Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Luxembourg (2001) - Afghanistan (2002)

Compare Luxembourg (2001) z Afghanistan (2002)

 Luxembourg (2001)Afghanistan (2002)
 LuxembourgAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg 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:
18.91% (male 43,051; female 40,711)

15-64 years:
67.03% (male 149,781; female 147,165)

65 years and over:
14.06% (male 24,921; female 37,343) (2001 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 barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; livestock products wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin
Airports 2 (2000 est.) 46 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total:
1

over 3,047 m:
1 (2000 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:
1

under 914 m:
1 (2000 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:
2,586 sq km

land:
2,586 sq km

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


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Rhode Island slightly smaller than Texas
Background Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany in both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union) and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area. 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 12.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 41.03 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues:
$5.6 billion

expenditures:
$5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Luxembourg Kabul
Climate modified continental with mild winters, cool summers arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 17 October 1868, occasional revisions 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:
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

conventional short form:
Luxembourg

local long form:
Grand Duche de Luxembourg

local short form:
Luxembourg
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 Luxembourg franc (LUF); euro (EUR)

note:
on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Luxembourg at a fixed rate of 40.3399 Luxembourg francs per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002
afghani (AFA)
Death rate 8.88 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $NA $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador James C. HORMEL

embassy:
22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City

mailing address:
American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE 09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box 9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail)

telephone:
[352] 46 01 23

FAX:
[352] 46 14 01
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 Arlette CONZEMIUS

chancery:
2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 265-4171

FAX:
[1] (202) 328-8270

consulate(s) general:
New York 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 none close ties with Pashtuns in Pakistan make long border difficult to control
Economic aid - donor ODA, $160 million (1999) -
Economic aid - recipient - 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 The stable, high-income economy features solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, initially dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to include chemicals, rubber, and other products. Growth in the financial sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services, especially banking, account for a substantial proportion of the economy. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. The economy depends on foreign and trans-border workers for 30% of its labor force. Luxembourg has a custom union with Belgium and the Netherlands, and, as a member of the EU, enjoys the advantages of the open European market. It joined with 10 other EU members to launch the euro on 1 January 1999. 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 6.149 billion kWh (1999) 453.75 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 655 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 6.201 billion kWh (1999) 105 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 648 million kWh (1999) 375 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
36.88%

hydro:
53.09%

nuclear:
0%

other:
10.03% (1999)
fossil fuel: 36%


hydro: 64%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Moselle River 133 m

highest point:
Buurgplaatz 559 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland 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:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification
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 Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kososvo) and European (guest and resident workers) Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Luxembourg francs per US dollar - 34.77 (January 1999), 36.299 (1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996); note - the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg 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:
Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981);

head of government:
Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Lydie POLFER (since 7 August 1999)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and vice prime minister appointed by the monarch, following popular election to the Chamber of Deputies; they are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies

note:
government coalition - CSV and DP
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 $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $1.2 billion (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners EU 75% (Germany 25%, France 21%, Belgium 13%, UK 8%, Italy 6%, Netherlands 5%), US 4% (1999) 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 red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France 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 - $15.9 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
1%

industry:
30%

services:
69% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $36,400 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.7% (2000 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 49 45 N, 6 10 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note landlocked 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.) 5 (2002)
Highways total:
5,166 km

paved:
5,166 km (including 118 km of expressways)

unpaved:
0 km (1999)
total: 21,000 km


paved: 2,793 km


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

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - world's largest producer of opium; cultivation 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 $10 billion (c.i.f., 2000) $1.3 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners EU 81% (Belgium 35%, Germany 26%, France 12%, Netherlands 4%), US 9% (1999) Pakistan 19%, Japan 16%, Kenya 9%, South Korea 7%, India 6%, Turkmenistan 6% (1999)
Independence 1839 (from the Netherlands) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate 7.8% (2000 est.) -
Industries banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate 4.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 144.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7.8% (2000 est.) NA%
International organization participation ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC 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) 8 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 10 sq km (including Belgium) (1993 est.) 23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace, 2 district courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals); administrative courts and tribunals (State Prosecutor's Office, administrative courts and tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for all courts are appointed for life by the monarch the Bonn Agreement calls for the establishment of a Supreme Court
Labor force 248,000 (of whom 70,200 are foreign cross-border workers primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany) (2000) 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 83.2%, industry 14.3%, agriculture 2.5% (1998 est.) agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total:
356 km

border countries:
Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 135 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:
24%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
20%

forests and woodland:
35%

other:
20%
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
Languages Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative 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 based on civil law system; accepts 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 Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
last held 13 June 1999 (next to be held by NA June 2004)

election results:
percent of vote by party - CSV 29.79%, DP 21.58%, LSAP 23.75%, ADR 10.36%, Green Party 9.09%, the Left 3.77%; seats by party - CSV 19, DP 15, LSAP 13, ADR 6, Green Party 5, the Left 2

note:
the Council of State or Conseil d'Etat, which has 21 members who are appointed and dismissed by the Grand Duke based on proposals from the government, the Chamber of Deputies, or the Council of State, is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies
nonfunctioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population:
77.3 years

male:
74.02 years

female:
80.8 years (2001 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:
100%

male:
100%

female:
100% (2000 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 36%


male: 51%


female: 21% (1999 est.)
Location Western Europe, between France and Germany Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Europe Asia
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total:
50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 988,450 GRT/1,313,498 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 2, chemical tanker 11, container 2, liquefied gas 18, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 7

note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 4 (2000 est.)
-
Military branches Army; note - the government abolished the Gendarmerie 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 $131 million (FY98/99) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1% (FY98/99) NA%
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
112,714 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 6,896,623 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
92,817 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 3,696,379 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age 22 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
2,565 (2001 est.)
males: 252,869 (2002 est.)
National holiday National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun:
Luxembourger(s)

adjective:
Luxembourg
noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
Natural hazards NA damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate 9.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
People - note - large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states
Pipelines petroleum products 48 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 Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Robert MEHLEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (known also as Christian Social Party or PCS) [Erna HENNICOT-SCHOEPGES]; Democratic Party or DP [Lydie POLFER]; Green Party [Abbes JACOBY and Felix BRAS]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Jean ASSELBORN]; Marxist and Reformed Communist Party DEI LENK (the Left) [no formal leadership]; other minor parties 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 ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL (federation of industrialists); LCGP (center-right trade union); OGBL (center-left trade union) NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders
Population 442,972 (July 2001 est.) 27,755,775 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 1.26% (2001 est.) 3.43%


note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Mertert Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) 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 285,000 (1997) 167,000 (1999)
Railways total:
274 km

standard gauge:
274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km electrified; 178 km double track) (1998)
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 the greatest preponderance of the population is Roman Catholic with a very few Protestants, Jews, and Muslims

note:
1979 legislation forbids the collection of religious statistics
Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.97 male(s)/female (2001 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 and compulsory NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Telephone system general assessment:
highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables

domestic:
nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable

international:
3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)
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 314,700 (1999) 29,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 215,741 (2000) NA
Television broadcast stations 5 (1999) 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 gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 1.7 children born/woman (2001 est.) 5.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.7% (2000 est.) NA%
Waterways 37 km (on the Moselle) 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.