Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Geography

Total area: 647,500 km2; land area: 647,500 km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: 5,826 km total; China 76 km, Iran 936 km,

Pakistan 2,430 km, USSR 2,384 km

Coastline: none--landlocked

Maritime claims: none--landlocked

Disputes: Pashtun question with Pakistan; Baloch question with Iran

and Pakistan; periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights;

insurgency with Iranian and Pakistani involvement; traditional tribal

rivalries

Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, coal, copper, talc, barites,

sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Land use: 12% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 46% meadows and

pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 39% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Environment: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains;

soil degradation, desertification, overgrazing, deforestation, pollution

Note: landlocked

People

Population: 15,862,293 (July 1990), growth rate 7.7% (1990)

Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 51 migrants/1,000 population (1990);

note--there are flows across the border in both directions, but data are

fragmentary and unreliable

Infant mortality rate: 154 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 47 years male, 46 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Afghan(s); adjective--Afghan

Ethnic divisions: 50% Pashtun, 25% Tajik, 9% Uzbek, 12-15% Hazara; minor

ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others

Religion: 74% Sunni Muslim, 15% Shia Muslim, 11% other

Language: 50% Pashtu, 35% Afghan Persian (Dari), 11% Turkic languages

(primarily Uzbek and Turkmen), 4% thirty minor languages (primarily

Balochi and Pashai); much bilingualism

Literacy: 12%

Labor force: 4,980,000; 67.8% agriculture and animal husbandry,

10.2% industry, 6.3% construction, 5.0% commerce, 10.7% services and other

(1980 est.)

Organized labor: some small government-controlled unions

Government

Long-form name: Republic of Afghanistan

Type: authoritarian

Capital: Kabul

Administrative divisions: 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;

note--there may be a new province of Nurestan (Nuristan)

Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK)

Constitution: adopted 30 November 1987

Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Anniversary of the Saur Revolution, 27 April (1978)

Executive branch: president, four vice presidents, prime minister,

deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Meli Shura) consists of

an upper house or Senate (Sena) and a lower house or House of Representatives

(Wolasi Jirgah)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government--President (Mohammad)

NAJIBULLAH (Ahmadzai) (since 30 November 1987); Chairman of the Council

of Ministers Executive Committee Soltan Ali KESHTMAND (since 21

February 1989); Prime Minister Fazil Haq KHALIQYAR (since 21 May 1990)

Political parties and leaders: only party--the People's Democratic

Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) has two factions--the Parchami faction

has been in power since December 1979 and members of the deposed Khalqi

faction continue to hold some important posts mostly in the military and

Ministry of Interior; nonparty figures hold some posts

Suffrage: universal, male ages 15-50

Elections: