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Compare Afghanistan (2006) - Congo, Republic of the (2007)

Compare Afghanistan (2006) z Congo, Republic of the (2007)

 Afghanistan (2006)Congo, Republic of the (2007)
 AfghanistanCongo, Republic of the
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, Zabol 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha
Age structure 0-14 years: 44.6% (male 7,095,117/female 6,763,759)


15-64 years: 53% (male 8,436,716/female 8,008,463)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 366,642/female 386,300) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 46.3% (male 885,039/female 873,753)


15-64 years: 50.8% (male 958,992/female 973,445)


65 years and over: 2.9% (male 44,994/female 64,387) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Airports 46 (2006) 31 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 11


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
total: 5


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 35


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 9 (2006)
total: 26


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 9 (2007)
Area total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 342,000 sq km


land: 341,500 sq km


water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly smaller than Montana
Background Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan Communist regime, but withdrew 10 years later under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-Communist mujahedin rebels. A civil war between mujahedin factions erupted following the 1992 fall of the Communist regime. The Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy, seized Kabul in 1996 and most of the country outside of opposition Northern Alliance strongholds by 1998. 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 included the adoption of a new constitution and a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. On 7 December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan. The National Assembly was inaugurated on 19 December 2005. Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo was once one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need to hope for new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.
Birth rate 46.6 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 42.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $269 million


expenditures: $561 million; including capital expenditures of $41.7 million


note: Afghanistan has also received $273 million from the Reconstruction Trust Fund and $63 million from the Law and Order Trust Fund (FY04-05 budget est.)
revenues: $3.522 billion


expenditures: $1.932 billion (2006 est.)
Capital name: Kabul


geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 12 E


time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Brazzaville


geographic coordinates: 4 15 S, 15 17 E


time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 169 km
Constitution new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004 approved by referendum 20 January 2002
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: Republic of the Congo


conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville)


local long form: Republique du Congo


local short form: none


former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Death rate 20.34 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 12.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia; Afghanistan has $500 million in debt to Multilateral Development Banks (2004) $5 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald E. NEUMANN


embassy: The Great Masood Road, Kabul


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


telephone: [00 93] (20) 230-0436


FAX: [00 93] (20) 230-1364
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert WEISBERG


embassy: NA


mailing address: NA


telephone: [243] (88) 43608


note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Said Tayeb JAWAD


chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue 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 Serge MOMBOULI


chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011


telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500


FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860
Disputes - international most Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been repatriated, but thousands still remain in Iran, 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; regional conflicts over water-sharing arrangements with Amu Darya and Helmand River states Congo hosts about 63,000 refugees from neighboring states, primarily from the Pool border area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area
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 $1.449 billion (2005)
Economy - overview Afghanistan's economic outlook has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 because of the infusion of over $8 billion in international assistance, recovery of the agricultural sector and growth of the service sector, and the reestablishment of market institutions. Real GDP growth is estimated to have slowed in the last fiscal year primarily because adverse weather conditions cut agricultural production, but is expected to rebound over 2005-06 because of foreign donor reconstruction and service sector growth. 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 significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards 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 continuing improvements in the Afghan economy in 2006. 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. Other long-term challenges include: boosting the supply of skilled labor, reducing vulnerability to severe natural disasters, expanding health services, and rebuilding a war torn infrastructure. The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. However, the reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. Economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. In March 2006, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo.
Electricity - consumption 1.042 billion kWh (2003) 5.272 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 1.8 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 200 million kWh (2003) 6 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 905 million kWh (2003) 7.341 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Berongou 903 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 air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4% Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%
Exchange rates afghanis per US dollar - 541 (2005), 48 (2004), 49 (2003), 41 (2002), 66 (2001)


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
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (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); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (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 (eligible for a second 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: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%
Exports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports - partners US 25.3%, Pakistan 20.9%, India 20.8%, Finland 4% (2005) US 35.9%, China 31.4%, Taiwan 9.9%, South Korea 8% (2006)
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 divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 38%


industry: 24%


services: 38%


note: data exclude opium production (2005 est.)
agriculture: 5.6%


industry: 57.1%


services: 37.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 14% (2005 est.) 6.1% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 00 N, 65 00 E 1 00 S, 15 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) about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
Heliports 9 (2006) -
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 dropped 48% to 107,400 hectares in 2005; better weather and lack of widespread disease returned opium yields to normal levels, meaning potential opium production declined by only 10% to 4,475 metric tons; if the entire poppy crop were processed, it is estimated that 526 metric tons of heroin could be 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 -
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs
Imports - partners Pakistan 23.9%, US 11.8%, Germany 6.8%, India 6.5%, Turkey 5.1%, Turkmenistan 5%, Russia 4.7%, Kenya 4.4% (2005) France 21.7%, China 12.1%, Zimbabwe 8.3%, US 6.9%, India 6.4%, Italy 5.1%, Belgium 4.8% (2006)
Independence 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) 15 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 0% (2002 est.)
Industries small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes
Infant mortality rate total: 160.23 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 164.77 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 155.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 83.26 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 88.93 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 77.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 16.3% (2005 est.) 5.5% (2006 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, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 27,200 sq km (2003) 20 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch the 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 (note - nine supreme court justices were appointed in the interim in January 2005 pending National Assembly selection of the constitutionally mandated justices); 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 Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force 15 million (2004 est.) NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 80%


industry: 10%


services: 10% (2004 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
total: 5,504 km


border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km
Land use arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.21%


other: 87.66% (2005)
arable land: 1.45%


permanent crops: 0.15%


other: 98.4% (2005)
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 French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)
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 French civil law system and customary law
Legislative branch the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for five-year terms, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one-third elected from provincial councils for four-year terms, one-third elected from local district councils for three-year terms - provincial councils elected temporary members to fill these seats until district councils are formed, and one-third presidential appointees for five-year terms; the presidential appointees will include 2 representatives of Kuchis and 2 representatives of the disabled; half of the presidential appointees will be women)


note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) 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: last held 18 September 2005 (next to be held for the Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008)




election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system used in the election did not make use of political party slates; most candidates ran as independents
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held in 2008); National Assembly - last held 24 June and 5 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 46, MCDDI 11, UPADS 11, MAR 5, MSD 5, independents 37, other 22
Life expectancy at birth total population: 43.34 years


male: 43.16 years


female: 43.53 years (2006 est.)
total population: 53.29 years


male: 52.1 years


female: 54.52 years (2007 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: 83.8%


male: 89.6%


female: 78.4% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Map references Asia Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 200 nm
Merchant marine - registered in other countries: 1 (Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1) (2007)
Military branches Afghan National Army (includes Afghan Air Force) (2006) Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army, Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $122.4 million (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.7% (2005 est.) 3.1% (2006)
National holiday Independence Day, 19 August (1919) Independence Day, 15 August (1960)
Nationality noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
Natural hazards damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts seasonal flooding
Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower
Net migration rate 0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -3.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
People - note of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3 million have returned -
Pipelines gas 466 km (2006) gas 89 km; liquid petroleum gas 4 km; oil 744 km (2006)
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; Hezb-e-Congra-e-Mili Afghanistan [Latif PEDRAM]; Hezb-e-Falah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad ZAREEF]; 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-Libral-e-Aazadee Khwa-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ajmal SOHAIL]; 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) Action Movement for Renewal or MAR; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Congolese Labour Party or PCT; Movement for Solidarity and Development or MSD; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]; many less important parties
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 Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC
Population 31,056,997 (July 2006 est.) 3,800,610


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 53% (2003) NA%
Population growth rate 2.67% (2006 est.) 2.639% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 21, FM 23, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (2003) AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)
Railways - total: 894 km


narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Religions Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1% Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
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 (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.985 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.699 male(s)/female


total population: 0.988 male(s)/female (2007 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 is improving with the licensing of four wireless telephone service providers by 2005; approximately 4 in 100 Afghans own a wireless telephone; telephone main lines remain limited.


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: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order; fixed-line infrastructure inadequate providing less than 1 connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has surged reaching 16 per 100 persons


domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable


international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 100,000 (2005) 15,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.2 million (2005) 490,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations at least 10 (one government-run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 34 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) 1 (2001)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Total fertility rate 6.69 children born/woman (2006 est.) 5.99 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 40% (2005 est.) NA%
Waterways 1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2005) 1,125 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2006)
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