Country Facts - Afghanistan

The People

Nationality
Afghan(s)

Ethnic Composition

Pashtun	44%
Tajik	25%
Uzbek	8%
Hazara	10%
minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)	13%

Religious Composition

Sunni Muslim	84%
Shia Muslim	15%
Nonaffiliated and other	1%

Education and Literacy

The level of literacy in Afghanistan stands at only 31.5 percent due
to the ongoing violent conflict and the low level of education provided to women.

Labor Force

Total: 7,100,000
By occupation:

Services	10%
Industry	10%
Agriculture	80%

Geography

Land Mass Total

652,000 sq km

Land

652,000 sq km

Water

0 km

Land Boundaries

Total: 5,529 km

Border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km,
Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km

Coastline

0 km

Maritime claim

None

Climate/Weather

Arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers.

Terrain

Rugged mountains except for plains in north and southwest.

Elevation extremes

Lowest: Amu Darya 258 m
Highest: Nowshak 7,485 m

Natural Resources

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

Land use

Arable land	12%
Permanent crops	0%
Permanent pastures	0%
Forests and woodland	3%
Other	80%

(1998)

Natural hazards

Damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding with heavy rains.

Environment - current issues

Soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation as much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials; desertification

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)

Demographics

Population

27,755,775 (July 2002)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42% (male 5,953,291; female 5,706,542)
15-64 years: 55.2% (male 7,935,101; female 7,382,101)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 410,278; female 368,462) (2002)

Growth Rate

3.43%

Note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002)

Life Expectancy

46.6 years (2002)

Female: 45.85 years
Male: 47.32 years

GDP Per Capita

purchasing power parity
US$800 (2000)

Infant Mortality

144.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002)

Sex ratio

At birth:	1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years:	1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:	1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over:	1.11 male(s)/female
Total population:	1.06 male(s)/female

Net migration rate

10.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002)

Economy & Trade

Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on farming and livestock (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. 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; severe drought added to the nation's difficulties in 1998-2001. The majority of the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care, problems exacerbated by military operations and political uncertainties. Inflation remains a serious problem. Following the US-led coalition war that led to the defeat of the Taliban in November 2001 and the formulation of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) resulting from the December 2001 Bonn Agreement, International efforts to rebuild Afghanistan were addressed at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan Reconstruction in January 2002, when $4.5 billion was collected for a trust fund to be administered by the World Bank. Priority areas for reconstruction include the construction of education, health, and sanitation facilities, enhancement of administrative capacity, the development of the agricultural sector, and the rebuilding of road, energy, and telecommunication links. Although money has poured into the country, little progress has been forthcoming. Rival warlords and political infighting will keep foreign investors at bay for some time to come.

Unemployment

N/A% (2002)

Inflation Rate

N/A% (2002)

Industries

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

Exports

US$1.2 billion (2001)

Imports

US$1.3 billion (2001)

Total Trade

GDP US$230 million (1997)

Top Export Partners

Pakistan 32%, India 8%, Belgium 7%, Germany 5%, Russia 5%, UAE 4% (1999)

Top Import Partners

Pakistan 19%, Japan 16%, Kenya 9%, South Korea 7%, India 6%, Turkmenistan 6% (1999)

Top Exports

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

Top Imports

Capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer goods

Debt - external

$5.5 billion (1996)

Economic aid

International pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial institutions at the Tokyo Donors Conference for Afghan reconstruction in January 2002 reached $4.5 billion through 2006, with $1.8 billion allocated for 2002; according to a joint preliminary assessment conducted by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the UN Development Program, rebuilding Afghanistan will cost roughly $15 billion over the next ten years.

Fiscal Year:

21st of March through 20th of March

Business Workweek

	Saturday - Thursday (Islamic workweek)	Friday
Offices	Saturday to Wednesday 8a.m. to noon, 1p.m. to 4:30p.m. Thursday 8:30a.m. to 1p.m.	Friday Closed
Retail	Saturday to Wednesday 10a.m. to 8p.m. One-hour break at 1p.m. Some shops and restaurants maintain Sunday hours and close on Mondays Large open-air bazaars open from 8a.m. to 8p.m. during summer months. Thursday closed	Friday closed
Banks	Saturday to Wednesday 8a.m. to noon, 1p.m. to 4:30p.m. Thursday 8a.m. to 1:30p.m.	Friday Closed
Government	Monday to Friday 10a.m. to 6p.m.	Closed

All offices and businesses make allowances for Islamic prayer and holidays.
Note: These business hours are only guidelines for optimal conditions. The violent conflict in Afghanistan makes regular hours impossible. Businesses open when they can and sell what is on hand.

Holidays

Official Holidays

Holidays	2003	2004	2005
Islamic New Year (Hijra)¹	March 5	February 22	February 10
Noruz²	March 21 or 22	March 21 or 22	March 21 or 22
Loss of Muslim Nation	April 28	April 28	April 28
International Labor Day	May 1	May 1	May 1
Rememberance Day for Martyr's and Disabled	May 4	May 4	May 4
Birth of Mohammad (Mawlid an Nabi)³	May 14	May 2	April 21
Independence Day	August 19	August 19	August 19
Pashtoonistan Day	August 30	August 30	August 30
Ascent of the Prophet (Lailat al Miraj)*¹	September 24	September 12	September 1
Start of Ramadan*²	October 27	October 15	October 4
End of Ramadan (Id al Fitr)*³	November 26	November 14	November 3
Arafat Day	February 22	February 11	February 1
Festival of Sacrifice (Eid Al Adha)**¹	February 12	February 2	January 21

¹	The lunar Islamic Hijara calendar is made up of 12 months, each month alternating between 29 and 30 days per month, culminating in a total of 354 days a year. The Hijra calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and moves 11 days backward through the seasons each year.
²	The Persian New Year, that occurs on either March 21 or 22 of the vernal equinox.
³	The Birthday of the Prophet Mohammad is celebrated on the twelfth day in the month of Rabi'l of the Islamic calendar.
*¹	The Ascent of the Prophet Mohammad is celebrated on the twenty-seventh day in the month of Rajab of the Islamic calendar.
*²	Ramadan (the month of fasting) begins with the first appearance of the new moon in the ninth month of the lunar Islamic Hijra calendar, and lasts 30 days. Dates for the start of Ramadan will vary from country to country, depending on the first appearance of the moon.
*³	Feasting that officially marks the end of Ramadan, and commonly lasts for three days.
**¹	Culmination of the Haj or Holy Pilgrimage.

Country information used by permission of World Trade Press