Afghanistan

1. Land area:

652,230 sq km 2. Highest point: Noshak 7,485 m 3. Percent of country arable land: 12.13%4. Climate features: arid to semiarid; cold winters and

hot summers5. A list of natural resources: natural gas, petroleum,

coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

6. Total renewable water resources: 65 cu km (1997)7. Population: 28,395,7168. Population Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.6% 15-64 years: 54% 65 years and over: 2.4% 9. Birth rate/1000: 38.37 births/1,000 population10. Death rate/1000: 17.83 deaths/1,000 population11. Sex ratio /100: 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: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female

12. Infant mortality rate /1000 live births: total: 153.14 deaths/1,000 live births male: 156.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 149.15 deaths/1,000 live births

13. Life Expectancy at birth: total population: 44.4 years male: 44.19 years female: 44.61 years

14. Fertility Rate: 5.5 children born/woman15. HIV infection Rate: 0.01%16. Literacy Rate: total population: 28.1%

male: 43.1% female: 12.6%

17. Government type: Islamic republic18. Capital city: Kabul19. Administrative divisions: 34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan,

Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul

20. Legal system type: based on mixed civil and sharia law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

21. Leader or President: Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004)22. Type of political party in power: 23. Type of government system: 24. Industries: small-scale production of textiles,

soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food-products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper

25. GDP per capita: $1,00026. Labor force by sector: 15 million27. Unemployment rate: 35% 28. Percentage below poverty line: 36%29. Inflation rate: 30.5%30. Public debt: $2.7 billion (2008) 31. Oil production: 0 bbl/day32. Oil consumption: 5,000 bbl/day33. Oil reserves: 0 bbl34. Export commodities: opium, fruits and nuts,

handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

35. Export partners: US 26.47%, India 23.09%, Pakistan 17.36%, Tajikistan 12.51%

36. Import commodities: machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

37. Import partners: Pakistan 26.78%, US 24.81%, India 5.15%, Germany 5.06%, Russia 4.04%

38. Economic Aid: 39. Currency used: afghani (AFA)40. Cellular telephones in use: 8.45 million41. Telephone lines (land lines): 460,00042. Internet users: 500,00043. Kilometers of paved and unpaved road: paved: 12,350 km

unpaved: 29,800 km44. Kilometers of railway: less than 25 km45. Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP: 1.9% of GDP