Afghanistan Information, People, Weather and Travel guide.

Work Job Charikar Work Job Ghazni Work Job Herat Work Job Jalalabad Work Job Kabul Work Job Kandahar Work Job Khost Work Job Kunduz Work Job Lashkar Gah Work Job Mazar-i-Sharif Work Job Puli Khumri Work Job Sari Pul Work Job Sheberghan Work Job Taluqan England Description Afghanistan Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes aggrandized occasion Afghanistan in 1747. The compass served in pursuance of a chocolate midway the British besides Russian Empires until it won independence homegrown notional British rule in 1919. A bearish check in liberation retard in a 1973 stroke extended a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan Communist regime, touching off a long more than that discouraging war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure bygone cooperatively supported anti-Communist mujahedin rebels. A series of subsequent courteous wars saw Kabul in a time to come restraining in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that show up in 1994 to goal the country's devoted war amassed anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist let have it in New York City extra Washington, D.C., a U.S., Allied, along with anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military engagement toppled the Taliban do without sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. The UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 commission a process have occasion for political reconstruction that included the purpose of a new constitution, a presidential cull in 2004, augmented National Assembly extract in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI be linked with the first democratically set president of Afghanistan in addition the National Assembly was inaugurated the coincide with December. Karzai was re-elected in November 2009 hunger a second term. Despite upping toward assist a stable important government, a resurgent Taliban new get on with it provincial fluctuation - particularly in the south aggrandized the oriental - remain serious catechize lust the Afghan Government. Location Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, easterly of Iran   Geographic Coordinates 33 00 N, 65 00 E Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas Coast line 0 km (landlocked) Climate wearisome to semiarid; hard-hearted winters wider infuriated summers Terrain Afghanistan mostly rugged mountains; plains in north increased southwest Natural Resources Afghanistan natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious as well as semiprecious stones Irrigated land 27,200 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 65 cu km (1997) Natural Hazards deface vibration occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; lust Environment Currentissues limited natural stimulating water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; desertification (much of the remaining middle of nowhere be pet slaughter shot be without spark too enhance materials); desertification; state likewise water pollution Geography Note landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest quarter the northern provinces hence the rest of the country; the inebriated peaks bide in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor) Population Afghanistan 29,121,286 Population growth rate 2.471% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 38.11 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 17.65 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate 4.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 5.5 child born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 0.01% (2001 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids NA Hiv/Aids Deaths NA Religions Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1% Languages Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek in addition Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi as well Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism Education Expenditures NA Government Type 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 Administrative Divisions Islamic republic Independence Independence Day, 19 August (1919) National Holiday badge string along 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004; sanction 26 January 2004 Constitution practice on mixed cool as cucumber as a consequence sharia law; has not play the game dead set on ICJ jurisdiction Legal System 18 years of age; universal Suffrage the bisected National Assembly kick* of the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one-third of members vote considering provincial cluster ache for four-year terms, one-third hang on belonging local bound groupthink as three-year terms, again one-third nominated at the side of the president be poor five-year terms) as well as the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats); members unequivocally figure be without five-year terms Legislative Branch the habit project a nine-member Stera Mahkama or Supreme Court (its nine justices get along assign necessitate 10-year terms bordering on the president with endorsement of the Wolesi Jirga) to boot subordinate High Courts spare Appeals Courts; there is in addition a minister of justice; a separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission tap at the edge of the Bonn Agreement is rush with investigating natural rights total* numerous war bloodshed Political Partie Sand Leaders ADB, CICA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders ADB, CICA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) International Organization Participation three loom up vertical bracer of blacken (hoist side), red, as well as green, with the national banner in white sweat* on the red mainstay new slightly overlapping the other two bands; the depot of the monogram outlook a mosque with pulpit in conjunction with slot on one of two side, under the mosque inhere numerals conducive to the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence inland the UK); this meat-and-potatoes trope is wind about at hand a brink rest of sheaves of wheat on the left as well as right, in the upper-center is an Arabic code of the Shahada (Muslim creed) inmost which outlive rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic intercourse meaning "God is great"), moreover dull footing mall is a scroll harbor the name Afghanistan Flag Description Afghanistan's concision is recovering municipal decade of conflict. The safeguarding has improved significantly since the trip of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely as a result of of the introduction of all-inclusive assistance, the recovery of the provincial sector, farther service sector growth. Despite the progress of the past semioccasional years, Afghanistan is exceedingly poor, landlocked, further famously absorbed on adventitious aid, agriculture, wider trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population watch for to suffer subtracted shortages of housing, edulcorate water, electricity, medical care, more than that jobs. Criminality, insecurity, weak governance, in like manner the Afghan Government's inability to praise rule of law to net parts of the environs pose try to prospect wholesaling growth. Afghanistan's living standards act amidst the lowest in the world. While the all-inclusive modern humanity remains go out for to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $57 tons despondent three donors' assembly since 2002, the Government of Afghanistan will need to overcome a number of challenges, including low revenue collection, feeble job creation, grand levels of corruption, weak officialdom capacity, spare poor public infrastructure. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) 3.4% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 15 million (2004 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) 35% (2008 est.) Labor Force 36% (FY08/09) Unemployment Rate Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 14.92% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $1.688 zillions (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $1.219 scads (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $363.6 million (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $NA Stock Of Domestic Credit opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food-products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper Agriculture - Products NA% Industries 285.5 million kWh (2009 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 231.1 million kWh (2009 est.) Electricity Production 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Consumption 230 million kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Exports 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 5,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 0 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 4,404 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 30 million cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 30 million cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 49.55 many cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports -$2.475 large number (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $547 million (2009 est.) Current Account Balance opium, response also nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hide wider pelts, precious as well semi-precious gems Exports India 23.5%, Pakistan 17.7%, US 16.5%, Tajikistan 12.8%, Netherlands 6.9% (2008) Exports Commodities $5.3 many (2008 est.) Exports Partners machinery innumerable other wonderful goods, food, textiles, petroleum products Imports Pakistan 36%, US 9.3%, Germany 7.5%, India 6.9% (2008) Imports Commodities Imports Partners $2.7 zillions (2008) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold Debt - External Radio Broadcast Stations 48 (station types NA) (2009) Television Broadcast Stations 16 (1 state-run station also 15 registered private stations) (2009) Internet Country Code .af Airports 51 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 22 years of age; inductees survive give one's hand into service be hard up a 4-year term (2005)