Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Bhutan (2001) - Afghanistan (2003) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Bhutan (2001) - Afghanistan (2003)

Compare Bhutan (2001) z Afghanistan (2003)

 Bhutan (2001)Afghanistan (2003)
 BhutanAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang

note:
there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse
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
Age structure 0-14 years:
39.99% (male 424,832; female 394,725)

15-64 years:
56.05% (male 591,152; female 557,498)

65 years and over:
3.96% (male 41,125; female 40,080) (2001 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Airports 2 (2000 est.) 47 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)
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)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
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)
Area total:
47,000 sq km

land:
47,000 sq km

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


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about half the size of Indiana slightly smaller than Texas
Background Under British influence a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later a treaty was signed whereby the country became a British protectorate. Independence was attained in 1949, with India subsequently guiding foreign relations and supplying aid. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of these displaced persons are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. Maoist Assamese separatists from India, who have established themselves in the southeast portion of Bhutan, have drawn Indian cross-border incursions. 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.
Birth rate 35.73 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 40.63 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues:
$146 million

expenditures:
$152 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.)

note:
the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures
revenues: $200 million


expenditures: $550 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 plan est.)
Capital Thimphu Kabul
Climate varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution no written constitution or bill of rights; note - Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the National Assembly; on 7 July 1998, a Royal edict was ratified giving the National Assembly additional powers 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
Country name conventional long form:
Kingdom of Bhutan

conventional short form:
Bhutan
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
Currency ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) afghani (AFA)
Death rate 14.03 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.15 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $120 million (1998) NA (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India) 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
Diplomatic representation in the US none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US

consulate(s) general:
New York
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
Disputes - international refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately 98,700 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps 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
Economic aid - recipient $73.8 million (1995) 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 The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources. The Bhutanese Government has made some progress in expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare. Model education, social, and environment programs in Bhutan are underway with support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. 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.
Electricity - consumption 191.1 million kWh (1999) 511.4 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 1.55 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 15 million kWh (1999) 200 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 1.856 billion kWh (1999) 334.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
0.05%

hydro:
99.95%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 36.3%


hydro: 63.7%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Drangme Chhu 97 m

highest point:
Kula Kangri 7,553 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion; limited access to potable water 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
Environment - international agreements party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban

signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
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 Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%
Exchange rates ngultrum per US dollar - 46.540 (January 2001), 44.942 (2000), 43.055 (1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996); note - the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee which is also legal tender 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
Executive branch chief of state:
King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)

head of government:
Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sangay NGEDUP (since NA 1999)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 give the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote
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
Exports $154 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones, spices opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners India 94%, Bangladesh 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)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June 21 March - 20 March
Flag description divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $2.3 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $19 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
38%

industry:
37%

services:
25% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6% (2000 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 27 30 N, 90 30 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes 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)
Heliports - 5 (2002)
Highways total:
3,285 km

paved:
1,994 km

unpaved:
1,291 km (1996)
total: 21,000 km


paved: 2,793 km


unpaved: 18,207 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 - used to make heroin - expanded to 30,750 hectares in 2002, despite eradication; potential opium production of 1,278 metric tons; source of hashish; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade source of instability and some government groups profit from the trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system
Imports $269 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US Pakistan 25.1%, South Korea 14.4%, Japan 9.4%, US 9%, Kenya 5.8%, Germany 5.4% (2002)
Independence 8 August 1949 (from India) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate 9.3% (1996 est.) NA%
Industries cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate 108.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7% (2000 est.) NA%
International organization participation AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO (observer) 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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) NA 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 340 sq km (1993 est.) 23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) the Bonn Agreement called for the establishment of a Supreme Court; there is also a Minister of Justice
Labor force NA

note:
massive lack of skilled labor
10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total:
1,075 km

border countries:
China 470 km, India 605 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:
2%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
6%

forests and woodland:
66%

other:
26% (1993 est.)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
Languages Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese 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 based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 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
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)

elections:
last held NA (next to be held NA)

election results:
NA
nonfunctioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population:
52.79 years

male:
53.16 years

female:
52.41 years (2001 est.)
total population: 46.97 years


male: 47.67 years


female: 46.23 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
42.2%

male:
56.2%

female:
28.1% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 36%


male: 51%


female: 21% (1999 est.)
Location Southern Asia, between China and India Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Asia Asia
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
Military branches Royal Bhutan Army, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards, Forest Guards (paramilitary) 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
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $525.2 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 7.7% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
504,342 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 7,160,603 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
269,251 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 3,837,646 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age 22 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
21,167 (2001 est.)
males: 275,223 (2003 est.)
National holiday National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun:
Bhutanese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Bhutanese
noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
Natural hazards violent storms coming down from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
People - note - large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states
Pipelines - gas 651 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders no legal parties 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
Political pressure groups and leaders Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders
Population 2,049,412 (July 2001 est.)

note:
other estimates range as low as 800,000
28,717,213 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.17% (2001 est.) 3.38%


note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors none Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) 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)
Radios 37,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km 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)
Religions Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.08 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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.)
Suffrage each family has one vote in village-level elections NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Telephone system general assessment:
NA

domestic:
domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use

international:
international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
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 6,000 (1997) 29,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA NA
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 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)
Terrain mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 5.07 children born/woman (2001 est.) 5.64 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways none 1,200 km


note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001)
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.