Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Israel (2002) - Afghanistan (2002) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Israel (2002) - Afghanistan (2002)

Compare Israel (2002) z Afghanistan (2002)

 Israel (2002)Afghanistan (2002)
 IsraelAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv 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: 27.1% (male 837,491; female 798,695)


15-64 years: 63% (male 1,905,677; female 1,889,525)


65 years and over: 9.9% (male 257,066; female 341,075) (2002 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 citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin
Airports 54 (2001) 46 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 28


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 4 (2002)
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: 24


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
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: 20,770 sq km


land: 20,330 sq km


water: 440 sq km
total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Jersey slightly smaller than Texas
Background Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement. But progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by the outbreak of Palestinian-Israeli violence since September 2000. 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 18.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 41.03 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $40 billion


expenditures: $42.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv Kabul
Climate temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 273 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law 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: State of Israel


conventional short form: Israel


local long form: Medinat Yisra'el


local short form: Yisra'el
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 new Israeli shekel (ILS) afghani (AFA)
Death rate 6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 17.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $42.8 billion (2001 est.) $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER


embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv


mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830


telephone: [972] (3) 519-7457/7369/7454/7458/7453


FAX: [972] (3) 517-4390


consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
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 Daniel AYALON


chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500


FAX: [1] (202) 364-3607


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
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 West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights) close ties with Pashtuns in Pakistan make long border difficult to control
Economic aid - recipient NA 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 Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and military aid. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR during the period 1989-99 coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early 1990s. But growth began moderating in 1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out. Growth was a strong 6.4% in 2000. But the bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict, increasingly the declines in the high-technology and tourist sectors, and fiscal austerity measures in the face of growing inflation have led to declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. 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 34.897 billion kWh (2000) 453.75 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 1.27 billion kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 12 million kWh (2000) 105 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 38.876 billion kWh (2000) 375 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel: 36%


hydro: 64%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides 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, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
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 Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.) Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%
Exchange rates new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.2757 (December 2001), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997) 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 Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset


elections: president elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2007); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition; election last held 28 January 2003 (next to be held fall of 2007)


election results: Moshe KATSAV elected president by the 120-member Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON continues as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January 2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the National Union
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 $28 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) $1.2 billion (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners US 42.8%, Benelux 7.4%, Hong Kong 6.8%, Germany 4.8%, UK 4.8%, Japan 3.2% (2001) Pakistan 32%, India 8%, Belgium 7%, Germany 5%, Russia 5%, UAE 4% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag 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 - $122 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3%


industry: 30%


services: 67% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -1.1% (2002 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 31 30 N, 34 45 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source 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 3 (2002) 5 (2002)
Highways total: 15,965 km


paved: 15,965 km (including 56 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
total: 21,000 km


paved: 2,793 km


unpaved: 18,207 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 28% (1992) (1997)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and increasingly Jordan 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 $30.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) $1.3 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, consumer goods capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners US 23.5%, Benelux 10.2%, Germany 7.9%, uk 6.7%, Switzerland 6.0%, Italy 5.2% (2001) Pakistan 19%, Japan 16%, Kenya 9%, South Korea 7%, India 6%, Turkmenistan 6% (1999)
Independence 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate -1.5% (2002 est.) -
Industries high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate 7.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 144.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.7% (2002 est.) NA%
International organization participation BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO 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) 21 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 1,990 sq km (1998 est.) 23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president) the Bonn Agreement calls for the establishment of a Supreme Court
Labor force 2.4 million (2000 est.) 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation public services 31%, manufacturing 20%, finance and business 13%, commerce 13%, construction 8%, personal and other services 6%, transport, storage, and communications 6%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3% (1996) (1996) agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,017 km


border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 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: 17.02%


permanent crops: 4.17%


other: 78.81% (1998 est.)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
Languages Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language 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 mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction the Bonn Agreement calls for a judicial commission to rebuild the justice system in accordance with Islamic principles, international standards, the rule of law, and Afghan legal traditions
Legislative branch unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 27 January 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - Likud Party 29.4%, Labor 14.5%, Shinui 12.3%, Shas 8.2%, National Union 5.5%, Meretz 5.2%, United Torah Judaism 4.3%, National Religious Party 4.2%, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%, One Nation 2.8%, National Democratic Alliance 2.3%, YBA 2.2%, United Arab List 2.1%, Green Leaf Party 1.2%, Herut 1.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party - Likud 38, Labor 19, Shinui 15, Shas 11, National Union 7, Meretz 6, National Religious Party 6, United Torah Judaism 5, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3, One Nation 3, National Democratic Alliance 3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2
nonfunctioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population: 78.86 years


male: 76.82 years


female: 81.01 years (2002 est.)
total population: 46.6 years


male: 47.32 years


female: 45.85 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 95%


male: 97%


female: 93% (1992 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 36%


male: 51%


female: 21% (1999 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Middle East Asia
Maritime claims continental shelf: to depth of exploitation


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 595,319 GRT/704,544 DWT


ships by type: container 15, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)
-
Military branches Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (includes ground, naval, and air components with Air Defense Forces), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services 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 $8.97 billion (FY02) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 8.75% (FY02) NA%
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,542,835


females age 15-49: 1,499,830 (2002 est.)
males age 15-49: 6,896,623 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,262,973


females age 15-49: 1,223,939 (2002 est.)
males age 15-49: 3,696,379 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) 22 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 51,666


females: 49,207 (2002 est.)
males: 252,869 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun: Israeli(s)


adjective: Israeli
noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
Natural hazards sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate 2.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
People - note - large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states
Pipelines crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km natural gas 180 km


note: product pipelines from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have been in disrepair and disuse for years (2002)
Political parties and leaders Center Party [Dan MERIDOR]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Democratic Movement [Roman BRONFMAN]; Gesher [David LEVI]; Herut [michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Binyamin BEN-ELIEZER]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meimad [Rabbi Michael MELCHIOR]; Meretz [Yossi SARID]; National Democratic Alliance (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY]; National Union [Benyamin ELON] (includes Tekuma and Moledet); One Israel [Ra'anan COHEN]; One Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Meir PORUSH]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA [Natan SHARANSKY]; Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN] 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 Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors human rights abuses NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders
Population 6,029,529 (July 2002 est.)


note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, more than 5,000 in the Gaza Strip, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (February 2003 est.)
27,755,775 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 1.48% (2002 est.) 3.43%


note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (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 3.07 million (1997) 167,000 (1999)
Railways total: 647 km


standard gauge: 647 km 1.435-m gauge (2001)
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 Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.) Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 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: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest


domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital


international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
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 2.8 million (1999) 29,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.5 million (1999) NA
Television broadcast stations 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995) 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 Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 2.54 children born/woman (2002 est.) 5.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 10.4% (2002 est.) NA%
Waterways none 1,200 km


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