Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Romania (2002) - Afghanistan (2003) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Romania (2002) - Afghanistan (2003)

Compare Romania (2002) z Afghanistan (2003)

 Romania (2002)Afghanistan (2003)
 RomaniaAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea 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: 17.4% (male 1,992,505; female 1,898,122)


15-64 years: 68.8% (male 7,618,801; female 7,726,300)


65 years and over: 13.8% (male 1,274,881; female 1,807,121) (2002 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 wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Airports 61 (2001) 47 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 25


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (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 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 37


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 12


under 914 m: 23 (2002)
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: 237,500 sq km


land: 230,340 sq km


water: 7,160 sq km
total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Oregon slightly smaller than Texas
Background Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a Communist "peoples republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power by a fractious coalition of center-right parties. Currently, the Social Democratic Party forms a nominally minority government, which governs with the support of the opposition Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the European Union. 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 10.81 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 40.63 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $11.7 billion


expenditures: $12.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
revenues: $200 million


expenditures: $550 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 plan est.)
Capital Bucharest Kabul
Climate temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 225 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 8 December 1991 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: none


conventional short form: Romania


local long form: none


local short form: Romania
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 leu (ROL) afghani (AFA)
Death rate 12.27 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 17.15 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $11.6 billion (2001 est.) NA (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Michael GUEST


embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest


mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)


telephone: [40] (21) 210-4042


FAX: [40] (21) 210-0395


branch office(s): Cluj-Napoca
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 Sorin Dumitru DUCARU


chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851


FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
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 Romania and Ukraine have yet to resolve claims over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and delimitation of Black Sea maritime boundary, despite 1997 bilateral treaty to find a solution in two years and numerous talks; because of a shift in the Danube course since the last correction of the boundary in 1920, a joint Bulgarian-Romanian team will recommend sovereignty changes to several islands and redefine the boundary 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 - 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 Romania, one of the poorest countries of Central and Eastern Europe, began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. Over the past decade economic restructuring has lagged behind most other countries in the region. Consequently, living standards have continued to fall - real wages are down perhaps 40%. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets, and despite the global slowdown in 2001, strong domestic activity in construction, agriculture, and consumption led to 4.8% growth. A standby agreement with the IMF - covering the period October 2001 to March 2003 - provides a key opportunity for vigorous privatization, regulatory reform, deficit reduction, and the curbing of inflation. The government in the past has not been able to fully implement IMF agreements; its degree of success in this case will affect prospects for joining the EU. 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 45.677 billion kWh (2000) 511.4 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 1.4 billion kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 775 million kWh (2000) 200 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 49.787 billion kWh (2000) 334.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 53%


hydro: 37%


nuclear: 10%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel: 36.3%


hydro: 63.7%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Black Sea 0 m


highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands 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, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
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 Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002) Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%
Exchange rates lei per US dollar - 35,052.0 (January 2002), 29,060.8 (2001), 21,708.7 (2000), 15,332.8 (1999), 8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997); note - lei is the plural form of leu 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 Ion ILIESCU (since 20 December 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Adrian NASTASE (since 29 December 2000)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 November 2000, with runoff between the top two candidates held 10 December 2000 (next to be held NA November/December 2004); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: percent of vote - Ion ILIESCU 66.84%, Corneliu Vadim TUDOR 33.16%
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 $11.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities textiles and footwear 26%, metals and metal products 15%, machinery and equipment 11%, minerals and fuels 6% (1999) opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners Italy 22%, Germany 16%, France 7%, Turkey 6%, US (2000) 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 calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad, also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova 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 - $152.7 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $19 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 15%


industry: 30%


services: 55% (2000)
agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2001 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 46 00 N, 25 00 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine 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 (2002) 5 (2002)
Highways total: 153,359 km


paved: 103,671 km (including 133 km of expressways)


unpaved: 49,688 km (1998 est.)
total: 21,000 km


paved: 2,793 km


unpaved: 18,207 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 23% (1994)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe 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 $14.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment 23%, fuels and minerals 12%, chemicals 9%, textile and products 19% (1999) capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners Italy 19%, Germany 15%, Russia 9%, France 6% (2000) Pakistan 25.1%, South Korea 14.4%, Japan 9.4%, US 9%, Kenya 5.8%, Germany 5.4% (2002)
Independence 9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from Turkey; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate 6.5% (2001) NA%
Industries textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate 18.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 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) 34.5% (2001 est.) NA%
International organization participation ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC 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) 38 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 28,800 sq km (1998 est.) 23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates) the Bonn Agreement called for the establishment of a Supreme Court; there is also a Minister of Justice
Labor force 9.9 million (1999 est.) 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 40%, industry 25%, services 35% (1998) agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,508 km


border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia and Montenegro 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 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: 40.57%


permanent crops: 2.4%


other: 57.03% (1998 est.)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
Languages Romanian, Hungarian, German 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 former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic 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 Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (140 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (345 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDSR 37.1%, PRM 21.0%, PD 7.6%, PNL 7.5%, UDMR 6.9%; seats by party - PDSR 65, PRM 37, PD 13, PNL 13, UDMR 12; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PDSR 36.6%, PRM 19.5%, PD 7.0%, PNL, 6.9%, UDMR 6.8%; seats by party - PDSR 155, PRM 84, PD 31, PNL 30, UDMR 27, ethnic minorities 18
nonfunctioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population: 70.39 years


male: 66.62 years


female: 74.39 years (2002 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: 97%


male: 98%


female: 95% (1992 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 36%


male: 51%


female: 21% (1999 est.)
Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Europe Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 561,470 GRT/754,836 DWT


ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 47, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 4


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 1, Italy 5 (2002 est.)
-
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (AMR), Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense, Border Guards 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 $985 million (2002) $525.2 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.47% (2002) 7.7% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 5,906,601 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 7,160,603 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 4,970,496 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 3,837,646 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age (2002 est.) 22 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 179,951 (2002 est.) males: 275,223 (2003 est.)
National holiday Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun: Romanian(s)


adjective: Romanian
noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
Natural hazards earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
People - note - large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states
Pipelines crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992) gas 651 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Democratic Party or PD [Traian BASESCU]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Valeriu STOICA]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Adrian NASTASE], formerly known as the Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR 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 various human rights and professional associations NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders
Population 22,317,730 (July 2002 est.) 28,717,213 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 45% (2000) NA%
Population growth rate -0.21% (2002 est.) 3.38%


note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (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 7.2 million (1997) -
Railways total: 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)


standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge


broad gage: 60 km 1.524-m gauge


narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-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 Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 87%, Protestant 6.8%, Catholic 5.6%, other (mostly Muslim) 0.4%, unaffiliated 0.2% (2002) Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 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 (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Telephone system general assessment: poor domestic service, but improving


domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is mostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic cable; about one-third of exchange capacity is digital; roughly 3,300 villages have no service


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; new digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest; note - Romania is an active participant in several international telecommunication network projects (1999)
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 3.777 million (1997) 29,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 645,500 (1999) NA
Television broadcast stations 48 (plus 392 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 central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 1.35 children born/woman (2002 est.) 5.64 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 9.1% (2001) NA%
Waterways 1,724 km (1984) 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.