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Compare Afghanistan (2001) - Montserrat (2003)

Compare Afghanistan (2001) z Montserrat (2003)

 Afghanistan (2001)Montserrat (2003)
 AfghanistanMontserrat
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 two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan) and Khowst 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
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.)
0-14 years: 23.4% (male 1,062; female 1,041)


15-64 years: 65.3% (male 2,805; female 3,066)


65 years and over: 11.4% (male 537; female 484) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, karakul pelts cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products
Airports 45 (2000 est.) none; only airport was destroyed by volcanic activity; a helicopter service to Antigua is used (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total:
10

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2

under 914 m:
1 (2000 est.)
-
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
35

2,438 to 3,047 m:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
15

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
12 (2000 est.)
-
Area total:
647,500 sq km

land:
647,500 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 102 sq km


land: 102 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
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. Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995.
Birth rate 41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues: $31.4 million


expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.)
Capital Kabul Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat)
Climate arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 40 km
Constitution none present constitution came into force 19 December 1989
Country name conventional long form:
Islamic State of Afghanistan; note - the self-proclaimed Taliban government refers to the country as Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

conventional short form:
Afghanistan

local long form:
Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

local short form:
Afghanestan

former:
Republic of Afghanistan
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Montserrat
Currency afghani (AFA) East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Death rate 17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $5.5 billion (1996 est.) $8.9 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK
Diplomatic representation from the US the US embassy in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US none; note - embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997

consulate(s) general:
New York
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions; question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN none
Economic aid - recipient US provided about $70 million in humanitarian assistance in 1997; US continues to contribute to multilateral assistance through the UN programs of food aid, immunization, land mine removal, and a wide range of aid to refugees and displaced persons Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance
Economy - overview Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during two decades of war, including the nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February 1989). During that conflict one-third of the population fled the country, with Pakistan and Iran sheltering a combined peak of more than 6 million refugees. In early 2000, 2 million Afghan refugees remained in Pakistan and about 1.4 million in Iran. Gross domestic product has fallen substantially over the past 20 years because of the loss of labor and capital and the disruption of trade and transport; severe drought added to the nation's difficulties in 1998-2000. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Inflation remains a serious problem throughout the country. International aid can deal with only a fraction of the humanitarian problem, let alone promote economic development. In 1999-2000, internal civil strife continued, hampering both domestic economic policies and international aid efforts. Numerical data are likely to be either unavailable or unreliable. Afghanistan was by far the largest producer of opium poppies in 2000, and narcotics trafficking is a major source of revenue. Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcano and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade.
Electricity - consumption 480.6 million kWh (1999) 2.325 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 90 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 420 million kWh (1999) 2.5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
35.71%

hydro:
64.29%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Amu Darya 258 m

highest point:
Nowshak 7,485 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m
Environment - current issues soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation
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
-
Ethnic groups Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6% black, white
Exchange rates afghanis per US dollar - 4,700 (January 2000), 4,750 (February 1999), 17,000 (December 1996), 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 was fixed at 50.600 afghanis to the dollar until 1996, when it rose to 2,262.65 per dollar, and finally became fixed again at 3,000.00 per dollar in April 1996 East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Executive branch on 27 September 1996, the ruling members of the Afghan Government were displaced by members of the Islamic Taliban movement; the Islamic State of Afghanistan has no functioning government at this time, and the country remains divided among fighting factions

note:
the Taliban have declared themselves the legitimate government of Afghanistan; however, the UN still recognizes the government of Burhanuddin RABBANI; the Organization of the Islamic Conference has left the Afghan seat vacant until the question of legitimacy can be resolved through negotiations among the warring factions; the country is essentially divided along ethnic lines; the Taliban controls the capital of Kabul and approximately two-thirds of the country including the predominately ethnic Pashtun areas in southern Afghanistan; opposing factions have their stronghold in the ethnically diverse north
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Anthony LONGRIGG (since NA May 2001)


head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE (since 5 April 2001)


cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister
Exports $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle
Exports - partners FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic US, Antigua and Barbuda
Fiscal year 21 March - 20 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description 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

note:
the Taliban uses a plain white flag
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
GDP purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $29 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
53%

industry:
28.5%

services:
18.5% (1990)
agriculture: 5.4%


industry: 13.6%


services: 81% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% -1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 00 N, 65 00 E 16 45 N, 62 12 W
Geography - note landlocked the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes
Heliports 3 (2000 est.) -
Highways total:
21,000 km

paved:
2,793 km

unpaved:
18,207 km (1998 est.)
total: 227 km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km


note: volcanic eruptions beginning in 1995 destroyed most of the road system (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs world's largest illicit opium producer, surpassing Burma (potential production in 1999 - 1,670 metric tons; cultivation in 1999 - 51,500 hectares, a 23% increase over 1998); a major source of hashish; increasing number of heroin-processing laboratories being set up in the country; major political factions in the country profit from drug trade transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
Imports $150 million (1996 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials
Imports - partners FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Germany US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada
Independence 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Infant mortality rate 147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 7.77 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.05 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 2.6% (2002 est.)
International organization participation 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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 17 (2000)
Irrigated land 30,000 sq km (1993 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch upper courts were non-functioning as of March 1995 (local Shari'a or Islamic law courts are functioning throughout the country) Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court)
Labor force 10 million (2000 est.) 4,521 ; note - lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 70%, industry 15%, services 15% (1990 est.) agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
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
0 km
Land use arable land:
12%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
46%

forests and woodland:
3%

other:
39% (1993 est.)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 80% (1998 est.)
Languages Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism English
Legal system a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law) English common law and statutory law
Legislative branch non-functioning as of June 1993 unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)


note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members


elections: last held NA April 2001 (next to be held by November 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2


note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council
Life expectancy at birth total population:
46.24 years

male:
46.97 years

female:
45.47 years (2001 est.)
total population: 78.36 years


male: 76.24 years


female: 80.59 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
31.5%

male:
47.2%

female:
15% (1999 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 97%


male: 97%


female: 97% (1970 est.)
Location Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references Asia Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims none (landlocked) exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
Merchant marine - none (2002 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches NA; note - the military does not exist on a national basis; 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 groups no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
6,645,023 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
3,561,957 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - military age 22 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
252,869 (2001 est.)
-
National holiday Independence Day, 19 August (1919) Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Nationality noun:
Afghan(s)

adjective:
Afghan
noun: Montserratian(s)


adjective: Montserratian
Natural hazards damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1996)
Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones NEGL
Net migration rate 11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 34.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas 180 km -
Political parties and leaders Taliban (Religious Students Movement) [Mullah Mohammad OMAR]; United National Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan or UNIFSA [Burhanuddin RABBANI, chairman; Gen. Abdul Rashid DOSTAM, vice chairman; Ahmad Shah MASOOD, military commander; Mohammed Yunis QANUNI, spokesman]; note - made up of 13 parties opposed to the Taliban including Harakat-i-Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Movement of Afghanistan), Hizb-i-Islami (Islamic Party), Hizb-i-Wahdat-i-Islami (Islamic Unity Party), Jumaat-i-Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Afghan Society), Jumbish-i-Milli (National Front), Mahaz-i-Milli-i-Islami (National Islamic Front) National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]
Political pressure groups and leaders Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Australia, US, and elsewhere have organized politically; Mellat (Social Democratic Party) [leader NA]; Peshawar, Pakistan-based groups such as the Coordination Council for National Unity and Understanding in Afghanistan or CUNUA [Ishaq GAILANI]; tribal elders represent traditional Pashtun leadership; Writers Union of Free Afghanistan or WUFA [A. Rasul AMIN] NA
Population 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.) 8,995


note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 3.48% (2001 est.)

note:
this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran
4.5% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Kheyrabad, Shir Khan Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay
Radio broadcast stations AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pushtu, Dari, Urdu, and English) (1999) AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 167,000 (1999) -
Railways total:
24.6 km

broad gauge:
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
0 km
Religions Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
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.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage NA; previously males 15-50 years of age 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
very limited telephone and telegraph service

domestic:
in 1997, telecommunications links were established between Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul through satellite and microwave systems

international:
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) linked only to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); commercial satellite telephone center in Ghazni
general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: NA
Telephones - main lines in use 29,000 (1996)

note:
there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998
4,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 70 (1994)
Television broadcast stations at least 10 (one government run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 30 provinces; the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997, there was a station in Mazar-e Sharif reaching four northern Afghanistan provinces) (1998) 1 (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Total fertility rate 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.8 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 6% (1998 est.)
Waterways 1,200 km

note:
chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels with DWT up to about 500 (2001)
none
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