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Compare Afghanistan (2001) - Western Sahara (2001)

Compare Afghanistan (2001) z Western Sahara (2001)

 Afghanistan (2001)Western Sahara (2001)
 AfghanistanWestern Sahara
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 none (under de facto control of Morocco)
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:
NA%

15-64 years:
NA%

65 years and over:
NA%
Agriculture - products opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, karakul pelts fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)
Airports 45 (2000 est.) 11 (2000 est.)
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:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3 (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.)
total:
8

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Area total:
647,500 sq km

land:
647,500 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total:
266,000 sq km

land:
266,000 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas about the size of Colorado
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. Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire; a referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed and is not expected to occur until at least 2002.
Birth rate 41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) -
Budget revenues:
$NA

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

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Kabul none
Climate arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 1,110 km
Constitution none -
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:
Western Sahara

former:
Spanish Sahara
Currency afghani (AFA) Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Death rate 17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) -
Debt - external $5.5 billion (1996 est.) $NA
Diplomatic representation from the US the US embassy in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns none
Diplomatic representation in the US none; note - embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997

consulate(s) general:
New York
none
Disputes - international support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions; question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue; the UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since September 1991
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 $NA
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. Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and lacking sufficient rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living are substantially below the Moroccan level.
Electricity - consumption 480.6 million kWh (1999) 83.7 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 90 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 420 million kWh (1999) 90 million kWh (1999)
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% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Amu Darya 258 m

highest point:
Nowshak 7,485 m
lowest point:
Sebjet Tah -55 m

highest point:
unnamed location 463 m
Environment - current issues soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification sparse water and lack of arable land
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:
none of the selected agreements

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% Arab, Berber
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 Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 10.590 (January 2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997), 8.716 (1996)
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
none
Exports $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.) $NA
Exports - commodities opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems phosphates 62%
Exports - partners FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
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
-
GDP purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
53%

industry:
28.5%

services:
18.5% (1990)
agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
40%-45% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate NA% NA%
Geographic coordinates 33 00 N, 65 00 E 24 30 N, 13 00 W
Geography - note landlocked -
Heliports 3 (2000 est.) 1 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
21,000 km

paved:
2,793 km

unpaved:
18,207 km (1998 est.)
total:
6,200 km

paved:
1,350 km

unpaved:
4,850 km (1991 est.)
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 -
Imports $150 million (1996 est.) $NA
Imports - commodities capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Imports - partners FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Germany Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Independence 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) -
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper phosphate mining, handicrafts
Infant mortality rate 147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) -
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% NA%
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 none
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 1 (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) -
Labor force 10 million (2000 est.) 12,000
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 70%, industry 15%, services 15% (1990 est.) animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
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:
2,046 km

border countries:
Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Land use arable land:
12%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
46%

forests and woodland:
3%

other:
39% (1993 est.)
arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
19%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
81%
Languages Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Legal system a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law) -
Legislative branch non-functioning as of June 1993 -
Life expectancy at birth total population:
46.24 years

male:
46.97 years

female:
45.47 years (2001 est.)
-
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
31.5%

male:
47.2%

female:
15% (1999 est.)
definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Map references Asia Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
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 NA
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 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) -
Nationality noun:
Afghan(s)

adjective:
Afghan
noun:
Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)

adjective:
Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Natural hazards damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility
Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones phosphates, iron ore
Net migration rate 11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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) -
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] none
Population 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.) 250,559 (July 2001 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
-
Ports and harbors Kheyrabad, Shir Khan Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
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 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 167,000 (1999) 56,000 (1997)
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% Muslim
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.)
-
Suffrage NA; previously males 15-50 years of age none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed
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:
sparse and limited system

domestic:
NA

international:
tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
Telephones - main lines in use 29,000 (1996)

note:
there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998
about 2,000 (1999 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 0 (1999)
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) NA
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Total fertility rate 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.) -
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways 1,200 km

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