|
Afghanistan | |
| Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues | ||
|
|
||
| Afghanistan | Introduction | Top of Page |
| Background: | Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union in 1979. The USSR 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, but the fundamentalist Islamic Taliban movement has been able to seize most of the country. In addition to the continuing civil strife, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread land mines. |
| Afghanistan | Geography | Top of Page |
| 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%
permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 3% other: 39% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated land: | 30,000 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts |
| Environment - current issues: | soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification |
| 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 |
| Geography - note: | landlocked |
| Afghanistan | People | Top of Page |
| Population: | 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years:
42.2% (male 5,775,921; female 5,538,836)
15-64 years: 55.01% (male 7,644,242; female 7,106,568) 65 years and over: 2.79% (male 394,444; female 353,046) (2001 est.) |
| Population growth rate: |
3.48% (2001 est.)
note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran |
| Birth rate: | 41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death rate: | 17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Sex ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | 147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: |
total population:
46.24 years
male: 46.97 years female: 45.47 years (2001 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | less than 0.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan |
| Ethnic groups: | Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6% |
| Religions: | Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% |
| Languages: | Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, 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: 31.5% male: 47.2% female: 15% (1999 est.) |
| Afghanistan | Government |