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Compare Reunion (2003) - Afghanistan (2001)

Compare Reunion (2003) z Afghanistan (2001)

 Reunion (2003)Afghanistan (2001)
 ReunionAfghanistan
Administrative divisions none (overseas department of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 4 arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47 cantons 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: 31.3% (male 121,119; female 115,501)


15-64 years: 62.8% (male 233,607; female 240,502)


65 years and over: 5.9% (male 18,036; female 26,406) (2003 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 sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, karakul pelts
Airports 2 (2002) 45 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
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:
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: 2,517 sq km


land: 2,507 sq km


water: 10 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 The Portuguese discovered the uninhabited island in 1513. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration, supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Malabar Indians, gave the island its ethnic mix. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the East Indies trade route. 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 20.17 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.26 billion


expenditures: $2.62 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998)
revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Saint-Denis Kabul
Climate tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 207 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) none
Country name conventional long form: Department of Reunion


conventional short form: Reunion


local long form: none


local short form: Ile de la Reunion


former: Bourbon Island
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 euro (EUR) afghani (AFA)
Death rate 5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $NA $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Dependency status overseas department of France -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas department of France) the US embassy in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas department of France) none; note - embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997

consulate(s) general:
New York
Disputes - international none support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions; question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN
Economic aid - recipient $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France 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 The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, but services now dominate. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more than a century, and in some years it accounts for 85% of exports. The government has been pushing the development of a tourist industry to relieve high unemployment, which amounts to one-third of the labor force. The gap in Reunion between the well-off and the poor is extraordinary and accounts for the persistent social tensions. The white and Indian communities are substantially better off than other segments of the population, often approaching European standards, whereas minority groups suffer the poverty and unemployment typical of the poorer nations of the African continent. The outbreak of severe rioting in February 1991 illustrates the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France. 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 1.005 billion kWh (2001) 480.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 90 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 1.08 billion kWh (2001) 420 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 55.5%


hydro: 44.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel:
35.71%

hydro:
64.29%

nuclear:
0%

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


highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
lowest point:
Amu Darya 258 m

highest point:
Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues NA soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification
Environment - international 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 French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6%
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 1.06 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998) 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 Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Gonthier FRIEDERICI (since NA)


head of government: President of the General Council Jean-Luc POUDROUX (since NA March 1998) and President of the Regional Council Paul VERGES (since NA March 1993)


cabinet: NA


elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils
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 NA (2001) $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.)
Exports - commodities sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993) opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (2000) FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description the flag of France is used 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 - $4.174 billion (1999 est.) purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 8%


industry: 19%


services: 73% (2000 est.)
agriculture:
53%

industry:
28.5%

services:
18.5% (1990)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.5% (2002 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 21 06 S, 55 36 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note this mountainous, volcanic island has an active volcano, Piton de la Fournaise; there is a tropical cyclone center at Saint-Denis, which is the monitoring station for the whole of the Indian Ocean landlocked
Heliports - 3 (2000 est.)
Highways total: 2,724 km


paved: 1,300 km (including 73 km of four-lane road)


unpaved: 1,424 km (1994)
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 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 NA (2001) $150 million (1996 est.)
Imports - commodities manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (2000) FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Germany
Independence none (overseas department of France) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate NA% -
Industries sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate total: 8.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.89 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% NA%
International organization participation FZ, InOC, WFTU 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) 1 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 120 sq km (1998 est.) 30,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel upper courts were non-functioning as of March 1995 (local Shari'a or Islamic law courts are functioning throughout the country)
Labor force 309,900 (2000) 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 13%, industry 12%, services 75% (2000) agriculture 70%, industry 15%, services 15% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries 0 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: 13.2%


permanent crops: 2%


other: 84.8% (1998 est.)
arable land:
12%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
46%

forests and woodland:
3%

other:
39% (1993 est.)
Languages French (official), Creole widely used 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 French law a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law)
Legislative branch unicameral General Council (49 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve six-year terms)


elections: General Council - last held 15 and 22 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004)


election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - various right-wing candidates 13, PCR 10, PS 10, UDF 8, RPR 6, other left-wing candidates 2; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PCR 19, UDF 9, RPR 8, various right-wing candidates 4, various left-wing candidates 5


note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, UMP 1, PCR 1
non-functioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.43 years


male: 70.03 years


female: 77 years (2003 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: 88.9%


male: 87%


female: 90.8% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
31.5%

male:
47.2%

female:
15% (1999 est.)
Location Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references World Asia
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of France -
Military branches no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) 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 - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA%
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 198,341 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
6,645,023 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 101,116 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
3,561,957 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2003 est.) 22 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 6,795 (2003 est.) males:
252,869 (2001 est.)
National holiday Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun: Reunionese (singular and plural)


adjective: Reunionese
noun:
Afghan(s)

adjective:
Afghan
Natural hazards periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources fish, arable land, hydropower natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas 180 km
Political parties and leaders Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Paul VERGES]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jean-Claude FRUTEAU]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD] 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 NA 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 755,171 (July 2003 est.) 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 1.47% (2003 est.) 3.48% (2001 est.)

note:
this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran
Ports and harbors Le Port, Pointe des Galets Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001) AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pushtu, Dari, Urdu, and English) (1999)
Radios - 167,000 (1999)
Railways 0 km 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 Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995) 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: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 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: adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis


domestic: modern open-wire and microwave radio relay network


international: radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (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 268,500 (1999) 29,000 (1996)

note:
there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998
Telephones - mobile cellular 197,000 (September 2000) NA
Television broadcast stations 35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001) 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 mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 2.53 children born/woman (2003 est.) 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 36% (1999 est.) NA%
Waterways none 1,200 km

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