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Compare Namibia (2005) - Afghanistan (2003)
Compare Namibia (2005) z Afghanistan (2003)
| Namibia (2005) | Afghanistan (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa | 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: 38.7% (male 396,247/female 389,543)
15-64 years: 57.7% (male 586,900/female 584,779) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 33,524/female 39,699) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 41.8% (male 6,123,971; female 5,868,013)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 8,240,743; female 7,671,242) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 427,710; female 385,534) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | millet, sorghum, peanuts; livestock; fish | opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins |
| Airports | 136 (2004 est.) | 47 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 21
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2004 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 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 115
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 71 under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.) |
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 11 (2002) |
| Area | total: 825,418 sq km
land: 825,418 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 647,500 sq km
land: 647,500 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than half the size of Alaska | slightly smaller than Texas |
| Background | South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia won its independence in 1990 and has been governed by SWAPO since. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. | 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 | 25.16 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 40.63 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $1.788 billion
expenditures: $1.956 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues: $200 million
expenditures: $550 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 plan est.) |
| Capital | Windhoek | Kabul |
| Climate | desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic | arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers |
| Coastline | 1,572 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | ratified 9 February 1990, effective 12 March 1990 | 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 1964 Constitution, according to the Bonn Agreement |
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
conventional short form: Namibia former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa |
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 | 18.36 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 17.15 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $1.136 billion (2004 est.) | NA (1996 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Joyce BARR
embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek telephone: [264] (61) 221601 FAX: [264] (61) 229792 |
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 Leonard Nangolo IIPUMBU
chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443 |
chief of mission: ambassador Seyyed Tayeb JAWAD
chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: 202-483-6410 FAX: 202-483-6487 consulate(s) general: New York |
| Disputes - international | border commission has yet to resolve small residual disputes with Botswana along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; Namibia has supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia, boundary in the river | thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran and Pakistan; isolating terrain and close ties among Pashtuns in Pakistan make cross-border activities difficult to control; prolonged regional drought strains water-sharing arrangements for Amu Darya and Helmand River states |
| Economic aid - recipient | ODA $160 million (2000 est.) | 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; another $1.7 billion was pledged for 2003. |
| Economy - overview | The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the population while about half of the population depends on subsistence agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50% of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the region, hides the great inequality of income distribution; nearly one-third of Namibians had annual incomes of less than $1,400 in constant 1994 dollars, according to a 1993 study. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged to the South African rand. Privatization of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate long-run foreign investment. Mining of zinc, copper, and silver and increased fish production led growth in 2003-04. | Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on foreign aid, farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats), and trade with neighboring countries. Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during more than 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 4 to 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 1998-2002. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care, and a dearth of jobs, problems exacerbated by political uncertainties and the general level of lawlessness. International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were addressed at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002, when $4.5 billion was pledged, $1.7 billion for 2002. Of that approximately $900 million was directed to humanitarian aid - food, clothing, and shelter - and another $90 million for the Afghan Transitional Authority. Further World Bank and other aid came in 2003. Priority areas for reconstruction include upgrading education, health, and sanitation facilities; providing income generating opportunities; enhancing administrative and security arrangements, especially in regional areas; developing the agricultural sector; rebuilding transportation, energy, and telecommunication infrastructure; and reabsorbing 2 million returning refugees. The replacement of the opium trade - which may account for one-third of GDP - and the search for oil and gas resources in the northern region are two major long-term issues. |
| Electricity - consumption | 1.92 billion kWh (2002) | 511.4 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 65 million kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 900 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002) | 200 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 1.167 billion kWh (2002) | 334.8 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 36.3%
hydro: 63.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m |
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m |
| Environment - current issues | very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas | 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: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
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 | black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5% |
Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8% |
| Exchange rates | Namibian dollars per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000) | afghanis per US dollar - 3,000 (October-December 2002), 3,000 (2001), 3,000 (2000), 3,000 (1999), 3,000 (1998), note: before 2002 the market rate varied widely from the official rate; in 2002 the afghani was revalued and the currency stabilized |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 15 November 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Nahas ANGULA (since 21 March 2005) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009) election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of vote - NA% |
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 18 months to hold a Loya Jirga to adopt a constitution and 24 months to hold nationwide elections
chief of state: President of the TISA, Hamid KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government head of government: President of the TISA, Hamid KARZAI (since 10 June 2002); note - presently the president and head of government cabinet: the 30-member TISA elections: nationwide elections are to be held by June 2004, according to the Bonn Agreement |
| Exports | NA | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed fish, karakul skins | opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems |
| Exports - partners | EU 79%, US 4% (2001) | Pakistan 26.8%, India 26.5%, Finland 5.8%, Germany 5.1%, UAE 4.4%, Belgium 4.3%, Russia 4.2%, US 4.2% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 21 March - 20 March |
| Flag description | a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders | 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 - $19 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11.3%
industry: 30.8% services: 57.9% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 60%
industry: 20% services: 20% (1990 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $7,300 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.8% (2004 est.) | NA% |
| Geographic coordinates | 22 00 S, 17 00 E | 33 00 N, 65 00 E |
| Geography - note | first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip | 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 | - | 5 (2002) |
| Highways | total: 42,237 km
paved: 5,406 km unpaved: 36,831 km (2002) |
total: 21,000 km
paved: 2,793 km unpaved: 18,207 km (1999 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 metric 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 | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals | capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners | US 50%, EU 31% (2001) | Pakistan 25.1%, South Korea 14.4%, Japan 9.4%, US 9%, Kenya 5.8%, Germany 5.4% (2002) |
| Independence | 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate) | 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
| Industries | meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamond, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper) | small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 48.98 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 53 deaths/1,000 live births female: 44.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 142.48 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 145.99 deaths/1,000 live births female: 138.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.2% (2004 est.) | NA% |
| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 70 sq km (1998 est.) | 23,860 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission) | the Bonn Agreement called for the establishment of a Supreme Court; there is also a Minister of Justice |
| Labor force | 840,000 (2004 est.) | 10 million (2000 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 47%, industry 20%, services 33% (1999 est.) | agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total: 3,936 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 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: 0.99%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.01% (2001) |
arable land: 12.13%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 87.65% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama | 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 Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution | 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 | bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; two members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to determine members of the National Council, held 15-16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009); National Assembly - last held 15-16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009) election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, UDF 3, MAG 1, other 4 note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body |
nonfunctioning as of June 1993 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 43.93 years
male: 44.71 years female: 43.13 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 46.97 years
male: 47.67 years female: 46.23 years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84% male: 84.4% female: 83.7% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 36% male: 51% female: 21% (1999 est.) |
| Location | Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa | Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran |
| Map references | Africa | Asia |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 2,265 GRT/3,605 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2005) |
- |
| Military branches | Namibian Defense Force: Army (includes Air Wing), Navy, Police | NA; note - the December 2001 Bonn Agreement called for all militia forces to come under the authority of the central government, but regional leaders have continued to retain their militias and the formation of a nation army will be a gradual process; Afghanistan's forces continue to be factionalized, largely along ethnic lines |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $168.4 million (2004) | $525.2 million (FY02) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.1% (2004) | 7.7% (FY02) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 7,160,603 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 3,837,646 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 22 years of age (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 275,223 (2003 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 21 March (1990) | Independence Day, 19 August (1919) |
| Nationality | noun: Namibian(s)
adjective: Namibian |
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan |
| Natural hazards | prolonged periods of drought | damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts |
| Natural resources | diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore |
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones |
| Net migration rate | 0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 10.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| People - note | - | large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states |
| Pipelines | - | gas 651 km (2003) |
| Political parties and leaders | Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA, president]; Monitor Action Group or MAG [Kosie PRETORIUS]; South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB] | 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 political factions not holding positions in the Transitional government that are forming new groups and parties in the hopes of participating in 2004 elections |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders |
| Population | 2,030,692
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.) |
28,717,213 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 50% (2002 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0.73% (2005 est.) | 3.38%
note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Luderitz, Walvis Bay | Kheyrabad, Shir Khan |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001) | 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) |
| Railways | total: 2,382 km
narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (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 | Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20% | Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1 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 (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA; previously males 15-50 years of age |
| Telephone system | general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each 100 persons
domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are by open wire; 100% digital international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002) |
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 | 127,400 (2003) | 29,000 (1998) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 223,700 (2003) | NA |
| Television broadcast stations | 8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters) (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 high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east | mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest |
| Total fertility rate | 3.18 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 5.64 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 35% (1998) | NA% |
| Waterways | - | 1,200 km
note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001) |
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