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Compare Algeria (2006) - Afghanistan (2001)

Compare Algeria (2006) z Afghanistan (2001)

 Algeria (2006)Afghanistan (2001)
 AlgeriaAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 48 provinces (wilayat, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen 30 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol; note - there may be two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan) and Khowst
Age structure 0-14 years: 28.1% (male 4,722,076/female 4,539,713)


15-64 years: 67.1% (male 11,133,802/female 10,964,502)


65 years and over: 4.8% (male 735,444/female 834,554) (2006 est.)
0-14 years:
42.2% (male 5,775,921; female 5,538,836)

15-64 years:
55.01% (male 7,644,242; female 7,106,568)

65 years and over:
2.79% (male 394,444; female 353,046) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, karakul pelts
Airports 142 (2006) 45 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 52


over 3,047 m: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 27


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
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 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 90


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 26


914 to 1,523 m: 39


under 914 m: 23 (2006)
total:
35

2,438 to 3,047 m:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
15

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
12 (2000 est.)
Area total: 2,381,740 sq km


land: 2,381,740 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
647,500 sq km

land:
647,500 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas slightly smaller than Texas
Background After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), has dominated politics ever since. Many Algerians in the subsequent generation were not satisfied, however, and moved to counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting spurred the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crack down on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. The government later allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties, but did not appease the activists who progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 and which resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. However, small numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government forces and conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a fraudulent election but claimed neutrality in his 2004 landslide reelection victory. Longstanding problems continue to face BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing - although significantly degraded - activities of extremist militants. Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based economy, which has yielded a large cash reserve but which has not been used to redress Algeria's many social and infrastructure problems. Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union in 1979. The USSR 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, but the fundamentalist Islamic Taliban movement has been able to seize most of the country. In addition to the continuing civil strife, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread land mines.
Birth rate 17.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $42.05 billion


expenditures: $30.75 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.8 billion (2005 est.)
revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital name: Algiers


geographic coordinates: 36 47 N, 2 03 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Kabul
Climate arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 998 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996 none
Country name conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria


conventional short form: Algeria


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah


local short form: Al Jaza'ir
conventional long form:
Islamic State of Afghanistan; note - the self-proclaimed Taliban government refers to the country as Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

conventional short form:
Afghanistan

local long form:
Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

local short form:
Afghanestan

former:
Republic of Afghanistan
Currency - afghani (AFA)
Death rate 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $19.45 billion (2005 est.) $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. FORD


embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16030, Algiers


mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers


telephone: [213] (021) 69-12-55


FAX: [213] (021) 69-39-79
the US embassy in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Amine KHERBI


chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800


FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174
none; note - embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997

consulate(s) general:
New York
Disputes - international Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Western Saharan Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; in an attempt to improve relations, Morocco, in mid-2004, unilaterally lifted the requirement that Algerians visiting Morocco possess entry visas - a gesture not reciprocated by Algeria; Algeria remains concerned about armed bandits operating throughout the Sahel who sometimes destabilize southern Algerian towns; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions; question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN
Economic aid - recipient $122.8 million (2002 est.) US provided about $70 million in humanitarian assistance in 1997; US continues to contribute to multilateral assistance through the UN programs of food aid, immunization, land mine removal, and a wide range of aid to refugees and displaced persons
Economy - overview The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the seventh-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the second-largest gas exporter; it ranks 14th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent years, along with macroeconomic policy reforms supported by the IMF, have helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and building up record foreign exchange reserves. Real GDP has risen due to higher oil output and increased government spending. The government's continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living standards. The population is becoming increasingly restive due to the lack of jobs and housing and frequently stages protests, which have resulted in arrests and injuries, including some deaths as government forces intervened to restore order. Structural reform within the economy, such as development of the banking sector and the construction of infrastructure, moves ahead slowly hampered by corruption and bureaucratic resistance. Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during two decades of war, including the nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February 1989). During that conflict one-third of the population fled the country, with Pakistan and Iran sheltering a combined peak of more than 6 million refugees. In early 2000, 2 million Afghan refugees remained in Pakistan and about 1.4 million in Iran. 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 1998-2000. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Inflation remains a serious problem throughout the country. International aid can deal with only a fraction of the humanitarian problem, let alone promote economic development. In 1999-2000, internal civil strife continued, hampering both domestic economic policies and international aid efforts. Numerical data are likely to be either unavailable or unreliable. Afghanistan was by far the largest producer of opium poppies in 2000, and narcotics trafficking is a major source of revenue.
Electricity - consumption 24.9 billion kWh (2003 est.) 480.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 400 million kWh (2003 est.) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 200 million kWh (2003 est.) 90 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 26.99 billion kWh (2003 est.) 420 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
35.71%

hydro:
64.29%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m


highest point: Tahat 3,003 m
lowest point:
Amu Darya 258 m

highest point:
Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%


note: almost all Algerians are Berber in origin, not Arab; the minority who identify themselves as Berber live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools
Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6%
Exchange rates Algerian dinars per US dollar - 73.276 (2005), 72.061 (2004), 77.395 (2003), 79.682 (2002), 77.215 (2001) afghanis per US dollar - 4,700 (January 2000), 4,750 (February 1999), 17,000 (December 1996), 7,000 (January 1995), 1,900 (January 1994), 1,019 (March 1993), 850 (1991); note - these rates reflect the free market exchange rates rather than the official exchange rate, which was fixed at 50.600 afghanis to the dollar until 1996, when it rose to 2,262.65 per dollar, and finally became fixed again at 3,000.00 per dollar in April 1996
Executive branch chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)


head of government: Prime Minister Abdelaziz BELKHADEM


cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for second term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 85%, Ali BENFLIS 6.4%, Abdellah DJABALLAH 5%
on 27 September 1996, the ruling members of the Afghan Government were displaced by members of the Islamic Taliban movement; the Islamic State of Afghanistan has no functioning government at this time, and the country remains divided among fighting factions

note:
the Taliban have declared themselves the legitimate government of Afghanistan; however, the UN still recognizes the government of Burhanuddin RABBANI; the Organization of the Islamic Conference has left the Afghan seat vacant until the question of legitimacy can be resolved through negotiations among the warring factions; the country is essentially divided along ethnic lines; the Taliban controls the capital of Kabul and approximately two-thirds of the country including the predominately ethnic Pashtun areas in southern Afghanistan; opposing factions have their stronghold in the ethnically diverse north
Exports 1.127 million bbl/day (2004 est.) $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.)
Exports - commodities petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97% opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners US 22.8%, Italy 16.2%, Spain 10.4%, France 10%, Canada 8%, Brazil 6.1%, Belgium 4.4%, Germany 4.2% (2005) FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion) three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a gold emblem centered on the three bands; the emblem features a temple-like structure with Islamic inscriptions above and below, encircled by a wreath on the left and right and by a bolder Islamic inscription above, all of which are encircled by two crossed scimitars

note:
the Taliban uses a plain white flag
GDP - purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 10.1%


industry: 60%


services: 29.8% (2005 est.)
agriculture:
53%

industry:
28.5%

services:
18.5% (1990)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.5% (2005 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 28 00 N, 3 00 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan) landlocked
Heliports 1 (2006) 3 (2000 est.)
Highways - total:
21,000 km

paved:
2,793 km

unpaved:
18,207 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs - world's largest illicit opium producer, surpassing Burma (potential production in 1999 - 1,670 metric tons; cultivation in 1999 - 51,500 hectares, a 23% increase over 1998); a major source of hashish; increasing number of heroin-processing laboratories being set up in the country; major political factions in the country profit from drug trade
Imports 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) $150 million (1996 est.)
Imports - commodities capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners France 28.2%, Italy 7.8%, Spain 7.1%, China 6.6%, Germany 6.3%, US 5.5% (2005) FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Germany
Independence 5 July 1962 (from France) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate 8% (2005 est.) -
Industries petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate total: 29.87 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 33.62 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.9% (2005 est.) NA%
International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 5,690 sq km (2003) 30,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court upper courts were non-functioning as of March 1995 (local Shari'a or Islamic law courts are functioning throughout the country)
Labor force 10.15 million (2005 est.) 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade 14.6%, government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.) agriculture 70%, industry 15%, services 15% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total: 6,343 km


border countries: Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km
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
Land use arable land: 3.17%


permanent crops: 0.28%


other: 96.55% (2005)
arable land:
12%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
46%

forests and woodland:
3%

other:
39% (1993 est.)
Languages Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Legal system socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law)
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consisting of the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - formerly 380 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years)


elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next to be held in 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30 December 2003 (next to be held in 2006)


election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 47, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 30; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party NA
non-functioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.26 years


male: 71.68 years


female: 74.92 years (2006 est.)
total population:
46.24 years

male:
46.97 years

female:
45.47 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 70%


male: 78.8%


female: 61% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
31.5%

male:
47.2%

female:
15% (1999 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Africa Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 744,406 GRT/766,764 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas 9, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 13 (UK 13) (2006)
-
Military branches National Popular Army (ANP; includes Land Forces), Algerian National Navy (MRA), Air Force (QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force (2005) NA; note - the military does not exist on a national basis; some elements of the former Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Forces, National Police Force (Sarandoi), and tribal militias still exist but are factionalized among the various groups
Military expenditures - dollar figure $3 billion (2005 est.) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.2% (2005 est.) NA%
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
6,645,023 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
3,561,957 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 22 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
252,869 (2001 est.)
National holiday Revolution Day, 1 November (1954) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun: Algerian(s)


adjective: Algerian
noun:
Afghan(s)

adjective:
Afghan
Natural hazards mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines condensate 1,344 km; gas 85,946 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km; oil 6,496 km (2005) petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas 180 km
Political parties and leaders Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA, secretary general]; Islamic Salvation Front or FIS (outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR]; National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general]; National Reform Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah DJABALLAH]; National Renewal Party or PRA [Yacine TERKMANE]; Progressive Republican Party [Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SADI]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed KHELIL]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN]


note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997
Taliban (Religious Students Movement) [Mullah Mohammad OMAR]; United National Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan or UNIFSA [Burhanuddin RABBANI, chairman; Gen. Abdul Rashid DOSTAM, vice chairman; Ahmad Shah MASOOD, military commander; Mohammed Yunis QANUNI, spokesman]; note - made up of 13 parties opposed to the Taliban including Harakat-i-Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Movement of Afghanistan), Hizb-i-Islami (Islamic Party), Hizb-i-Wahdat-i-Islami (Islamic Unity Party), Jumaat-i-Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Afghan Society), Jumbish-i-Milli (National Front), Mahaz-i-Milli-i-Islami (National Islamic Front)
Political pressure groups and leaders The Algerian Human Rights League or LADH or LADDH [Yahia Ali ABDENOUR]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET] Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Australia, US, and elsewhere have organized politically; Mellat (Social Democratic Party) [leader NA]; Peshawar, Pakistan-based groups such as the Coordination Council for National Unity and Understanding in Afghanistan or CUNUA [Ishaq GAILANI]; tribal elders represent traditional Pashtun leadership; Writers Union of Free Afghanistan or WUFA [A. Rasul AMIN]
Population 32,930,091 (July 2006 est.) 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 25% (2005 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 1.22% (2006 est.) 3.48% (2001 est.)

note:
this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran
Ports and harbors - Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999) AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pushtu, Dari, Urdu, and English) (1999)
Radios - 167,000 (1999)
Railways total: 3,973 km


standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2005)
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
Religions Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Telephone system general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very low, not exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of fixed main lines increased in the last few years to nearly 2.6 million, but only about two-thirds of these have subscribers; much of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient


domestic: good service in north but sparse in south; domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic earth stations are planned)


international: country code - 213; submarine cables - 5; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2005)
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
Telephones - main lines in use 2.572 million (2005) 29,000 (1996)

note:
there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998
Telephones - mobile cellular 13.661 million (2005) NA
Television broadcast stations 46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995) at least 10 (one government run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 30 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)
Terrain mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.) 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 17.1% (2005 est.) NA%
Waterways - 1,200 km

note:
chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels with DWT up to about 500 (2001)
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