Geography - note:
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)
People Afghanistan
Population:
29,928,987 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 44.7% (male 6,842,857/female 6,524,485)
15–64 years: 52.9% (male 8,124,077/female 7,713,603)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 353,193/female 370,772) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.56 years
male: 17.55 years
female: 17.57 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
4.77%
note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and
its continuing impact (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
47.02 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
20.75 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
21.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 163.07 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 167.79 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 158.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 42.9 years
male: 42.71 years
female: 43.1 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk countrywide below 2,000 meters from March through November animal contact disease: rabies (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan
Ethnic groups:
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%,
Baloch 2%, other 4%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%
Languages:
Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashtu (official) 35%,
Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor
languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 36%
male: 51%
female: 21% (1999 est.)
People - note:
of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3 million
have returned
Government Afghanistan
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan
Government type:
Islamic republic
Capital:
Kabul
Administrative divisions:
34 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,
Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Daykondi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr,
Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar,
Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan,
Paktia, Paktika, Panjshir, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar,
Vardak, and Zabol
Independence:
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Constitution:
new constitution drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004; signed
16 January 2004
Legal system:
according to the new constitution, no law should be "contrary to
Islam"; the state is obliged to create a prosperous and progressive
society based on social justice, protection of human dignity,
protection of human rights, realization of democracy, and to ensure
national unity and equality among all ethnic groups and tribes; the
state shall abide by the UN charter, international treaties,
international conventions that Afghanistan signed, and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government; former King ZAHIR Shah
holds the honorific, "Father of the Country," and presides
symbolically over certain occasions, but lacks any governing
authority; the honorific is not hereditary
head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); note - the president is both
chief of state and head of government
cabinet: 27 ministers; note - under the new constitution, ministers
are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly
elections: the president and two vice presidents are elected by
direct vote for a five-year term; if no candidate receives 50% or
more of the vote in the first round of voting,