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Compare El Salvador (2005) - Afghanistan (2002)

Compare El Salvador (2005) z Afghanistan (2002)

 El Salvador (2005)Afghanistan (2002)
 El SalvadorAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulutan 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: 36.5% (male 1,250,901/female 1,198,589)


15-64 years: 58.3% (male 1,860,084/female 2,051,140)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 153,133/female 191,085) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 42% (male 5,953,291; female 5,706,542)


15-64 years: 55.2% (male 7,935,101; female 7,382,101)


65 years and over: 2.8% (male 410,278; female 368,462) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin
Airports 73 (2004 est.) 46 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 10 10


over 3,047 m: 3 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 2


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 69


914 to 1,523 m: 15


under 914 m: 54 (2004 est.)
total: 37 35


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 13


914 to 1,523 m: 14 4


under 914 m: 4 11 (2002)
Area total: 21,040 sq km


land: 20,720 sq km


water: 320 sq km
total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts slightly smaller than Texas
Background El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms. 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 27.04 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 41.03 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.491 billion


expenditures: $2.782 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital San Salvador Kabul
Climate tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 307 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 23 December 1983 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 1963/64 Constitution, according to the Bonn Agreement
Country name conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador


conventional short form: El Salvador


local long form: Republica de El Salvador


local short form: El Salvador
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 - afghani (AFA)
Death rate 5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 17.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $4.792 billion (September 2004 est.) $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY


embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador


mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023


telephone: [503] 278-4444


FAX: [503] 278-5522
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 chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez


chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671


FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), San Francisco, and Washington, DC


consulate(s): Boston
chief of mission: ambassador Ishaq SHAHRYAR


chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: 202-483-6410


FAX: 202-483-6487


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international in 1992, the ICJ ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, but despite OAS intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca close ties with Pashtuns in Pakistan make long border difficult to control
Economic aid - recipient $125 million of which, $53 million from US (2003) 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; according to a joint preliminary assessment conducted by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the UN Development Program, rebuilding Afghanistan will cost roughly $15 billion over the next ten years
Economy - overview GDP per capita is roughly half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, and the distribution of income is highly unequal. The government is striving to open new export markets, encourage foreign investment, modernize the tax and healthcare systems, and stimulate the sluggish economy. Implementation of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, ratified by El Salvador in 2004, is viewed as a key policy to help achieve these objectives. The trade deficit has been offset by annual remittances from Salvadorans living abroad - 16% of GDP in 2004 - and external aid. With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency, El Salvador has lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy. 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. 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 1998-2001. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care, problems exacerbated by military operations and political uncertainties. Inflation remains a serious problem. Following the US-led coalition war that led to the defeat of the Taliban in November 2001 and the formulation of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) resulting from the December 2001 Bonn Agreement, International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were addressed at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002, when $4.5 billion was collected for a trust fund to be administered by the World Bank. Priority areas for reconstruction include the construction of education, health, and sanitation facilities, enhancement of administrative capacity, the development of the agricultural sector, and the rebuilding of road, energy, and telecommunication links.
Electricity - consumption 4.45 billion kWh (2004) 453.75 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 91 million kWh (2004) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 473 million kWh (2004) 105 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 4.158 billion kWh (2004) 375 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 36%


hydro: 64%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


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 mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1% Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%
Exchange rates the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 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 Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 21 March 2004 (next to be held March 2009)


election results: Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez elected president; percent of vote - Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (ARENA) 57.7%, Schafik HANDAL (FMLN) 35.6%, Hector SILVA (CDU-PDC) 3.9%, other 2.8%
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 an 18-month mandate to hold a Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and a 24-month mandate to hold nationwide elections


chief of state: President of the TISA, Hamad KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government


head of government: President of the TISA, Hamad KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government


cabinet: the 30-member TISA


elections: NA
Exports NA $1.2 billion (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners US 65.6%, Guatemala 11.8%, Honduras 6.3% (2004) Pakistan 32%, India 8%, Belgium 7%, Germany 5%, Russia 5%, UAE 4% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band - it features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band 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 - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 9.2%


industry: 31.1%


services: 59.7% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.8% (2004 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 13 50 N, 88 55 W 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea 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 (2004 est.) 5 (2002)
Highways total: 10,029 km


paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways)


unpaved: 8,043 km (1999 est.)
total: 21,000 km


paved: 2,793 km


unpaved: 18,207 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1.4%


highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise 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 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 NA $1.3 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners US 46.3%, Guatemala 8.1%, Mexico 6% (2004) Pakistan 19%, Japan 16%, Kenya 9%, South Korea 7%, India 6%, Turkmenistan 6% (1999)
Independence 15 September 1821 (from Spain) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate 0.7% (2004 est.) -
Industries food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate total: 25.1 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 27.98 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 22.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
144.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.4% (2004 est.) NA%
International organization participation BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC (suspended), IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 360 sq km (1998 est.) 23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly) the Bonn Agreement calls for the establishment of a Supreme Court
Labor force 2.75 million (2004 est.) 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 17.1%, industry 17.1%, services 65.8% (2003 est.) agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total: 545 km


border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 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: 31.85%


permanent crops: 12.07%


other: 56.08% (2001)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
Languages Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians) 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 civil and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations 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 Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year terms)


elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FMLN 31, ARENA 28, PCN 15, PDC 5, CD 5
nonfunctioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.22 years


male: 67.61 years


female: 75.01 years (2005 est.)
total population: 46.6 years


male: 47.32 years


female: 45.85 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 10 and over can read and write


total population: 80.2%


male: 82.8%


female: 77.7% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 36%


male: 51%


female: 21% (1999 est.)
Location Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 200 nm none (landlocked)
Military branches Army, Navy (FNES), Air Force (FAS) NA; note - the December 2001 Bonn Agreement calls for all militia forces to come under Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) control, but formation of a national army is likely to be a gradual process; Afghanistan's forces continue to be factionalized largely along ethnic lines
Military expenditures - dollar figure $157 million (2003) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.1% (2003) NA%
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 6,896,623 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 3,696,379 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 22 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 252,869 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 15 September (1821) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun: Salvadoran(s)


adjective: Salvadoran
noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
Natural hazards known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate -3.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 10.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
People - note - large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states
Pipelines - natural gas 180 km


note: product pipelines from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have been in disrepair and disuse for years (2002)
Political parties and leaders Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; Democratic Convergence or CD (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU) [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Democratic Party or PD [Jorge MELENDEZ]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo SALGADO, president]; National Action Party or PAN [Gustavo Rogelio SALINAS, secretary general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA, president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez]; Social Christian Union or USC (formed by the merger of Christian Social Renewal Party or PRSC and Unity Movement or MU) [Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Juan MEDRANO] 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 "independent" groups
Political pressure groups and leaders labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - National Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or ASI NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders
Population 6,704,932 (July 2005 est.) 27,755,775 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 36.1% (2003 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 1.75% (2005 est.) 3.43%


note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (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 - 167,000 (1999)
Railways total: 283 km


narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge


note: length of operational route reduced from 562 km to 283 km by disuse and lack of maintenance (2004)
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 Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%


note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador
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: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 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 (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system


international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System
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 752,600 (2003) 29,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,149,800 (2003) NA
Television broadcast stations 5 (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 mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 3.16 children born/woman (2005 est.) 5.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 6.3% - but the economy has much underemployment (2004 est.) NA%
Waterways Rio Lempa partially navigable (2004) 1,200 km


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