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Compare Sudan (2002) - Afghanistan (2002)

Compare Sudan (2002) z Afghanistan (2002)

 Sudan (2002)Afghanistan (2002)
 SudanAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 26 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrat, Al Jazirah, Al Khartum, Al Qadarif, Al Wahdah, An Nil al Abyad, An Nil al Azraq, Ash Shamaliyah, Bahr al Jabal, Gharb al Istiwa'iyah, Gharb Bahr al Ghazal, Gharb Darfur, Gharb Kurdufan, Janub Darfur, Janub Kurdufan, Junqali, Kassala, Nahr an Nil, Shamal Bahr al Ghazal, Shamal Darfur, Shamal Kurdufan, Sharq al Istiwa'iyah, Sinnar, Warab 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: 44.2% (male 8,385,554; female 8,023,847)


15-64 years: 53.6% (male 9,945,683; female 9,933,383)


65 years and over: 2.2% (male 447,214; female 354,617) (2002 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 cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin
Airports 65 (2001) 46 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 12


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (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: 51 53


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 26


under 914 m: 17 11 (2002)
total: 37 35


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 13


914 to 1,523 m: 14 4


under 914 m: 4 11 (2002)
Area total: 2,505,810 sq km


land: 2.376 million sq km


water: 129,810 sq km
total: 647,500 sq km


land: 647,500 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US slightly smaller than Texas
Background Military dictatorships favoring an Islamic-oriented government have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war for all but 10 years of this period (1972-82). Since 1983, the war and war- and famine-related effects have led to more than 2 million deaths and over 4 million people displaced. The war pits the Arab/Muslim majority in Khartoum against the non-Muslim African rebels in the south. Since 1989, traditional northern Muslim parties have made common cause with the southern rebels and entered the war as a part of an anti-government alliance. 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 37.21 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 41.03 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.6 billion


expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Khartoum Kabul
Climate tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October) arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 853 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR 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: Republic of the Sudan


conventional short form: Sudan


local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan


local short form: As-Sudan


former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
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 Sudanese dinar (SDD) afghani (AFA)
Death rate 9.81 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 17.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $24.9 billion (2000 est.) $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US For security reasons, US officials at the US Embassy in Khartoum were relocated in February 1996 to the US Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Cairo, Egypt, from where they make regular visits to Khartoum; the US Embassy in Khartoum is located on Sharia Abdul Latif Avenue; mailing address - P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829; telephone - [249] (11) 774611 or 774700; FAX - [249] (11) 774137; the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya is located in the Interim Office Building on Mombasa Road, Nairobi; mailing address - P. O. Box 30137, Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831; telephone - [254] (2) 751613; FAX - [254] (2) 743204; the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt is located at (North Gate) 8, Kamel El-Din Salah Street, Garden City, Cairo; mailing address - Unit 64900, APO AE 09839-4900; telephone - [20] (2) 3557371; FAX - [20] (2) 3573200 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 (vacant); Charge D'Affairs, Ad Interim Khidir Haroun AHMED (since April 2001)


chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565


FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
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 Sudan agrees in 2002 to demarcate whole boundary with Ethiopia; Egypt and Sudan each claim to administer triangular areas which extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel (the north "Hala'ib Triangle" is the largest with 20,580 sq km); in 2001, the two states agreed to discuss an "area of integration" and withdraw military forces in the overlapping areas; since colonial times, Kenya's administrative boundary has extended beyond its treaty boundary into Sudan creating the "Ilemi Triangle" close ties with Pashtuns in Pakistan make long border difficult to control
Economic aid - recipient $187 million (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 Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces formidable economic problems. Starting in 1997 Sudan began implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms that have successfully stabilized inflation. In 1999 Sudan began exporting crude oil and in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate. Current oil production stands at 220,000 barrels per day, of which some 70% is exported and the rest refined mostly for domestic consumption. Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded export processing zones should maintain GDP growth at 5% in 2002. Agriculture production remains Sudan's most important sector, employing 80% of the work force and contributing 43% of GDP, but most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Sudan is also constrained by its limited access to international credit; most of Sudan's $24.9 billion debt remains in arrears. The civil war, chronic instability, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years. 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 1,832.1 million kWh (2000) 453.75 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 105 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 1.97 billion kWh (2000) 375 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 49%


hydro: 51%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel: 36%


hydro: 64%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Red Sea 0 m


highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection


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 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1% Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%
Exchange rates Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 261.44 (January 2002), 258.70 (2001), 257.12 (2000), 252.55 (1999), 200.80 (1998), 157.57 (1997) 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 Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR (since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR (since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates BASHIR's cabinet


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 13-23 December 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)


election results: Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president; percent of vote - Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received less than a combined 4% of the vote; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of guarantees for a free and fair poll


note: BASHIR assumed supreme executive power in 1989 and retained it through several transitional governments in the early and mid-90s before being popularly elected for the first time in March 1996
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 $2.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) $1.2 billion (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities oil and petroleum products, cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners Japan 25%, China 19%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Germany 4%, (2000) Pakistan 32%, India 8%, Belgium 7%, Germany 5%, Russia 5%, UAE 4% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side 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 - $49.3 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 43%


industry: 17%


services: 40% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 60%


industry: 20%


services: 20% (1990 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,360 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.5% (2001 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 15 00 N, 30 00 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries 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 2 (2002) 5 (2002)
Highways total: 11,900 km


paved: 4,320 km


unpaved: 7,580 km (1996)
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 $1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) $1.3 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners China 12%, Saudi Arabia 10%, UK 10%, Germany 7% (2000) Pakistan 19%, Japan 16%, Kenya 9%, South Korea 7%, India 6%, Turkmenistan 6% (1999)
Independence 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate 8.5% (1999 est.) -
Industries oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate 67.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 144.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (2001 est.) NA%
International organization participation ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) 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) 2 (2002) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 19,500 sq km (1998 est.) 23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts the Bonn Agreement calls for the establishment of a Supreme Court
Labor force 11 million (1996 est.) 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 est.) agriculture 80%, industry 10%, services 10% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total: 7,687 km


border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 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: 7.03%


permanent crops: 0.08%


other: 92.89% (1998 est.)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 0.22%


other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
Languages Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English


note: program of "Arabization" in process
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 English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations 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 National Assembly (360 seats; 270 popularly elected, 90 elected by supra assembly of interest groups known as National Congress; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004)


election results: NCP 355, others 5


note: on 12 December 1999, BASHIR dismissed the National Assembly during an internal power struggle between the president and the speaker of the National Assembly Hassan al-TURABI
nonfunctioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population: 57.33 years


male: 56.22 years


female: 58.5 years (2002 est.)
total population: 46.6 years


male: 47.32 years


female: 45.85 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 46.1%


male: 57.7%


female: 34.6% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 36%


male: 51%


female: 21% (1999 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Africa Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 18 NM


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


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 39,545 GRT/51,195 DWT


ships by type: cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.)
-
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force Militia 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 $581 million (2001 est.) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.5% (1999) NA%
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 8,739,982 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 6,896,623 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 5,380,917 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 3,696,379 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) 22 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 398,294 (2002 est.) males: 252,869 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 1 January (1956) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)


adjective: Sudanese
noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan
Natural hazards dust storms and periodic persistent droughts damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
People - note - large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring states
Pipelines refined products 815 km natural gas 180 km


note: product pipelines from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have been in disrepair and disuse for years (2002)
Political parties and leaders the government allows political "associations" under a 1998 law revised in 2000; to obtain government approval parties must accept the constitution and refrain from advocating or using violence against the regime; approved parties include the National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR], Popular National Congress or PNC [Hassan al-TURABI], and over 20 minor, pro-government parties NA; note - political parties in Afghanistan are in flux and many prominent players have plans to create new parties; the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) is headed by President Hamid Karzai; the TISA is a coalition government formed of leaders from across the Afghan political spectrum; there are also several "independent" groups
Political pressure groups and leaders National Congress Party [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR]; Popular National Congress [Hassan al-TURABI]; Umma [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Democratic Unionist Party [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI]; National Democratic Alliance [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI, chairman]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army [Dr. John GARANG] NA; note - ministries formed under the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) include former influential Afghans, diaspora members, and former political leaders
Population 37,090,298 (July 2002 est.) 27,755,775 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.73% (2002 est.) 3.43%


note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal, Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (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 7.55 million (1997) 167,000 (1999)
Railways total: 5,995 km


narrow gauge: 4,595 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge plantation line


note: the 1.067-m line from Khartoum to Port Sudan carries over two-thirds of Sudan's rail traffic; the 0.600-m gauge system serves Sudan's cotton plantations with over 120 collecting stations (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 Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum) 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: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.26 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 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 (2002 est.)
Suffrage 17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Telephone system general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially


domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations


international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)
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 400,000 (2000) 29,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 20,000 (2000) NA
Television broadcast stations 3 (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 generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 5.22 children born/woman (2002 est.) 5.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 18.7% (2002 est.) NA%
Waterways 5,310 km 1,200 km


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