##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Afghanistan (2002) - Iceland (2002)
Compare Afghanistan (2002) z Iceland (2002)
| Afghanistan (2002) | Iceland (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 32 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, and Zabol | 23 counties (syslur, singular - sysla) and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular - kaupstadhur); Akranes*, Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla, Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasys-la, Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vesttmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
note: there may be four other counties |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 42% (male 5,953,291; female 5,706,542)
15-64 years: 55.2% (male 7,935,101; female 7,382,101) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 410,278; female 368,462) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 23% (male 33,189; female 31,155)
15-64 years: 65.1% (male 91,704; female 90,199) 65 years and over: 11.9% (male 14,828; female 18,309) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin | potatoes, turnips; cattle, sheep; fish |
| Airports | 46 (2001) | 86 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 10 10
over 3,047 m: 3 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 2 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 13
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 8 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 37 35
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 13 914 to 1,523 m: 14 4 under 914 m: 4 11 (2002) |
total: 73
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 49 (2002) |
| Area | total: 647,500 sq km
land: 647,500 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 103,000 sq km
land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | slightly smaller than Kentucky |
| Background | Afghanistan's recent history is characterized by war and civil unrest. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 but 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, giving rise to a state of warlordism that eventually spawned the Taliban. Backed by foreign sponsors, the Taliban developed as a political force and eventually seized power. The Taliban were able to capture most of the country, aside from Northern Alliance strongholds primarily in the northeast, until US and allied military action in support of the opposition following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks forced the group's downfall. In late 2001, major leaders from the Afghan opposition groups and diaspora met in Bonn, Germany and agreed on a plan for the formulation of a new government structure that resulted in the inauguration of Hamid KARZAI as Chairman of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) on 22 December 2001. The AIA held a nationwide Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) in June 2002, and KARZAI was elected President by secret ballot of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA). The Transitional Authority has an 18-month mandate to hold a nationwide Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and a 24-month mandate to hold nationwide elections. In December 2002, the TISA marked the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Taliban. In addition to occasionally violent political jockeying and ongoing military action to root out remaining terrorists and Taliban elements, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread land mines. | Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards. |
| Birth rate | 41.03 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 14.37 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
revenues: $3.5 billion
expenditures: $3.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $467 million (1999) |
| Capital | Kabul | Reykjavik |
| Climate | arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers | temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 4,988 km |
| Constitution | the Bonn Agreement called for a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) to be convened within 18 months of the establishment of the Transitional Authority to draft a new constitution for the country; the basis for the next constitution is the 1963/64 Constitution, according to the Bonn Agreement | 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Transitional Islamic State 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: Republic of Iceland
conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lydhveldidh Island local short form: Island |
| Currency | afghani (AFA) | Icelandic krona (ISK) |
| Death rate | 17.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 6.93 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $5.5 billion (1996 est.) | $2.6 billion (1999) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Patrick John FINN; note - embassy in Kabul reopened 16 December 2001 following closure in January 1989
embassy: Great Masood Road, Kabul mailing address: 6180 Kabul Place, Dulles, VA 20189-6180 telephone: [93] (2) 290002, 290005, 290154 FAX: 00932290153 |
chief of mission: Ambassador James I. GADSDEN
embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340 telephone: [354] 5629100 FAX: [354] 5629139 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: ambassador Ishaq SHAHRYAR
chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: 202-483-6410 FAX: 202-483-6487 consulate(s) general: New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON
chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656 consulate(s) general: New York |
| Disputes - international | close ties with Pashtuns in Pakistan make long border difficult to control | Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); dispute with Denmark over the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line boundary within 200 NM; disputes with Denmark, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM |
| Economic aid - donor | - | $NA |
| Economic aid - recipient | international pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial institutions at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan reconstruction in January 2002 reached $4.5 billion through 2006, with $1.8 billion allocated for 2002; according to a joint preliminary assessment conducted by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the UN Development Program, rebuilding Afghanistan will cost roughly $15 billion over the next ten years | - |
| 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. 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 1998-2001. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care, problems exacerbated by military operations and political uncertainties. Inflation remains a serious problem. Following the US-led coalition war that led to the defeat of the Taliban in November 2001 and the formulation of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) resulting from the December 2001 Bonn Agreement, International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were addressed at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002, when $4.5 billion was collected for a trust fund to be administered by the World Bank. Priority areas for reconstruction include the construction of education, health, and sanitation facilities, enhancement of administrative capacity, the development of the agricultural sector, and the rebuilding of road, energy, and telecommunication links. | Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system, low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant hydrothermal and geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, providing 70% of export earnings and employing 12% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to drops in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. The center-right government plans to continue its policies of reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Consumption, investment, and exports should recover moderately in 2003. |
| Electricity - consumption | 453.75 million kWh (2000) | 7.02 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 105 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 375 million kWh (2000) | 7.549 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 36%
hydro: 64% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 83% nuclear: 0% other: 17% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution | water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment |
| 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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation |
| Ethnic groups | Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8% | homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6% |
| 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 | Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 102.430 (January 2002), 97.425 (2001), 78.616 (2000), 72.335 (1999), 70.958 (1998), 70.904 (1997) |
| Executive branch | note: following the Taliban's refusal to hand over Usama bin LADIN to the US for his suspected involvement in the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, a US-led international coalition was formed; after several weeks of aerial bombardment by coalition forces and military action on the ground, including Afghan opposition forces, the Taliban was ousted from power on 17 November 2001; in December 2001 a number of prominent Afghans met under UN auspices in Bonn, Germany, to decide on a plan for governing the country; as a result, the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) - made up of 30 members, headed by a chairman - was inaugurated on 22 December 2001 with a six-month mandate to be followed by a two-year Transitional Authority (TA) after which elections are to be held; the structure of the follow-on TA was announced on 10 June 2002 when the Loya Jirga (grand assembly) convened establishing the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) which has an 18-month mandate to hold a Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and a 24-month mandate to hold nationwide elections
chief of state: President of the TISA, Hamad KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government head of government: President of the TISA, Hamad KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government cabinet: the 30-member TISA elections: NA |
chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April 1991) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by Parliament elections: president, which is largely a ceremonial post, elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 29 June 1996 (next to be held NA June 2004); President GRIMSSON ran unopposed in June 2000 so there were no elections; prime minister appointed by the president election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON ran unopposed in 2000 and was reelected |
| Exports | $1.2 billion (2001 est.) | $2 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| Exports - commodities | opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems | fish and fish products 70%, animal products, aluminum, diatomite, ferrosilicon |
| Exports - partners | Pakistan 32%, India 8%, Belgium 7%, Germany 5%, Russia 5%, UAE 4% (1999) | UK 18.2%, Germany 14.9%, Netherlands 10.9, US 10.3%, Portugal 5.5%, Spain 5.4%, Norway 5.3% (2001) |
| Fiscal year | 21 March - 20 March | calendar year |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of black (hoist), red, and green with a gold emblem centered on the red band; the emblem features a temple-like structure encircled by a wreath on the left and right and by a bold Islamic inscription above | blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 60%
industry: 20% services: 20% (1990 est.) |
agriculture: 14% (includes fishing 12%)
industry: 21% services: 65% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $27,100 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | NA% | -0.7% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 33 00 N, 65 00 E | 65 00 N, 18 00 W |
| Geography - note | landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor) | strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe |
| Heliports | 5 (2002) | - |
| Highways | total: 21,000 km
paved: 2,793 km unpaved: 18,207 km (1998 est.) |
total: 12,691 km
paved: 3,262 km unpaved: 9,429 km (1999) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | world's largest producer of opium; cultivation of opium poppy - used to make heroin - expanded to 30,750 hectares in 2002, despite eradication; potential opium production of 1,278 tons; source of hashish; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade source of instability and some government groups profit from the trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system | - |
| Imports | $1.3 billion (2001 est.) | $2 billion (2002) |
| Imports - commodities | capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods | machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles |
| Imports - partners | Pakistan 19%, Japan 16%, Kenya 9%, South Korea 7%, India 6%, Turkmenistan 6% (1999) | Germany 12.2%, US 11.1%, Denmark 8.6%, Norway 7.8%, UK 7.5%, Netherlands 6.6% (2001) |
| Independence | 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) | 1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | 0.2% (2001 est.) |
| Industries | small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper | fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism |
| Infant mortality rate | 144.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 3.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | 5% (2001 est.) |
| International organization participation | AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC (suspended), IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO | Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 20 (2001) |
| Irrigated land | 23,860 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | the Bonn Agreement calls for the establishment of a Supreme Court | Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice) |
| Labor force | 10 million (2000 est.) | 159,000 (2000) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.) | agriculture 5%, fishing and fish processing 12%, manufacturing 13%, construction 11%, other services 60% (1999) |
| 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: 12.13%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 87.65% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.06%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.94% (23% permanent pastures) (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 | Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken |
| Legal system | the Bonn Agreement calls for a judicial commission to rebuild the justice system in accordance with Islamic principles, international standards, the rule of law, and Afghan legal traditions | civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | nonfunctioning as of June 1993 | unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 May 1999 (next to be held by April 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party 40.7%, Social Democratic Alliance (PA, Social Democratic Party, Women's List) 26.8%, Progressive Party 18.4%, Left-Green Alliance 9.1%, Liberal Party 4.2%; seats by party - Independence Party 26, Social Democratic Alliance 17, Progressive Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 6, Liberal Party 2 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 46.6 years
male: 47.32 years female: 45.85 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 79.66 years
male: 77.42 years female: 82.07 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 36% male: 51% female: 21% (1999 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.9% (1997 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK |
| Map references | Asia | Arctic Region |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,816 GRT/2,500 DWT
ships by type: chemical tanker 1 (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | - | defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik |
| Military branches | NA; note - the December 2001 Bonn Agreement calls for all militia forces to come under Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) control, but formation of a national army is likely to be a gradual process; Afghanistan's forces continue to be factionalized largely along ethnic lines | no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $0 |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | - |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 6,896,623 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 71,142 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 3,696,379 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 62,556 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 22 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 252,869 (2002 est.) | - |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 19 August (1919) | Independence Day, 17 June (1944) |
| Nationality | noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan |
noun: Icelander(s)
adjective: Icelandic |
| Natural hazards | damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts | earthquakes and volcanic activity |
| Natural resources | natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones | fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite |
| Net migration rate | 10.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -2.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| People - note | large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states | - |
| Pipelines | natural gas 180 km
note: product pipelines from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have been in disrepair and disuse for years (2002) |
- |
| Political parties and leaders | NA; note - political parties in Afghanistan are in flux and many prominent players have plans to create new parties; the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) is headed by President Hamid Karzai; the TISA is a coalition government formed of leaders from across the Afghan political spectrum; there are also several "independent" groups | Independence Party or IP [David ODDSSON]; Left-Green Alliance or LGP [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Sverrir HERMANNSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List)or SDA [Ossur SKARPHEDINSSON]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Sighvatur BJORGVINSSON]; Women's List or WL [Kristin ASTGEIRSDOTTIR] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders | NA |
| Population | 27,755,775 (July 2002 est.) | 279,384 (July 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 3.43%
note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002 est.) |
0.52% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Kheyrabad, Shir Khan | Akureyri, Hornafjordhur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vesttmannaeyjar |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (1999) | AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios | 167,000 (1999) | 260,000 (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 (2001) |
0 km |
| Religions | Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% | Evangelical Lutheran 87.1%, other Protestant 4.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, other 7.1% (2002) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 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: extensive domestic service
domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 29,000 (1998) | 196,984 (2001) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 248,131 (221,231 GSM, 26,900 NMT) (2001) |
| Television broadcast stations | at least 10 (one government-run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 32 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) | 14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest | mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords |
| Total fertility rate | 5.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.99 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | 2.8% (2002 est.) |
| Waterways | 1,200 km
note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001) |
none |
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