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Compare Saint Helena (2003) - Afghanistan (2002)

Compare Saint Helena (2003) z Afghanistan (2002)

 Saint Helena (2003)Afghanistan (2002)
 Saint HelenaAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha* 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: 18.9% (male 704; female 685)


15-64 years: 71.6% (male 2,732; female 2,545)


65 years and over: 9.5% (male 309; female 392) (2003 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 corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha) wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin
Airports 1 (2002) 46 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 10 10


over 3,047 m: 3 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 2


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 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: 410 sq km


land: 410 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Saint Helena Island, Ascension, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha, which consists of Tristan da Cunha Island, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three Nightingale Islands
total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Texas
Background Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Ascension Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Gough Island has a meteorological station. 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 12.9 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 41.03 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $11.2 million


expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Jamestown Kabul
Climate Saint Helena - tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds; Tristan da Cunha - temperate; marine, mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena) arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 60 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 1 January 1989 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: none


conventional short form: Saint Helena
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 Saint Helenian pound (SHP) afghani (AFA)
Death rate 6.24 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 17.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $NA $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 - recipient $12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997) 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 economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK. 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 4.65 million kWh (2001) 453.75 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 105 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 5 million kWh (2001) 375 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel: 36%


hydro: 64%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues NA 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: 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 African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25% Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%
Exchange rates Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY (since NA October 2003)


cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch
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 NA (2001) $1.2 billion (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners US 23.7%, Japan 20.5%, Netherlands 16%, Tanzania 15.4%, Spain 6.4%, UK 5.1%, Indonesia 4.5% (2002) Pakistan 32%, India 8%, Belgium 7%, Germany 5%, Russia 5%, UAE 4% (1999)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 21 March - 20 March
Flag description blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship 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 - $18 million (1998 est.) purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% NA%
Geographic coordinates 15 56 S, 5 42 W 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns 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: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)


paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km)


unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2000)
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 NA (2001) $1.3 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners UK 47.6%, Tanzania 14.6%, Italy 12.1%, South Africa 10.9%, US 5.3% (2002) Pakistan 19%, Japan 16%, Kenya 9%, South Korea 7%, India 6%, Turkmenistan 6% (1999)
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate NA% -
Industries construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate total: 20.7 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 24.66 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 16.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
144.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.2% (1997 est.) NA%
International organization participation ICFTU 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) 1 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court the Bonn Agreement calls for the establishment of a Supreme Court
Labor force 3,500


note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.) agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (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: 12.9%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 87.1% (1998 est.)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
Languages English 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 NA 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 Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, 3 ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 27 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15
nonfunctioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.38 years


male: 74.49 years


female: 80.42 years (2003 est.)
total population: 46.6 years


male: 47.32 years


female: 45.85 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 20 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97%


female: 98% (1987 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 36%


male: 51%


female: 21% (1999 est.)
Location islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Africa Asia
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) -
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK -
Military branches - 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 - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA%
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 6,896,623 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 3,696,379 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 22 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 252,869 (2002 est.)
National holiday Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun: Saint Helenian(s)


adjective: Saint Helenian
noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
Natural hazards active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources fish 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.) 10.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
People - note - large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states
Pipelines - natural gas 180 km


note: product pipelines from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have been in disrepair and disuse for years (2002)
Political parties and leaders none 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 none NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders
Population 7,367 (July 2003 est.) 27,755,775 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 0.67% (2003 est.) 3.43%


note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (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 - 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 (2001)
Religions Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 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 NA years of age NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Telephone system general assessment: can communicate worldwide


domestic: automatic network


international: HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascensionm, which is a major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: very limited telephone and telegraph service


domestic: in 1997, telecommunications links were established between Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul through satellite and microwave systems


international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) linked only to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); commercial satellite telephone center in Ghazni
Telephones - main lines in use 2,000 (1997) 29,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1997) NA
Television broadcast stations 0


note: television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002)
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 Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains


note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 1.54 children born/woman (2003 est.) 5.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 14% (1998 est.) NA%
Waterways none 1,200 km


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