Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

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

Compare Burma (2001) - Afghanistan (2006)

Compare Burma (2001) z Afghanistan (2006)

 Burma (2001)Afghanistan (2006)
 BurmaAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular - yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya, singular - pyine); Chin State, Ayeyarwady*, Bago*, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Magway*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Rakhine State, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*, Yangon* 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:
29.14% (male 6,245,798; female 5,992,074)

15-64 years:
66.08% (male 13,779,571; female 13,970,707)

65 years and over:
4.78% (male 895,554; female 1,110,974) (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 paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; hardwood opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Airports 80 (2000 est.) 46 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total:
9

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 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:
71

over 3,047 m:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
15

914 to 1,523 m:
22

under 914 m:
32 (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:
678,500 sq km

land:
657,740 sq km

water:
20,760 sq km
total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly smaller than Texas
Background Despite multiparty elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party winning a decisive victory, the military junta ruling the country refused to hand over power. Key opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG San Suu Kyi, under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, was again placed under house detention in September 2000; her supporters are routinely harassed or jailed. 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 20.13 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 46.6 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues:
$7.9 billion

expenditures:
$12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7 billion (FY96/97)
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 Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon) 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 tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April) arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 1,930 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution; progress has since been stalled new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004
Country name conventional long form:
Union of Burma

conventional short form:
Burma

local long form:
Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)

local short form:
Myanma Naingngandaw

former:
Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
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 kyat (MMK) -
Death rate 12.3 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 20.34 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $6 billion (FY99/00 est.) $8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia; Afghanistan has $500 million in debt to Multilateral Development Banks (2004)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Permanent Charge d'Affaires Priscilla A. CLAPP

embassy:
581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)

mailing address:
Box B, APO AP 96546

telephone:
[95] (1) 282055, 282182

FAX:
[95] (1) 280409
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 chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate U LINN MYAING

chancery:
2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 332-9044

FAX:
[1] (202) 332-9046

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 sporadic border hostilities with Thailand over border alignment and ethnic Shan rebels operating in cross-border region 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 $99 million (FY98/99) 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 Burma has a mixed economy with private activity dominant in agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with substantial state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy industry, and the rice trade. Government policy in the 1990s has aimed at revitalizing the economy after three decades of tight central planning. Private activity markedly increased in the early to mid-1990s, but began to decline in the past several years due to frustrations with the unfriendly business environment and political pressure from western nations. Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated because of the volume of black-market, illicit, and border trade. A major ongoing problem is the failure to achieve monetary and fiscal stability. Burma remains a poor Asian country and living standards for the majority have not improved over the past decade. Short-term growth will continue to be restrained because of poor government planning and minimal 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 4.476 billion kWh (1999) 1.042 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 200 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 4.813 billion kWh (1999) 905 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
68.56%

hydro:
31.44%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Andaman Sea 0 m

highest point:
Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5% Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%
Exchange rates kyats per US dollar - official rate - 6.5972 (January 2001), 6.5167 (2000), 6.2858 (1999), 6.3432 (1998), 6.2418 (1997), 5.9176 (1996); kyats per US dollar - black market exchange rate - 435 (yearend 2000) 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:
Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta, so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration Council; the SPDC oversees the cabinet

elections:
none; the prime minister assumed power upon resignation of the former prime minister
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 $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities apparel 36%, foodstuffs 22%, wood products 21%, precious stones 5% (1999) opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners India 13%, Singapore 11%, China 11%, US 8% (1999 est.)

note:
official trade statistics do not include trade in illicit goods - such as narcotics, teak, and gems - or the largely unrecorded border trade with China and Thailand
US 25.3%, Pakistan 20.9%, India 20.8%, Finland 4% (2005)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 21 March - 20 March
Flag description red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions 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 - $63.7 billion (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
42%

industry:
17%

services:
41% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 38%


industry: 24%


services: 38%


note: data exclude opium production (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 4.9% (2000 est.) 14% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 22 00 N, 98 00 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes 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 1 (2000 est.) 9 (2006)
Highways total:
28,200 km

paved:
3,440 km

unpaved:
24,760 km (1996)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
2.8%

highest 10%:
32.4% (1998)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs world's second largest producer of illicit opium, after Afghanistan (potential production in 1999 - 1,090 metric tons, down 38% due to drought; cultivation in 1999 - 89,500 hectares, a 31% decline from 1998); surrender of drug warlord KHUN SA's Mong Tai Army in January 1996 was hailed by Rangoon as a major counternarcotics success, but lack of government will and ability to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; becoming a major source of methamphetamine for regional consumption 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 $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, food products capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners Singapore 28%, Thailand 12%, China 10%, Japan 10%, South Korea 9% (1999 est.) 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 4 January 1948 (from UK) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate 73.71 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) 18% (1999) 16.3% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO 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) 1

note:
as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000)
-
Irrigated land 10,680 sq km (1993 est.) 27,200 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive 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 19.7 million (FY98/99 est.) 15 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 65%, industry 10%, services 25% (1999 est.) agriculture: 80%


industry: 10%


services: 10% (2004 est.)
Land boundaries total:
5,876 km

border countries:
Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 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:
15%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
1%

forests and woodland:
49%

other:
34% (1993 est.)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.21%


other: 87.66% (2005)
Languages Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own 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
Legal system 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 People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NLD 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, other 60
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:
55.16 years

male:
53.73 years

female:
56.68 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:
83.1%

male:
88.7%

female:
77.7% (1995 est.)

note:
these are official statistics; estimates of functional literacy are likely closer to 30% (1999 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 36%


male: 51%


female: 21% (1999 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Southeast Asia Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total:
37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 411,181 GRT/632,769 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 11, cargo 20, container 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2

note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Japan 2 (2000 est.)
-
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Afghan National Army (includes Afghan Air Force) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $39 million (FY97/98) $122.4 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.1% (FY97/98) 1.7% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
12,050,964

females age 15-49:
12,070,017

note:
both sexes liable for military service (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
6,425,514

females age 15-49:
6,419,677 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
470,667

females:
479,691 (2001 est.)
-
National holiday Independence Day, 4 January (1948) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun:
Burmese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Burmese
noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
Natural hazards destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate -1.84 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 crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km gas 466 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (proregime) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [U KHUN TUN OO]; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]; and other smaller 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 All Burma Student Democratic Front or ABSDF; Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union or KNU; National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB [Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals legitimately elected to the People's Assembly but not recognized by the military regime; the group fled to a border area and joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA 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 41,994,678

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 2001 est.)
31,056,997 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 23% (1997 est.) 53% (2003)
Population growth rate 0.6% (2001 est.) 2.67% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy -
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998) AM 21, FM 23, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (2003)
Radios 4.2 million (1997) -
Railways total:
3,991 km

narrow gauge:
3,991 km 1.000-m gauge
-
Religions Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.99 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 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
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 250,000 (2000) 100,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,492 (1997) 1.2 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1998) 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 central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 2.3 children born/woman (2001 est.) 6.69 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.1% (official FY97/98 est.) 40% (2005 est.)
Waterways 12,800 km

note:
3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
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.