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Compare Afghanistan (2003) - Romania (2001)

Compare Afghanistan (2003) z Romania (2001)

 Afghanistan (2003)Romania (2001)
 AfghanistanRomania
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 40 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
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:
17.95% (male 2,054,323; female 1,959,196)

15-64 years:
68.51% (male 7,605,751; female 7,715,434)

65 years and over:
13.54% (male 1,255,880; female 1,773,438) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep
Airports 47 (2002) 62 (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:
25

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
10

1,524 to 2,437 m:
12 (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:
37

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2

914 to 1,523 m:
12

under 914 m:
23 (2000 est.)
Area total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
237,500 sq km

land:
230,340 sq km

water:
7,160 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly smaller than Oregon
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. Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a communist "peoples republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of President Nicolae CEAUSESCU became increasingly draconian through the 1980s. He was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the EU.
Birth rate 40.63 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 10.8 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $200 million


expenditures: $550 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 plan est.)
revenues:
$11.7 billion

expenditures:
$12.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Capital Kabul Bucharest
Climate arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 225 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 8 December 1991
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:
none

conventional short form:
Romania

local long form:
none

local short form:
Romania
Currency afghani (AFA) leu (ROL)
Death rate 17.15 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 12.28 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external NA (1996 est.) $9.3 billion (2000 est.)
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 C. ROSAPEPE

embassy:
Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest

mailing address:
American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)

telephone:
[40] (1) 210 40 42

FAX:
[40] (1) 210 03 95

branch office(s):
Cluj-Napoca
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 (vacant)

chancery:
1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851

FAX:
[1] (202) 232-4748

consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Los Angeles, and 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 none
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. Romania, one of the poorest countries in Central and Eastern Europe, began the transition from communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. Over the past decade economic restructuring has lagged behind most other countries in the region. Consequently, living standards have continued to fall - real wages are down over 40%. Corruption too has worsened. The EU ranks Romania last among enlargement candidates, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) rates Romania's transition progress the region's worst. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets. A new government elected in November 2000 promises to promote economic reform. Bucharest hopes to receive financial and technical assistance from international financial institutions and Western governments; negotiations over a new IMF standby agreement are to begin early in 2001. If reform stalls, Romania's ability to borrow from both public and private sources could quickly dry up, leading to another financial crisis.
Electricity - consumption 511.4 million kWh (2001) 44.768 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 1.935 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 200 million kWh (2001) 1.1 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 334.8 million kWh (2001) 49.036 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 36.3%


hydro: 63.7%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel:
53.99%

hydro:
36.18%

nuclear:
9.81%

other:
0.02% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


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

highest point:
Moldoveanu 2,544 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 soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands
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, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8% Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 7.1%, Roma 1.8%, German 0.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, other 0.8% (1992)
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 lei per US dollar - 26,243.0 (January 2001), 21,708.7 (2000), 15,332.8 (1999), 8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997), 3,084.2 (1996); note - lei is the plural form of leu
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 Ion ILIESCU (since 20 December 2000)

head of government:
Prime Minister Adrian NASTASE (since 29 December 2000)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 November 2000, with runoff between the top two candidates held 10 December 2000 (next to be held NA November/December 2004); prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
percent of vote - Ion ILIESCU 66.84%, Corneliu Vadim TUDOR 33.16%
Exports NA (2001) $11.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems textiles and footwear 26%, metals and metal products 15%, machinery and equipment 11%, minerals and fuels 6% (1999)
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) Italy 23%, Germany 18%, France 6%, Turkey 5%, US (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 three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad, also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova
GDP purchasing power parity - $19 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $132.5 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
agriculture:
13.9%

industry:
32.6%

services:
53.5% (2000)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $5,900 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 2.2% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 00 N, 65 00 E 46 00 N, 25 00 E
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) controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
Heliports 5 (2002) 1 (2000 est.)
Highways total: 21,000 km


paved: 2,793 km


unpaved: 18,207 km (1999 est.)
total:
153,359 km

paved:
103,671 km (including 133 km of expressways)

unpaved:
49,688 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%:
3.8%

highest 10%:
20.2% (1992)
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 important transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe
Imports NA (2001) $11.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products machinery and equipment 23%, fuels and minerals 12%, chemicals 9%, textile and products 19% (1999)
Imports - partners Pakistan 25.1%, South Korea 14.4%, Japan 9.4%, US 9%, Kenya 5.8%, Germany 5.4% (2002) Italy 20%, Germany 19%, France 7%, Russia 6% (1999)
Independence 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) 1881 (from Turkey; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 8% (2000)
Industries small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining
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.)
19.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 45.7% (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 ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 38 (2000)
Irrigated land 23,860 sq km (1998 est.) 31,020 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch the Bonn Agreement called for the establishment of a Supreme Court; there is also a Minister of Justice Supreme Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates)
Labor force 10 million (2000 est.) 9.9 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.) agriculture 40%, industry 25%, services 35% (1998)
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:
2,508 km

border countries:
Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Yugoslavia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km
Land use arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
arable land:
41%

permanent crops:
3%

permanent pastures:
21%

forests and woodland:
29%

other:
6% (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 Romanian, Hungarian, German
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 former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic
Legislative branch nonfunctioning as of June 1993 bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (140 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (345 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Senate - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004)

election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - PDSR 37.1%, PRM 21.0%, PD 7.6%, PNL 7.5%, UDMR 6.9%; seats by party - PDSR 65, PRM 37, PD 13, PNL 13, UDMR 12; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PDSR 36.6%, PRM 19.5%, PD 7.0%, PNL, 6.9%, UDMR 6.8%; seats by party - PDSR 155, PRM 84, PD 31, PNL 30, UDMR 27, ethnic minorities 18
Life expectancy at birth total population: 46.97 years


male: 47.67 years


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

male:
66.36 years

female:
74.19 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:
97%

male:
98%

female:
95% (1992 est.)
Location Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
Map references Asia Europe
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine - total:
95 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 695,227 GRT/931,598 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 10, cargo 71, container 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)
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 Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense
Military expenditures - dollar figure $525.2 million (FY02) $720 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 7.7% (FY02) 2.2% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 7,160,603 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
5,899,536 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 3,837,646 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
4,962,807 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 22 years of age (2003 est.) 20 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 275,223 (2003 est.) males:
179,951 (2001 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 19 August (1919) Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)
Nationality noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
noun:
Romanian(s)

adjective:
Romanian
Natural hazards damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides
Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower
Net migration rate 10.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
People - note large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states -
Pipelines gas 651 km (2003) crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992)
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 Democratic Party or PD [Petre ROMAN]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Mircea IONESCU-QUINTUS]; Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR [Adrian NASTASE]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; The Democratic Convention or CDR [Ion DIACONESCU]
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 various human rights and professional associations
Population 28,717,213 (July 2003 est.) 22,364,022 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 44.5% (2000)
Population growth rate 3.38%


note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact (2003 est.)
-0.21% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Kheyrabad, Shir Khan Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea
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 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios - 7.2 million (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)
total:
11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)

standard gauge:
10,898 km

narrow gauge:
487 km (1996)
Religions Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 3%, Uniate Catholic 3%, Protestant 6%, unaffiliated 18%
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:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.95 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:
poor domestic service, but improving

domestic:
90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is mostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic cable; about one-third of exchange capacity is digital; roughly 3,300 villages have no service

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; new digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest; note - Romania is an active participant in several international telecommunication network projects (1999)
Telephones - main lines in use 29,000 (1998) 3.777 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 645,500 (1999)
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) 48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Total fertility rate 5.64 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.35 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 11.5% (1999)
Waterways 1,200 km


note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001)
1,724 km (1984)
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