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Compare Afghanistan (2003) - Iceland (2001)

Compare Afghanistan (2003) z Iceland (2001)

 Afghanistan (2003)Iceland (2001)
 AfghanistanIceland
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 (syslar, 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: 41.8% (male 6,123,971; female 5,868,013)


15-64 years: 55.4% (male 8,240,743; female 7,671,242)


65 years and over: 2.8% (male 427,710; female 385,534) (2003 est.)
0-14 years:
23.18% (male 33,238; female 31,191)

15-64 years:
65.01% (male 91,095; female 89,583)

65 years and over:
11.81% (male 14,681; female 18,118) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins potatoes, turnips; cattle, sheep; fish
Airports 47 (2002) 87 (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 (2002)
total:
12

over 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
7 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 37


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 11 (2002)
total:
75

1,524 to 2,437 m:
3

914 to 1,523 m:
20

under 914 m:
52 (2000 est.)
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 40.63 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 14.62 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $200 million


expenditures: $550 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 plan est.)
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 1964 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:
Lyoveldio Island

local short form:
Island
Currency afghani (AFA) Icelandic krona (ISK)
Death rate 17.15 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 6.89 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external NA (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 Barbara J. GRIFFITHS

embassy:
Laufasvegur 21, Reykjavik

mailing address:
US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340

telephone:
[354] 5629100

FAX:
[354] 5629118
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: ambassador Seyyed Tayeb JAWAD


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 Jon-Baldvin HANNIBALSSON

chancery:
Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

telephone:
[1] (202) 265-6653

FAX:
[1] (202) 265-6656

consulate(s) general:
New York
Disputes - international thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran and Pakistan; isolating terrain and close ties among Pashtuns in Pakistan make cross-border activities difficult to control; prolonged regional drought strains water-sharing arrangements for Amu Darya and Helmand River states Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark 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; another $1.7 billion was pledged for 2003. -
Economy - overview Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on foreign aid, farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats), and trade with neighboring countries. Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during more than 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 4 to 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 1998-2002. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care, and a dearth of jobs, problems exacerbated by political uncertainties and the general level of lawlessness. International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were addressed at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002, when $4.5 billion was pledged, $1.7 billion for 2002. Of that approximately $900 million was directed to humanitarian aid - food, clothing, and shelter - and another $90 million for the Afghan Transitional Authority. Further World Bank and other aid came in 2003. Priority areas for reconstruction include upgrading education, health, and sanitation facilities; providing income generating opportunities; enhancing administrative and security arrangements, especially in regional areas; developing the agricultural sector; rebuilding transportation, energy, and telecommunication infrastructure; and reabsorbing 2 million returning refugees. The replacement of the opium trade - which may account for one-third of GDP - and the search for oil and gas resources in the northern region are two major long-term issues. 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, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 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. Growth has been remarkably steady over the past five years at 4%-5%.
Electricity - consumption 511.4 million kWh (2001) 6.574 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 200 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 334.8 million kWh (2001) 7.069 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 36.3%


hydro: 63.7%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel:
0.07%

hydro:
84.64%

nuclear:
0%

other:
15.29% (1999)
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, Environmental Modification, 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, 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
Exchange rates afghanis per US dollar - 3,000 (October-December 2002), 3,000 (2001), 3,000 (2000), 3,000 (1999), 3,000 (1998), note: before 2002 the market rate varied widely from the official rate; in 2002 the afghani was revalued and the currency stabilized Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 84.810 (January 2001), 78.676 (2000), 72.335 (1999), 70.958 (1998), 70.904 (1997), 66.500 (1996)
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 18 months to hold a Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and 24 months to hold nationwide elections


chief of state: President of the TISA, Hamid KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government


head of government: President of the TISA, Hamid KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government


cabinet: the 30-member TISA


elections: nationwide elections are to be held by June 2004, according to the Bonn Agreement
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 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 elected president; President GRIMSSON ran unopposed
Exports NA (2001) $2 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
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 26.8%, India 26.5%, Finland 5.8%, Germany 5.1%, UAE 4.4%, Belgium 4.3%, Russia 4.2%, US 4.2% (2002) EU 64% (UK 20%, Germany 13%, France 5%, Denmark 5%), US 15%, Japan 5% (1999)
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 that extends 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 - $19 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $6.85 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
agriculture:
15% (includes fishing 13%)

industry:
21%

services:
64% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $24,800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 4.3% (2000 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 (1999 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 metric 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 NA (2001) $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners Pakistan 25.1%, South Korea 14.4%, Japan 9.4%, US 9%, Kenya 5.8%, Germany 5.4% (2002) EU 56% (Germany 12%, UK 9%, Denmark 8%, Sweden 6%), US 11%, Norway 10% (1999)
Independence 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 1.5% (2000 est.)
Industries small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 142.48 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 145.99 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 138.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
3.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 3.5% (2000 est.)
International organization participation AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, 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), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 7 (2000)
Irrigated land 23,860 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch the Bonn Agreement called for the establishment of a Supreme Court; there is also a Minister of Justice Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by the president)
Labor force 10 million (2000 est.) 159,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.) agriculture 5.1%, fishing and fish processing 11.8%, manufacturing 12.9%, construction 10.7%, other services 59.5% (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%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
23%

forests and woodland:
1%

other:
76% (1993 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
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 on 8 May 1999 (next to be held by April 2003)

election results:
percent of vote by party - Independence Party 40.7%, The Alliance (PA, People's 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, The Alliance 17, Progressive Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 6, Liberal Party 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 46.97 years


male: 47.67 years


female: 46.23 years (2003 est.)
total population:
79.52 years

male:
77.31 years

female:
81.92 years (2001 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:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,435 GRT/4,538 DWT

ships by type:
chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 1 (2000 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 called for all militia forces to come under the authority of the central government, but regional leaders have continued to retain their militias and the formation of a nation army will be a gradual process; Afghanistan's forces continue to be factionalized, largely along ethnic lines no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard; note - Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Military expenditures - dollar figure $525.2 million (FY02) $0
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 7.7% (FY02) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 7,160,603 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
71,241 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 3,837,646 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
62,704 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 22 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 275,223 (2003 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 10.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -2.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
People - note large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states -
Pipelines gas 651 km (2003) -
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 political factions not holding positions in the Transitional government that are forming new groups and parties in the hopes of participating in 2004 elections Independence Party (conservative) or IP [David ODDSSON]; Left-Green Alliance [Steinsvimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party [Sverrir HERMANNSSON]; People's Party (Social Democratic Party) or SDP [Sighvatyr BJORGIVINSSON]; Progressive Party (liberal) or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON]; The Alliance (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SVP, People's Movement, Women's List) [Ossur SKARPHEDINSSON]; 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 28,717,213 (July 2003 est.) 277,906 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 3.38%


note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact (2003 est.)
0.54% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Kheyrabad, Shir Khan Akureyri, Hornafjordur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vestmannaeyjar
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 - 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 93%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic, none (1997)
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 (2003 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 (2001 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:
adequate 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) 168,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 65,746 (1997)
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 5.64 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.01 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 2.7% (January 2001)
Waterways 1,200 km


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