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Compare Afghanistan (2001) - Venezuela (2007)

Compare Afghanistan (2001) z Venezuela (2007)

 Afghanistan (2001)Venezuela (2007)
 AfghanistanVenezuela
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 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia


note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
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: 31.6% (male 4,169,979/female 4,046,170)


15-64 years: 63.4% (male 8,120,661/female 8,369,065)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 586,863/female 730,790) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, karakul pelts corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 45 (2000 est.) 390 (2007)
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.)
total: 128


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 34


914 to 1,523 m: 61


under 914 m: 18 (2007)
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.)
total: 262


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 15


914 to 1,523 m: 97


under 914 m: 149 (2007)
Area total:
647,500 sq km

land:
647,500 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 912,050 sq km


land: 882,050 sq km


water: 30,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly more than twice the size of California
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. Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, has promoted a controversial policy of "democratic socialism," which purports to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Birth rate 41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 21.22 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues: $54.65 billion


expenditures: $54.61 billion (2006 est.)
Capital Kabul name: Caracas


geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 2,800 km
Constitution none 30 December 1999
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: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela


conventional short form: Venezuela


local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela


local short form: Venezuela
Currency afghani (AFA) -
Death rate 17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5.08 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $5.5 billion (1996 est.) $41.4 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US the US embassy in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD


embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080


mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037


telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411


FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991
Diplomatic representation in the US none; note - embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997

consulate(s) general:
New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera


chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007


telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214


FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Disputes - international support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions; question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; dispute with Colombia over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border region; in 2006, an estimated 139,000 Colombians sought protection in 150 communities along the border in Venezuela; US, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's granting full effect to Aves Island, thereby claiming a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela's full effect claim
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 $48.66 million (2005)
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. Venezuela remains highly dependent on oil revenues, which account for roughly 90% of export earnings, more than 50% of the federal budget revenues, and around 30% of GDP. Tax collection - Venezuela's primary source of non-oil revenue - is expected to surpass $23 billion in 2006, exceeding the yearend collection goal by more than 20%. A nationwide strike between December 2002 and February 2003 had far-reaching economic consequences - real GDP declined by around 9% in 2002 and 8% in 2003 - but economic output since then has recovered strongly. Fueled by higher oil prices, record government spending helped to boost GDP growth in 2004 and 2005 to approximately 18% and 11%, respectively. Economic growth in 2006 reached about 9%. This spending, combined with recent minimum wage hikes and improved access to domestic credit, has fueled a consumption boom - car sales in 2006 increased by around 70% - but has come at the cost of higher inflation. Despite government attempts to withdraw liquidity from the economy, Venezuela's money supply set a record in June 2006, approximately 70% higher than the previous year. Imports have also jumped significantly.
Electricity - consumption 480.6 million kWh (1999) 73.36 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 90 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 420 million kWh (1999) 99.2 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
35.71%

hydro:
64.29%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Amu Darya 258 m

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


highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Environment - current issues soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
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
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6% Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people
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 bolivares per US dollar - 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002)
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: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jorge RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 3 January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Vice President Jorge RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 3 January 2007)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2012)


note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of this constitution


election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 62.9%, Manuel ROSALES 36.9%
Exports $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.) 2.293 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports - partners FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic US 46.3%, Netherlands Antilles 13.5%, China 3.2% (2006)
Fiscal year 21 March - 20 March calendar year
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
three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band
GDP purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
53%

industry:
28.5%

services:
18.5% (1990)
agriculture: 3.7%


industry: 40.5%


services: 55.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate NA% 10.3% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 00 N, 65 00 E 8 00 N, 66 00 W
Geography - note landlocked on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall
Heliports 3 (2000 est.) 2 (2007)
Highways total:
21,000 km

paved:
2,793 km

unpaved:
18,207 km (1998 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: 0.7%


highest 10%: 35.2% (2003)
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 small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border
Imports $150 million (1996 est.) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Germany US 30.6%, Colombia 10.2%, Brazil 10.1%, Mexico 5.9%, China 4.9%, Panama 4.8% (2006)
Independence 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate - 7% (2006 est.)
Industries small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly
Infant mortality rate 147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 22.52 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 26.14 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 18.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 13.7% (2006 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 CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land 30,000 sq km (1993 est.) 5,750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch upper courts were non-functioning as of March 1995 (local Shari'a or Islamic law courts are functioning throughout the country) Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)
Labor force 10 million (2000 est.) 12.19 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 70%, industry 15%, services 15% (1990 est.) agriculture: 13%


industry: 23%


services: 64% (1997 est.)
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
total: 4,993 km


border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Land use arable land:
12%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
46%

forests and woodland:
3%

other:
39% (1993 est.)
arable land: 2.85%


permanent crops: 0.88%


other: 96.27% (2005)
Languages Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Legal system a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law) open, adversarial court system
Legislative branch non-functioning as of June 1993 unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)


elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), opposition 0
Life expectancy at birth total population:
46.24 years

male:
46.97 years

female:
45.47 years (2001 est.)
total population: 73.28 years


male: 70.24 years


female: 76.48 years (2007 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 can read and write


total population: 93%


male: 93.3%


female: 92.7% (2001 census)
Location Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Map references Asia South America
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 15 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine - total: 59 ships (1000 GRT or over) 808,721 GRT/1,285,783 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 14, chemical tanker 3, container 1, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 1


foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, Mexico 3, Panama 1, Russia 1, Spain 1)


registered in other countries: 11 (Bahamas 1, Panama 10) (2007)
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 National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN): Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada; includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 1.2% (2005 est.)
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) Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Nationality noun:
Afghan(s)

adjective:
Afghan
noun: Venezuelan(s)


adjective: Venezuelan
Natural hazards damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Net migration rate 11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas 180 km extra heavy crude oil 992 km; gas 5,369 km; oil 7,607 km; refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2006)
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) A New Time or UNT [Manuel ROSALES]; Christian Democrats or COPEI [Cesar PEREZ Vivas]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]
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] FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
Population 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.) 26,023,528 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 37.9% (end 2005 est.)
Population growth rate 3.48% (2001 est.)

note:
this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran
1.486% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Kheyrabad, Shir Khan -
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 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (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
total: 682 km


standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Religions Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%
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: 1.031 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.803 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2007 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: modern and expanding


domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services


international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network
Telephones - main lines in use 29,000 (1996)

note:
there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998
4.217 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 18.79 million (2006)
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) 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Total fertility rate 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.) 2.55 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 8.9% (2006 est.)
Waterways 1,200 km

note:
chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels with DWT up to about 500 (2001)
7,100 km


note: Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels (2005)
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