Afghanistan

Islamic State of Afghanistan

transitional governmentIndependence 19 August 1919 (from UK)

Afghanistan as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalKabul

Area647,500 km2

LocationSouth Asia, between Iran and Pakistan

Populationas each edition published it

16.49 million July 1993 est. · 15.86m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.45% 1993 est. · 2.86% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

44.41 years 1993 est. · 54.4 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.34 children per woman 1993 est. · 6.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

158.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 154 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$200 1989 est. · $2,000 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 29% in 2004

Corrected. The 1993 edition's notes and definitions, abbreviations and appendices were attached by the source parser to the first entry in the file, Afghanistan, between its Communications and Defense Forces sections. All corrections

Geography

South Asia, between Iran and Pakistan

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Land useshare of 647,500 km2

arable land 12%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 46%forest and woodland 3%other 39%irrigated 26,600 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

647,500km2

land area: 647,500 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Land boundaries

5,529km

total · China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km

Location

South Asia, between Iran and Pakistan

Map references

Asia, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights;
Iran supports clients in country, private Pakistani and Saudi sources may also be active;
power struggles among various groups for control of Kabul, regional rivalries among emerging warlords, traditional tribal disputes continue;
support to Islamic fighters in Tajikistan's civil war;
border dispute with Pakistan (Durand Line)

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, talc, barites, sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Environment

damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; soil degradation, desertification, overgrazing, deforestation, pollution, flooding

Note

landlocked

People

14 fields

Population

16,494,145

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.45% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

43.83Death

19.33Net migration

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years44.41

45.09 · 43.71

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy29%

44% · 14%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 84%Shi'a Muslim 15%other 1%

Labor force

4.98million

by occupation: agriculture and animal husbandry 67.8%, industry 10.2%, construction 6.3%, commerce 5.0%, services and other 10.7% (1980 est.)

Infant mortality rate

158.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.34 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Afghan(s)
adjective:: Afghan

Ethnic divisions

Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)

Languages

Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Government

Transitional government

21 fields

Names

conventional long form:: Islamic State of Afghanistan
conventional short form:: Afghanistan
former:: Republic of Afghanistan

Digraph

Type

transitional government

Capital

Kabul

Administrative divisions

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 a new province of Nurestan (Nuristan)

Independence

19 August 1919 (from UK)

Constitution

the old Communist-era constitution has been suspended; a new Islamic constitution has yet to be ratified

Legal system

a new legal system has not been adopted but the transitional government has declared it will follow Islamic law (Shari'a)

National holiday

Victory of the Muslim Nation, 28 April;
Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled, 4 May;
Independence Day, 19 August

Political parties and leaders

current political organizations include
- Jamiat-i-Islami (Islamic Society),
- Burhanuddin RABBANI,
- Ahmad Shah MASOOD
;
Hizbi Islami-Gulbuddin (Islamic Party), Gulbuddin HIKMATYAR faction;
Hizbi Islami-Khalis (Islamic Party) Yunis KHALIS faction;
Ittihad-i-Islami Barai Azadi Afghanistan (Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan), Abdul Rasul SAYYAF;
Harakat-Inqilab-i-Islami (Islamic Revolutionary Movement), Mohammad Nabi MOHAMMADI;
Jabha-i-Najat-i-Milli Afghanistan (Afghanistan National Liberation Front), Sibghatullah MOJADDEDI;
Mahaz-i-Milli-Islami (National Islamic Front), Sayed Ahamad GAILANI;
Hizbi Wahdat (Islamic Unity Party), Abdul Ali MAZARI;
Harakat-i-Islami (Islamic Movement), Mohammed Asif MOHSENI;
a new northern organization consisting of resistance and former regional figures is Jonbesh-i-Milli Islami (National Islamic Movement), Rashid DOSTUM

note: the former ruling Watan Party has been disbanded

Other political or pressure groups

the former resistance commanders are the major power brokers in the countryside;
shuras (councils) of commanders are now administering most cities outside Kabul;
ulema (religious scholars);
tribal elders

Suffrage

undetermined; previously universal, male ages 15-50

Elections

President: last held NA December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1994); results - Burhanuddin RABBANI was elected to a two-year term by a national shura

Executive branch

president, prime minister; Afghan leaders are still in the process of choosing a cabinet (May 1993)

Legislative branch

a unicameral parliament consisting of 205 members was chosen by the shura in January 1993; non-functioning as of June 1993

Judicial branch

an interim Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has been appointed, but a new court system has not yet been organized

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Burhanuddin RABBANI (since 2 January 1993);
First Vice President Mohammad NABI Mohammadi (since NA);
First Vice President Mohammad SHAH Fazli (since NA)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister-designate Gulbaddin HIKMATYAR (since NA);
Deputy Prime Minister Sulayman GAILANI (since NA);
Deputy Prime Minister Din MOHAMMAD (since NA);
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad SHAH Ahmadzai (since NA)

Member of

AsDB (has previously been a member of), CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Abdul RAHIM
chancery:: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 234-3770 or 3771

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: (vacant)
embassy:: Ansari Wat, Wazir Akbar Khan Mina, Kabul
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: 62230 through 62235 or 62436

note: US Embassy in Kabul was closed in January 1989

Flag

a new flag of unknown description reportedly has been adopted;
previous flag consisted of three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green, with the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands;
similar to the flag of Malawi, which is shorter and bears a radiant, rising red sun centered in the black band

Economy

Fundamentally, Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly | dependent on farming (wheat especially) and livestock raising (sheep and | goats).

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GDP per capita, PPP

$200

(1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

90%

over · (1991 est.)

External debt

$2.3billion

(March 1991 est.)

Overview

Fundamentally, Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on farming (wheat especially) and livestock raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during more than 13 years of war, including the nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February 1989). Over the past decade, one-third of the population fled the country, with Pakistan sheltering more than 3 million refugees and Iran about 1.3 million.

Another 1 million probably moved into and around urban areas within Afghanistan. Although reliable data are unavailable, gross domestic product is lower than 12 years ago because of the loss of labor and capital and the disruption of trade and transport.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3 billion (1989 est.)

National product real growth rate

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Budget

revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exports

$236 million (f.o.b., FY91 est.)

commodities:: natural gas 55%, fruits and nuts 24%, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides, and pelts
partners:: former USSR, Pakistan

Imports

$874 million (c.i.f., FY91 est.)

commodities:: food and petroleum products
partners:: former USSR, Pakistan

Electricity

480,000 kW capacity; 1,000 million kWh produced, 60 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement;
handwoven carpets;
natural gas, oil, coal, copper

Agriculture

largely subsistence farming and nomadic animal husbandry; cash products - wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts, wool, mutton

Illicit drugs

an illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade;
world's second-largest opium producer (after Burma) and a major source of hashish

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $510 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $57 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $4.1 billion;
net official Western disbursements (1985-89), $270 million

Currency

1 afghani (AF) = 100 puls

Exchange rates

afghanis (Af) per US$1 - 1,019 (March 1993), 900 (November 1991), 850 (1991), 700 (1989-90), 220 (1988-89);
note - these rates reflect the free market exchange rates rather than the official exchange rates

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March

Communications

7 fields

Networkskm

Highways

21,000Railroads

9.6

Highways: (1984); 2,800 km hard surface, 1,650 km bituminous-treated gravel and improved earth, 16,550 km unimproved earth and tracks · Railroads: (single track) 1.524-meter gauge from Kushka (Turkmenistan) to Towraghondi and 15.0 km from Termez (Uzbekistan) to Kheyrabad transshipment point on south bank of Amu Darya

total:: 41
usable:: 36
with permanent-surface runways:: 9
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 11
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 16

Telecommunications

limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast services;
television introduced in 1980;
31,200 telephones;
broadcast stations - 5 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
1 satellite earth station

Defense Forces

3 fields

Branches

the military still does not yet exist on a national scale;
some elements of the former Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Forces, National Police Force (Sarandoi), and tribal militias remain intact

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 4,094,481;
fit for military service 2,196,136;
reach military age (22) annually 153,333 (1993 est.)

Defense expenditures

the new government has not yet adopted a defense budget

Central Intelligence Agency. “Afghanistan.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/afghanistan/1993.

How to cite ← 1992 edition 1994 edition →