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Compare Afghanistan (2005) - Saint Lucia (2004)

Compare Afghanistan (2005) z Saint Lucia (2004)

 Afghanistan (2005)Saint Lucia (2004)
 AfghanistanSaint Lucia
Administrative divisions 34 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Daykondi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Panjshir, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, and Zabol 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Age structure 0-14 years: 44.7% (male 6,842,857/female 6,524,485)


15-64 years: 52.9% (male 8,124,077/female 7,713,603)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 353,193/female 370,772) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 30.7% (male 25,913; female 24,467)


15-64 years: 64.1% (male 51,750; female 53,530)


65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,159; female 5,394) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Airports 47 (2004 est.) 2 (2003 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 (2004 est.)
total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 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 (2004 est.)
-
Area total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 616 sq km


land: 606 sq km


water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background Afghanistan's recent history is a story of war and civil unrest. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979, but was forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-Communist mujahidin forces. The Communist regime in Kabul collapsed in 1992. Fighting that subsequently erupted among the various mujahidin factions eventually helped to spawn the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that fought to end the warlordism and civil war that gripped the country. The Taliban seized Kabul in 1996 and were able to capture most of the country outside of Northern Alliance strongholds primarily in the northeast. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. In late 2001, a conference in Bonn, Germany, established a process for political reconstruction that ultimately resulted in the adoption of a new constitution and presidential election in 2004. On 9 October 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan. The new Afghan government's next task is to hold National Assembly elections, tentatively scheduled for April 2005. The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.
Birth rate 47.02 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 20.5 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $300 million


expenditures: $609 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY04-05 budget)
revenues: $141.2 million


expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (2000 est.)
Capital Kabul Castries
Climate arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 158 km
Constitution new constitution drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004 22 February 1979
Country name conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan


conventional short form: Afghanistan


local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan


local short form: Afghanestan


former: Republic of Afghanistan
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Currency - East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Death rate 20.75 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 5.18 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia; Afghanistan has $500 million in debt to Multilateral Development Banks (2004) $214 million (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD


embassy: The Great Masood Road, Kabul


mailing address: 6180 Kabul Place, Dulles, VA 20189-6180


telephone: [00] (2) 230-0436


FAX: [0093] (2) 230-1364
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to Saint Lucia
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Said Tayeb JAWAD


chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] 202-483-6410


FAX: [1] 202-483-6488


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY


chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016


telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795


FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723


consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
Disputes - international the UN has been able to repatriate over two million Afghan refugees but several million more continue to reside in Iran and Pakistan in camps and elsewhere, many at their own choosing; Coalition and Pakistani forces continue to patrol remote tribal areas to control the borders and stem organized terrorist and other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings between Pakistani and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary encroachments; occasional conflicts over water-sharing arrangements with Amu Darya and Helmand River states joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea
Economic aid - recipient international pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial institutions at the Berlin Donors Conference for Afghan reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for 2004-09 $51.8 million (1995)
Economy - overview Afghanistan's economic outlook has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 because of the infusion of over $2 billion in international assistance, recovery of the agricultural sector, and the reestablishment of market institutions. Agriculture boomed in 2003 with the end of a four-year drought, but drought conditions returned for the southern half of the country in 2004. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan remains extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, farming, and trade with neighboring countries. It will probably take the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid and attention to raise Afghanistan's living standards up from its current status among the lowest in the world. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs, but the Afghan government and international donors remain committed to improving access to these basic necessities by prioritizing infrastructure development, education, housing development, jobs programs, and economic reform over the next year. Growing political stability and continued international commitment to Afghan reconstruction create an optimistic outlook for maintaining improvements in the Afghan economy in 2005. Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade may account for one-third of GDP and looms as one of Kabul's most serious policy challenges. Changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid.
Electricity - consumption 652.2 million kWh (2002) 111.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 150 million kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 540 million kWh (2002) 120.2 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


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


highest point: Mount Gimie 950 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 deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping


signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4% black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%
Exchange rates afghanis per US dollar - 3,000 (2004), 3,000 (2003), 3,000 (2002), 3,000 (2001), 3,000 (2000)


note: in 2002, the afghani was revalued and the currency stabilized at about 50 afghanis to the dollar; before 2002, the market rate varied widely from the official rate
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; former King ZAHIR Shah holds the honorific, "Father of the Country," and presides symbolically over certain occasions, but lacks any governing authority; the honorific is not hereditary


head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government


cabinet: 27 ministers; note - under the new constitution, ministers are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly


elections: the president and two vice presidents are elected by direct vote for a five-year term; if no candidate receives 50% or more of the vote in the first round of voting, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a second round; a president can only be elected for two terms; election last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: Hamid KARZAI elected president; percent of vote - Hamid KARZAI 55.4%, Yunus QANOONI 16.3%, Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ 11.6%, Abdul Rashid DOSTAM 10.0%, Abdul Latif PEDRAM 1.4%, Masooda JALAL 1.2%
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997)


head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth Davis ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Exports - partners Pakistan 24%, India 21.3%, US 12.4%, Germany 5.5% (2004) UK 48%, US 24%, Antigua and Barbuda 6%, Dominica 6%, Grenada 4% (2003)
Fiscal year 21 March - 20 March 1 April - 31 March
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 gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
GDP - purchasing power parity - $866 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
agriculture: 7%


industry: 20%


services: 73% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7.5% (2004 est.) 3.3% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 00 N, 65 00 E 13 53 N, 60 68 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) the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean
Heliports 5 (2004 est.) -
Highways total: 21,000 km


paved: 2,793 km


unpaved: 18,207 km (1999 est.)
total: 1,210 km


paved: 63 km


unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 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 producer of opium; cultivation of opium poppy reached unprecedented level of 206,700 hectares in 2004; counterdrug efforts largely unsuccessful; potential opium production of 4,950 metric tons; potential heroin production of 582 metric tons if all opium was processed; source of hashish; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade source of instability and some antigovernment groups profit from the trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through informal financial networks transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners Pakistan 25.5%, US 8.7%, India 8.5%, Germany 6.5%, Turkmenistan 5.3%, Kenya 4.7%, South Korea 4.2%, Russia 4.2% (2004) US 36.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.6%, UK 7.4%, Venezuela 6.8% (2003)
Independence 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) 22 February 1979 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA -8.9% (1997 est.)
Industries small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
Infant mortality rate total: 163.07 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 167.79 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 158.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 13.95 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.09 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10.3% (2003) 3% (2001 est.)
International organization participation AsDB, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO (observer), WToO ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 23,860 sq km (1998 est.) 30 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch the new constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkama or Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year terms by the president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinate High Courts and Appeals Courts; there is also a Minister of Justice; a separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission established by the Bonn Agreement is charged with investigating human rights abuses and war crimes Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Labor force 11.8 million (2001 est.) 43,800 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (2004 est.) agriculture 21.7%, industry, commerce, and manufacturing 24.7%, services 53.6% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries total: 5,529 km


border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (2001)
arable land: 6.56%


permanent crops: 22.95%


other: 70.49% (2001)
Languages Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashtu (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism English (official), French patois
Legal system according to the new constitution, no law should be "contrary to Islam"; the state is obliged to create a prosperous and progressive society based on social justice, protection of human dignity, protection of human rights, realization of democracy, and to ensure national unity and equality among all ethnic groups and tribes; the state shall abide by the UN charter, international treaties, international conventions that Afghanistan signed, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights based on English common law
Legislative branch nonfunctioning as of January 2004; government is empowered by the constitution to issue legislation by decree until the new assembly is seated; under the new constitution, the bicameral National Assembly will consist of the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for a five-year term, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one third elected from provincial councils for a four-year term, one third elected from local district councils for a three-year term, and one third presidential appointees for a five-year term; the presidential appointees will include two representatives of Kuchis and two representatives of the disabled; half of the presidential appointees will be women)


note: on rare occasions the government may convene the Loya Jirga on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils


elections: scheduled for spring 2005
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Assembly - last held 3 December 2001 (next to be held in December 2006)


election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 42.9 years


male: 42.71 years


female: 43.1 years (2005 est.)
total population: 73.34 years


male: 69.78 years


female: 77.16 years (2004 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 has ever attended school


total population: 67%


male: 65%


female: 69% (1980 est.)
Location Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Map references Asia Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine - none
Military branches Afghan National Army (includes Afghan Air Force), Afghan Militia Force (AMF) (2005) Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (including Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $188.4 million (2004) NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.6% (2004) NA
National holiday Independence Day, 19 August (1919) Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Nationality noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
noun: Saint Lucian(s)


adjective: Saint Lucian
Natural hazards damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts hurricanes and volcanic activity
Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Net migration rate 21.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
People - note of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3 million have returned -
Pipelines gas 387 km (2004) -
Political parties and leaders note - includes only political parties approved by the Ministry of Justice: Afghan Millat [Anwarul Haq AHADI]; De Afghanistan De Solay Ghorzang Gond [Shahnawaz TANAI]; De Afghanistan De Solay Mili Islami Gond [Shah Mahmood Polal ZAI]; Harakat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Asif MOHSINEE]; Hezb-e-Aarman-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Iihaj Saraj-u-din ZAFAREE]; Hezb-e-Aazadee Afghanistan [Abdul MALIK]; Hezb-e-Adalat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Kabeer MARZBAN]; Hezb-e-Afghanistan-e-Wahid [Mohammad Wasil RAHEEMEE]; Hezb-e-Afghan Watan Islami Gond [leader NA]; Hezb-e-Congra-e-Mili Afghanistan [Latif PEDRAM]; Hezb-e-Falah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad ZAREEF]; Hezb-e-Libral-e-Aazadee Khwa-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ajmal SOHAIL]; Hezb-e-Hambastagee Mili Jawanan-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Jamil KARZAI]; Hezb-e-Hamnbatagee-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Khaleq NEMAT]; Hezb-e-Harakat-e-Mili Wahdat-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Nadir AATASH]; Hezb-e-Harak-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ilhaj Said Hssain ANWARY]; Hezb-e-Ifazat Az Uqoq-e-Bashar Wa Inkishaf-e-Afghanistan [Baryalai NASRATEE]; Hezb-e-Istiqlal-e-Afghanistan [Dr. Gh. Farooq NIJZRABEE]; Hezb-e-Jamhoree Khwahan [Sibghatullah SANJAR]; Hezb-e-Kar Wa Tawsiha-e-Afghanistan [Zulfiar OMID]; Hezb-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Rasheed AARYAN]; Hezb-e-Mili Wahdat-e-Aqwam-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Shah KHOGYANEE]; Hezb-e-Nuhzhat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Ahmad Wali MASOUD]; Hezb-e-Paiwand-e-Mili Afghanistan [Said Mansoor NADIRI]; Hezb-e-Rastakhaiz-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Said ZAHIR]; Hezb-e-Refah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mia Gul WASEEQ]; Hezb-e-Risalat-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Noor Aqa ROEEN]; Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Zubair PAIROZ]; Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mili Wa Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Usman SALIGZADA]; Hezb-e-Sulh-e-Mili Islami Aqwam-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Qahir SHARYATEE]; Hezb-e-Sulh Wa Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Qadir IMAMEE]; Hezb-e-Tafahum-e-Wa Democracy Afghanistan [Ahamad SHAHEEN]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Karim KHALILI]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Rasheed Jalili]; Jamahat-ul-Dahwat ilal Qurhan-wa-Sunat-ul-Afghanistan [Mawlawee Samiullah NAJEEBEE]; Jombesh-e Milli [Abdul Rashid DOSTAM]; Mahaz-e-Mili Islami Afghanistan [Said Ahmad GAILANEE]; Majmah-e-Mili Fahaleen-e-Sulh-e-Afghanistan [Shams ul Haq Noor SHAMS]; Nuhzat-e-Aazadee Wa democracy Afghanistan [Abdul Raqeeb Jawid KUHISTANEE]; Nuhzat-e-Hambastagee Mili Afghanistan [Peer Said Ishaq GAILANEE]; Sazman-e-Islami Afghanistan-e-Jawan [Siad Jawad HUSSAINEE]; Tahreek Wahdat-e-Mili [Sultan Mahmood DHAZI] (30 Sep 2004) National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH]
Political pressure groups and leaders Jamiat-e Islami (Society of Islam) [former President Burhanuddin RABBANI]; Ittihad-e Islami (Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan), [Abdul Rasul SAYYAF]; there are also small monarchist, communist, and democratic groups NA
Population 29,928,987 (July 2005 est.) 164,213 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 53% (2003) NA
Population growth rate 4.77%


note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact (2005 est.)
1.27% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Kheyrabad, Shir Khan Castries, Vieux Fort
Radio broadcast stations AM 21, FM 23, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (2003) AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1% Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 3%, other Protestant 7%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: very limited telephone and telegraph service


domestic: telephone service improving with the establishment of two mobile phone operators by 2003; telephone main lines remain weak with only 0.1 line per 10 people


international: country code - 93; five VSAT's installed in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, and Jalalabad provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity
general assessment: adequate system


domestic: system is automatically switched


international: country code - 1-758; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique
Telephones - main lines in use 33,100 (2002) 51,100 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 15,000 (2002) 14,300 (2002)
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) 2 (of which one is a commercial broadcast station and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (2004)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Total fertility rate 6.75 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.25 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate NA 16.5% (1997 est.)
Waterways 1,200 km


note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2004)
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