Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Bhutan (2001) - Afghanistan (2006) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Bhutan (2001) - Afghanistan (2006)

Compare Bhutan (2001) z Afghanistan (2006)

 Bhutan (2001)Afghanistan (2006)
 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
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
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: 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.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Airports 2 (2000 est.) 46 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total:
1

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

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
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)
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. 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.
Birth rate 35.73 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 46.6 births/1,000 population (2006 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: $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.)
Capital Thimphu 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)
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 new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004
Country name conventional long form:
Kingdom of Bhutan

conventional short form:
Bhutan
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
Currency ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) -
Death rate 14.03 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 20.34 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $120 million (1998) $8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia; Afghanistan has $500 million in debt to Multilateral Development Banks (2004)
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 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
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 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
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 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
Economic aid - recipient $73.8 million (1995) 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
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'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.
Electricity - consumption 191.1 million kWh (1999) 1.042 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 1.55 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 15 million kWh (1999) 200 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 1.856 billion kWh (1999) 905 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
0.05%

hydro:
99.95%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping


signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%
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 - 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
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
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%
Exports $154 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA bbl/day
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 US 25.3%, Pakistan 20.9%, India 20.8%, Finland 4% (2005)
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.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
38%

industry:
37%

services:
25% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 38%


industry: 24%


services: 38%


note: data exclude opium production (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 6% (2000 est.) 14% (2005 est.)
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 - 9 (2006)
Highways total:
3,285 km

paved:
1,994 km

unpaved:
1,291 km (1996)
-
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 $269 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) NA bbl/day
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 23.9%, US 11.8%, Germany 6.8%, India 6.5%, Turkey 5.1%, Turkmenistan 5%, Russia 4.7%, Kenya 4.4% (2005)
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: 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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7% (2000 est.) 16.3% (2005 est.)
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, 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)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) NA -
Irrigated land 340 sq km (1993 est.) 27,200 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) 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
Labor force NA

note:
massive lack of skilled labor
15 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% agriculture: 80%


industry: 10%


services: 10% (2004 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: 0.21%


other: 87.66% (2005)
Languages Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects 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
Legal system based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 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
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
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
Life expectancy at birth total population:
52.79 years

male:
53.16 years

female:
52.41 years (2001 est.)
total population: 43.34 years


male: 43.16 years


female: 43.53 years (2006 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) Afghan National Army (includes Afghan Air Force) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $122.4 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 1.7% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
504,342 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
269,251 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
21,167 (2001 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.) 0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
People - note - of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3 million have returned
Pipelines - gas 466 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders no legal parties 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)
Political pressure groups and leaders Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) 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
Population 2,049,412 (July 2001 est.)

note:
other estimates range as low as 800,000
31,056,997 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 53% (2003)
Population growth rate 2.17% (2001 est.) 2.67% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors none -
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 21, FM 23, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (2003)
Radios 37,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, 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: 1.05 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.)
Suffrage each family has one vote in village-level elections 18 years of age; universal
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: 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
Telephones - main lines in use 6,000 (1997) 100,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 1.2 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 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)
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.) 6.69 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 40% (2005 est.)
Waterways none 1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2005)
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.