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Compare Turkmenistan (2001) - Afghanistan (2001)

Compare Turkmenistan (2001) z Afghanistan (2001)

 Turkmenistan (2001)Afghanistan (2001)
 TurkmenistanAfghanistan
Administrative divisions 5 welayatlar (singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty (formerly Tashauz), Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), Mary Welayaty

note:
administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
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:
37.88% (male 891,758; female 852,104)

15-64 years:
58.09% (male 1,313,303; female 1,360,690)

65 years and over:
4.03% (male 70,800; female 114,589) (2001 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 cotton, grain; livestock opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, karakul pelts
Airports 76 (2000 est.) 45 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
13

2,438 to 3,047 m:
9

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4 (2000 est.)
total:
10

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2

under 914 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
63

2,438 to 3,047 m:
7

1,524 to 2,437 m:
5

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
41 (2000 est.)
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:
488,100 sq km

land:
488,100 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total:
647,500 sq km

land:
647,500 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than California slightly smaller than Texas
Background Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1925. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not tolerated. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects can be worked out. 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 28.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues:
$588.6 million

expenditures:
$658.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Ashgabat Kabul
Climate subtropical desert arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Coastline 0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution adopted 18 May 1992 none
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Turkmenistan

local long form:
none

local short form:
Turkmenistan

former:
Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
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 Turkmen manat (TMM) afghani (AFA)
Death rate 8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $2.5 billion (2000 est.) $5.5 billion (1996 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Steven R. MANN

embassy:
9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000

mailing address:
use embassy street address

telephone:
[9] (9312) 35-00-45

FAX:
[9] (9312) 51-13-05
the US embassy in Kabul has been closed since January 1989 due to security concerns
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Mered ORAZOV

chancery:
2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 588-1500

FAX:
[1] (202) 588-0697
none; note - embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997

consulate(s) general:
New York
Disputes - international Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions; question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN
Economic aid - recipient $27.2 million (1995) 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 Turkmenistan is largely desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and huge gas (fifth largest reserves in the world) and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it the world's tenth largest producer. Until the end of 1993, Turkmenistan had experienced less economic disruption than other former Soviet states because its economy received a boost from higher prices for oil and gas and a sharp increase in hard currency earnings. In 1994, Russia's refusal to export Turkmen gas to hard currency markets and mounting debts of its major customers in the former USSR for gas deliveries contributed to a sharp fall in industrial production and caused the budget to shift from a surplus to a slight deficit. With an authoritarian ex-communist regime in power and a tribally based social structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient economy. Privatization goals remain limited. In 1998-2000, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate export routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total exports rose sharply because of higher international oil and gas prices. Prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread internal poverty and the burden of foreign debt. IMF assistance would seem to be necessary, yet the government is not as yet ready to accept IMF requirements. Turkmenistan's 1999 deal to ship 20 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas through Russia's Gazprom pipeline helped alleviate the 2000 fiscal shortfall. Inadequate fiscal restraint and the tenuous nature of Turkmenistan's 2001 gas deals, combined with a lack of economic reform, will limit progress in the near term. 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 4.785 billion kWh (1999) 480.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 4.1 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 1.1 billion kWh (1999) 90 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 8.371 billion kWh (1999) 420 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
99.94%

hydro:
0.06%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel:
35.71%

hydro:
64.29%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Vpadina Akchanaya -81.00 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)

highest point:
Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
lowest point:
Amu Darya 258 m

highest point:
Nowshak 7,485 m
Environment - current issues contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification
Environment - international agreements party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, 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 Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.1% (1995) Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6%
Exchange rates Turkmen manats per US dollar - 5,200 (January 2001), 5,200 (January 2000), 5,350 (January 1999), 4,070 (January 1997), 2,400 (January 1996) 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 and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president

note:
NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28 December 1999 by the Assembly (Majlis) during a session of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty)

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1992 (next scheduled to be held NA); note - President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president for life by the Assembly on 28 December 1999); deputy chairmen of the cabinet of ministers are appointed by the president

election results:
Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%
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 $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.)
Exports - commodities gas 33%, oil 30%, cotton fiber 18%, textiles 8% (1999) opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners Ukraine, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe 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 - $19.6 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
25%

industry:
43%

services:
32% (1999 est.)
agriculture:
53%

industry:
28.5%

services:
18.5% (1990)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 16% (2000 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 40 00 N, 60 00 E 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Geography - note landlocked landlocked
Heliports - 3 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
22,000 km

paved:
18,000 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)

unpaved:
4,000 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1996)
total:
21,000 km

paved:
2,793 km

unpaved:
18,207 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
2.6%

highest 10%:
31.7% (1998)
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs limited illicit cultivator of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe; also a transshipment point for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan 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 $1.65 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.) $150 million (1996 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999) capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods
Imports - partners Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Germany, US, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Germany
Independence 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union) 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Industrial production growth rate 18% (2000 est.) -
Industries natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
Infant mortality rate 73.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 14% (2000 est.) NA%
International organization participation AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, 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, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) NA 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 13,000 sq km (1993 est.) 30,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) upper courts were non-functioning as of March 1995 (local Shari'a or Islamic law courts are functioning throughout the country)
Labor force 2.34 million (1996) 10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 44%, industry 19%, services 37% (1996) agriculture 70%, industry 15%, services 15% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries total:
3,736 km

border countries:
Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 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:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
63%

forests and woodland:
8%

other:
26% (1993 est.)
arable land:
12%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
46%

forests and woodland:
3%

other:
39% (1993 est.)
Languages Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7% 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 civil law system a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law)
Legislative branch under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (more than 100 seats, some of which are elected by popular vote and some of which are appointed; meets infrequently) and a unicameral Assembly or Majlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
People's Council - NA; Assembly - last held 12 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results:
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - all 50 elected officials preapproved by President NIYAZOV; most are from the DPT
non-functioning as of June 1993
Life expectancy at birth total population:
61 years

male:
57.43 years

female:
64.76 years (2001 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:
98%

male:
99%

female:
97% (1989 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
31.5%

male:
47.2%

female:
15% (1999 est.)
Location Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Map references Commonwealth of Independent States Asia
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,459 GRT/8,865 DWT

ships by type:
container 1 (2000 est.)
-
Military branches Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard 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 $90 million (FY99) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.4% (FY99) NA%
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
1,173,500 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
6,645,023 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
952,218 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
3,561,957 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age 22 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
48,292 (2001 est.)
males:
252,869 (2001 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 27 October (1991) Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Nationality noun:
Turkmen(s)

adjective:
Turkmen
noun:
Afghan(s)

adjective:
Afghan
Natural hazards NA damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Net migration rate -1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand; natural gas 180 km
Political parties and leaders Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]

note:
formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries
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 4,603,244 (July 2001 est.) 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 58% (1999 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 1.85% (2001 est.) 3.48% (2001 est.)

note:
this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran
Ports and harbors Turkmenbashi Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Radio broadcast stations AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pushtu, Dari, Urdu, and English) (1999)
Radios 1.225 million (1997) 167,000 (1999)
Railways total:
2,187 km

broad gauge:
2,187 km 1.520-m gauge (1996 est.)
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 Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2% 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:
0.62 male(s)/female

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 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:
poorly developed

domestic:
NA

international:
linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat
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 363,000 (1997) 29,000 (1996)

note:
there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998
Telephones - mobile cellular 4,300 (1998) NA
Television broadcast stations 3 (much programming relayed from Russia and Turkey) (1997) 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 flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Total fertility rate 3.58 children born/woman (2001 est.) 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan 1,200 km

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