Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

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

Compare India (2001) - Afghanistan (2001)

Compare India (2001) z Afghanistan (2001)

 India (2001)Afghanistan (2001)
 IndiaAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal 30 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol; note - there may be two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan) and Khowst
Age structure 0-14 years:
33.12% (male 175,630,537; female 165,540,672)

15-64 years:
62.2% (male 331,790,850; female 308,902,864)

65 years and over:
4.68% (male 24,439,022; female 23,687,200) (2001 est.)
0-14 years:
42.2% (male 5,775,921; female 5,538,836)

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

65 years and over:
2.79% (male 394,444; female 353,046) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, karakul pelts
Airports 337 (2000 est.) 45 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
235

over 3,047 m:
13

2,438 to 3,047 m:
48

1,524 to 2,437 m:
81

914 to 1,523 m:
77

under 914 m:
16 (2000 est.)
total:
10

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2

under 914 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
102

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
6

914 to 1,523 m:
40

under 914 m:
55 (2000 est.)
total:
35

2,438 to 3,047 m:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
15

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
12 (2000 est.)
Area total:
3,287,590 sq km

land:
2,973,190 sq km

water:
314,400 sq km
total:
647,500 sq km

land:
647,500 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than one-third the size of the US slightly smaller than Texas
Background The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, goes back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier inhabitants created classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in 12th were followed by European traders beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU led to independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Fundamental concerns in India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and output. Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union in 1979. The USSR was forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-communist mujahidin forces supplied and trained by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others. Fighting subsequently continued among the various mujahidin factions, but the fundamentalist Islamic Taliban movement has been able to seize most of the country. In addition to the continuing civil strife, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread land mines.
Birth rate 24.28 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues:
$44.3 billion

expenditures:
$73.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)
revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital New Delhi Kabul
Climate varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 7,000 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 26 January 1950 none
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of India

conventional short form:
India
conventional long form:
Islamic State of Afghanistan; note - the self-proclaimed Taliban government refers to the country as Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

conventional short form:
Afghanistan

local long form:
Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

local short form:
Afghanestan

former:
Republic of Afghanistan
Currency Indian rupee (INR) afghani (AFA)
Death rate 8.74 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $99.6 billion (2000) $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard F. CELESTE

embassy:
Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021

mailing address:
use embassy street address

telephone:
[91] (11) 688-9033, 611-3033

FAX:
[91] (11) 419-0025

consulate(s) general:
Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)
the US embassy in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Naresh CHANDRA

chancery:
2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 939-7000

FAX:
[1] (202) 483-3972

consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
none; note - embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997

consulate(s) general:
New York
Disputes - international boundary with China in dispute; status of Kashmir with Pakistan; water-sharing problems with Pakistan over the Indus River (Wular Barrage); a portion of the boundary with Bangladesh is indefinite; exchange of 151 enclaves along border with Bangladesh subject to ratification by Indian parliament; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty Island support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions; question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN
Economic aid - recipient $2.9 billion (FY98/99) US provided about $70 million in humanitarian assistance in 1997; US continues to contribute to multilateral assistance through the UN programs of food aid, immunization, land mine removal, and a wide range of aid to refugees and displaced persons
Economy - overview India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. More than a third of the population is too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet. India's international payments position remained strong in 2000 with adequate foreign exchange reserves, moderately depreciating nominal exchange rates, and booming exports of software services. Growth in manufacturing output slowed, and electricity shortages continue in many regions. Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during two decades of war, including the nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February 1989). During that conflict one-third of the population fled the country, with Pakistan and Iran sheltering a combined peak of more than 6 million refugees. In early 2000, 2 million Afghan refugees remained in Pakistan and about 1.4 million in Iran. Gross domestic product has fallen substantially over the past 20 years because of the loss of labor and capital and the disruption of trade and transport; severe drought added to the nation's difficulties in 1998-2000. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Inflation remains a serious problem throughout the country. International aid can deal with only a fraction of the humanitarian problem, let alone promote economic development. In 1999-2000, internal civil strife continued, hampering both domestic economic policies and international aid efforts. Numerical data are likely to be either unavailable or unreliable. Afghanistan was by far the largest producer of opium poppies in 2000, and narcotics trafficking is a major source of revenue.
Electricity - consumption 424.032 billion kWh (1999) 480.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 200 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 1.49 billion kWh (1999) 90 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 454.561 billion kWh (1999) 420 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
79.41%

hydro:
17.77%

nuclear:
2.52%

other:
0.3% (1999)
fossil fuel:
35.71%

hydro:
64.29%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
lowest point:
Amu Darya 258 m

highest point:
Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification
Environment - international agreements party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
party to:
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban

signed, but not ratified:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000) Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6%
Exchange rates Indian rupees per US dollar - 46.540 (January 2001), 44.942 (2000), 43.055 (1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996) 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 Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 25 July 1997); Vice President Krishnan KANT (since 21 August 1997)

head of government:
Prime Minister Atal Behari VAJPAYEE (since 19 March 1998)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

elections:
president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term; election last held 14 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2002); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 16 August 1997 (next to be held NA August 2002); prime minister elected by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held NA October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004)

election results:
Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA%; Krishnan KANT elected vice president; percent of Parliament vote - NA%; Atal Behari VAJPAYEE elected prime minister; percent of vote - NA%
on 27 September 1996, the ruling members of the Afghan Government were displaced by members of the Islamic Taliban movement; the Islamic State of Afghanistan has no functioning government at this time, and the country remains divided among fighting factions

note:
the Taliban have declared themselves the legitimate government of Afghanistan; however, the UN still recognizes the government of Burhanuddin RABBANI; the Organization of the Islamic Conference has left the Afghan seat vacant until the question of legitimacy can be resolved through negotiations among the warring factions; the country is essentially divided along ethnic lines; the Taliban controls the capital of Kabul and approximately two-thirds of the country including the predominately ethnic Pashtun areas in southern Afghanistan; opposing factions have their stronghold in the ethnically diverse north
Exports $43.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.)
Exports - commodities textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners US 22%, UK 6%, Germany 5%, Japan 5%, Hong Kong 5%, UAE 4% (1999) FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 21 March - 20 March
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a gold emblem centered on the three bands; the emblem features a temple-like structure with Islamic inscriptions above and below, encircled by a wreath on the left and right and by a bolder Islamic inscription above, all of which are encircled by two crossed scimitars

note:
the Taliban uses a plain white flag
GDP purchasing power parity - $2.2 trillion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
25%

industry:
24%

services:
51% (2000)
agriculture:
53%

industry:
28.5%

services:
18.5% (1990)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6% (2000 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 20 00 N, 77 00 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes landlocked
Heliports 16 (2000 est.) 3 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
3,319,644 km

paved:
1,517,077 km

unpaved:
1,802,567 km (1996)
total:
21,000 km

paved:
2,793 km

unpaved:
18,207 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
3.5%

highest 10%:
33.5% (1997)
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of hashish and methaqualone world's largest illicit opium producer, surpassing Burma (potential production in 1999 - 1,670 metric tons; cultivation in 1999 - 51,500 hectares, a 23% increase over 1998); a major source of hashish; increasing number of heroin-processing laboratories being set up in the country; major political factions in the country profit from drug trade
Imports $60.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $150 million (1996 est.)
Imports - commodities crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners US 9%, Benelux 8%, UK 6%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Japan 6%, Germany 5% (1999) FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Germany
Independence 15 August 1947 (from UK) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate 7.5% (2000 est.) -
Industries textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate 63.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.4% (2000 est.) NA%
International organization participation AfDB, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 43 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 535,100 sq km (1995/96 est.) 30,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65) upper courts were non-functioning as of March 1995 (local Shari'a or Islamic law courts are functioning throughout the country)
Labor force NA 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 67%, services 18%, industry 15% (1995 est.) agriculture 70%, industry 15%, services 15% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total:
14,103 km

border countries:
Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 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:
56%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
4%

forests and woodland:
23%

other:
16% (1993 est.)
arable land:
12%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
46%

forests and woodland:
3%

other:
39% (1993 est.)
Languages English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication, Hindi the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people, Bengali (official), Telugu (official), Marathi (official), Tamil (official), Urdu (official), Gujarati (official), Malayalam (official), Kannada (official), Oriya (official), Punjabi (official), Assamese (official), Kashmiri (official), Sindhi (official), Sanskrit (official), Hindustani (a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India)

note:
24 languages each spoken by a million or more persons; numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible
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 English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law)
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 of which are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)

elections:
People's Assembly - last held 5 September through 3 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results:
People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP alliance 40.8%, Congress alliance 33.8%, other 25.4%; seats by party - BJP alliance 304, Congress alliance 134, other 107
non-functioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population:
62.86 years

male:
62.22 years

female:
63.53 years (2001 est.)
total population:
46.24 years

male:
46.97 years

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

total population:
52%

male:
65.5%

female:
37.7% (1995 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
31.5%

male:
47.2%

female:
15% (1999 est.)
Location Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references 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:
315 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,433,831 GRT/10,691,973 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 117, cargo 70, chemical tanker 15, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 15, liquefied gas 9, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 76, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 2 (2000 est.)
-
Military branches Army, Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Rashtriya Rifles, and National Security Guards) NA; note - the military does not exist on a national basis; some elements of the former Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Forces, National Police Force (Sarandoi), and tribal militias still exist but are factionalized among the various groups
Military expenditures - dollar figure $13.02 billion (FY01) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.5% (FY00) NA%
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
280,204,502 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
6,645,023 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
164,410,461 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
3,561,957 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 17 years of age 22 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
10,879,384 (2001 est.)
males:
252,869 (2001 est.)
National holiday Republic Day, 26 January (1950) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun:
Indian(s)

adjective:
Indian
noun:
Afghan(s)

adjective:
Afghan
Natural hazards droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; earthquakes damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 3,005 km; petroleum products 2,687 km; natural gas 1,700 km (1995) petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas 180 km
Political parties and leaders All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB [Prem Dutta PALIWAL (chairman), Chitta BASU (general secretary)]; Asom Gana Parishad [Prafulla Kumar MAHANTA]; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [Kanshi RAM]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Bangaru LAXMAN, president]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist or CPI/ML [Vinod MISHRA]; Congress (I) Party [Sonia GANDHI, president]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu) [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National League [Suliaman SAIT]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D. Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United) or JDU [Sharad YADAV, president, I. K. GUJRAL]; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K. M. MANI]; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M. BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; National Democratic Alliance, a 16-party alliance including BJP, DMK, Janata Dal (U), SHS, Shiromani Akali Dal, Telugu Desam, BJD, Rinamool Congress]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP [Tridip CHOWDHURY]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV, president]; Shiromani Akali Dal [Prakash Singh BADAL]; Shiv Sena [Bal THACKERAY]; Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K. MOOPANAR]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh) [Chandrababu NAIDU]; Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE] Taliban (Religious Students Movement) [Mullah Mohammad OMAR]; United National Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan or UNIFSA [Burhanuddin RABBANI, chairman; Gen. Abdul Rashid DOSTAM, vice chairman; Ahmad Shah MASOOD, military commander; Mohammed Yunis QANUNI, spokesman]; note - made up of 13 parties opposed to the Taliban including Harakat-i-Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Movement of Afghanistan), Hizb-i-Islami (Islamic Party), Hizb-i-Wahdat-i-Islami (Islamic Unity Party), Jumaat-i-Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Afghan Society), Jumbish-i-Milli (National Front), Mahaz-i-Milli-i-Islami (National Islamic Front)
Political pressure groups and leaders numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Australia, US, and elsewhere have organized politically; Mellat (Social Democratic Party) [leader NA]; Peshawar, Pakistan-based groups such as the Coordination Council for National Unity and Understanding in Afghanistan or CUNUA [Ishaq GAILANI]; tribal elders represent traditional Pashtun leadership; Writers Union of Free Afghanistan or WUFA [A. Rasul AMIN]
Population 1,029,991,145 (July 2001 est.) 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 35% (1994 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 1.55% (2001 est.) 3.48% (2001 est.)

note:
this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran
Ports and harbors Chennai (Madras), Cochin, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Vishakhapatnam Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998) AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pushtu, Dari, Urdu, and English) (1999)
Radios 116 million (1997) 167,000 (1999)
Railways total:
62,915 km (12,307 km electrified; 12,617 km double track)

broad gauge:
40,620 km 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge:
18,501 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,794 km 0.762-m and 0.610-m gauge (1998 est.)
total:
24.6 km

broad gauge:
9.6 km 1.524-m gauge from Gushgy (Turkmenistan) to Towraghondi; 15 km 1.524-m gauge from Termiz (Uzbekistan) to Kheyrabad transshipment point on south bank of Amu Darya
Religions Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000) Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Telephone system general assessment:
mediocre service; local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; major objective is to continue to expand and modernize long-distance network in order to keep pace with rapidly growing number of local subscriber lines; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but, with telephone density at about two for each 100 persons and a waiting list of over 2 million, demand for main line telephone service will not be satisfied for a very long time

domestic:
local service is provided by microwave radio relay and coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas; starting in the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been introduced for local and long-distance service; long-distance traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity microwave radio relay; since 1985 significant trunk capacity has been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite system with 254 earth stations; mobile cellular service is provided in four metropolitan cities

international:
satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gaidhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 4 submarine cables - LOCOM linking Chennai (Madras) to Penang; Indo-UAE-Gulf cable linking Mumbai (Bombay) to Al Fujayrah, UAE; India-SEA-ME-WE-3, SEA-ME-WE-2 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay); Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay) (2000)
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 27.7 million (October 2000) 29,000 (1996)

note:
there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.93 million (November 2000) NA
Television broadcast stations 562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997) at least 10 (one government run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 30 provinces; the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997, there was a station in Mazar-e Sharif reaching four northern Afghanistan provinces) (1998)
Terrain upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 3.04 children born/woman (2001 est.) 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways 16,180 km

note:
3,631 km navigable by large vessels
1,200 km

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