| Country (long form) |
Islamic State of Afghanistan |
| Capital |
Kabul |
| Total Area |
251,738.61 sq mi
652,000.00 sq km
(slightly smaller than Texas) |
| Population |
25,838,797 (July 2000 est.) |
| Estimated Population in 2050 |
67,224,578 |
| Languages |
Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages
(primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and
Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism |
| Literacy |
31.5% total, 47.2% male, 15% female (1999 est.) |
| Religions |
Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% |
| Life Expectancy |
46.62 male, 45.1 female (2000 est.) |
| Government Type |
no functioning central government, administered by
factions |
| Currency |
1 afghani (AF) = 100 puls |
| GDP (per capita) |
$800 (1999 est.) |
| Labor Force (by occupation) |
agriculture 68%, industry 16%, services 16% (1980 est.) |
| Industry |
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture,
shoes, fertilizer, and cement; hand-woven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal
and copper |
| Agriculture |
opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts; wool,
mutton |
| Arable Land |
12% |
| Exports |
opium, fruits and nuts, hand-woven carpets, wool,
cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semiprecious gems |
| Imports |
capital goods, food and petroleum products; most
consumer goods |
| Natural Resources |
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc,
barites, sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious
stones |
| Current Environmental Issues |
soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of
the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials);
desertification |
| Telephones (main lines in use) |
31,200 (1983);
note - there were 21,000 main lines in use in Kabul in 1998 |
|