ABOUT AFGHANISTAN:

Afghanistan


Officially Islamic State of Afghanistan
Country, south-central Asia.
Area: 251,825 sq mi (652,225 sq km). Population (2002 est.: 27,756,000). Capital: Kabul. About two-fifths of the people belong to the Pashtun ethnic group; other ethnic groups include Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Ḥazāra. Languages: Pashto, Persian (both official). Religion: Islam (official). Currency: afghani. Afghanistan has three distinctive regions: the northern plains are the major agricultural area; the southwestern plateau consists primarily of desert and semiarid landscape; the central highlands, including the Hindu Kush, separates these regions. Afghanistan has a developing economy based largely on agriculture; its significant mineral resources remain largely untapped because of the Afghan War of the 1980s and subsequent fighting. Traditional handicrafts remain important; woolen carpets are a major export. The area was part of the Persian Achaemenian Empire in the 6th century BC and was conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. Hindu influence entered with the Hephthalites andSāsānians; Islam became entrenched during the rule of the Ṣaffārids, с AD 870. Afghanistan was divided between the Mughal Empire of India and the Safavid empire of Persia until the 18th century, when other Persians under Nādir Shah took control. Britain fought several wars in the area in the 19th century. From the 1930s the country had a stable monarchy, which was overthrown in the 1970s. Marxist reforms sparked rebellion, and Soviet troops invaded. Afghan guerrillas prevailed, and the Soviets withdrew in 1989. In 1992 rebel factions overthrew the government and established an Islamic republic. In 1996 the Taliban militia took power and enforced a harsh Islamic order. The militia's unwillingness to extradite extremist leader Osama bin Laden and members of his al-Qaeda organization following theSeptember 11 attacks in 2001 led to military conflict with the U.S. and allied nations, the overthrow of the Taliban, and the establishment of an interim government.

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 live mines.

STATISTICAL DATA:

Official Name:

Islamic State of Afghanistan

National Name:
Dawlat Islami Afghanistan

Location:
Southern Asia, north of Pakistan

Population:
22,664,136

Area:
250,000 sq. mi.; 647,500 sq. km

Capital:
Kabul

Monetary Unit:
Afghani

Major Cities:
Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazare Sharif

Languages:
Pushtu, Dari Persian, other Turkic and minor languages

Religions:
Islam

Neighboring Countries:
Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, Pakistan


Conventional long form: Islamic State of Afghanistan
Local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan
Local short form: Afghanestan
Former: Republic of Afghanistan
Area : 652,262 sq.km.
Population : 25,824,882
Capital : Kabul
Currency : Afghani, Pul
Ethnic Group : Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Mongolian, Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch

Language : Pashto, Dari (Farsi), Afghan Persian, Turkic (Uzbek, Turkmen), Baluchi, Pashai, Pahlawi, Bilingualism

National Day (y/m/d) : 4/27 (Victory of the Muslim Nation); 5/4 (Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled); 8/19 (Independence Day)

Independent Day : 1919/8/19 (From UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

Continent : Asia

Religion : Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim, Norestan

The nomadic population in Afghanistan was estimated to be about 2.5 million people. During the war with the Soviets the number of Afghan refugees outside the country escalated dramatically, with as many as 2.5 million to 3 million refugees in Pakistan and another 1.5 million in Iran. About 150,000 Afghans were able to migrate permanently to other countries, including the United States, Australia, and various European countries.

Afghanistan divided in 32 Provinces :

Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar,Nangarhar, Nimrozi, Norestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol

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 1999, 1.2 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. 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. The economic situation did not improve in 1998-99, as 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 1999, and narcotics trafficking is a major source of revenue.