4}
{3}males age 15-49:{4} 5,549,602
{3}males fit for military service:{4} 2,976,741
males reach military age (22) annually: 220,532 (1996 est.)

{2}Defense expenditures:{4} $NA, NA% of GDP