Afghanistan - Facts & Stats
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Location:
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Country Name:
Conventional long form: Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan
Conventional short form: Afghanistan
Local short form: Afghanestan
Former: Republic of Afghanistan
Local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan
Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan
Capital:
Kabul
Flag Description:
The flag of Afghanistan is composed of three equal vertical bands of black (hoist), red, and green with an emblem consisting of an open mosque within a wreath of wheat-ears centered on the red band. Black stands for past flags, red for the bloodshed of those who fought for the country's independence, and green is symbolic of the Islamic faith and for hope in the future. Although the exact form of the flag has been changed several times, these colors are recognized as the national color. The stylized mosque is a constant reminder of the influence of Islam. The wheat-ears are symbolic of the agricultural nature of Afghanistan. Moreover, they recall the first Afghani king Ahmed-shah, who crowned himself with a crown of wheat-ears to signify the prosperity of his reign. Above the wreath is the shahada, the Moslem confession of faith, and also (in very small letters) the slogan Allahu Aqbar (God is Great). Beneath is the date 1371 in the Islamic calendar (1992 AD) and the name Islamic State of Afghanistan all in gold.
http://www.afghanmagazine.com/july99/articles/flag/
Government Type:
Transitional
Administrative Divisions: 32 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, and Zabol
Independence:
August 19, 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Language:
Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Ethnic Groups:
Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 8%
Religion:
Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Population:
27,755,775 (July 2002 est.)
Population Growth Rate:
3.43%
note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran (2002 est.)
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 est.)
Life Expectancy:
Male: 47 years; female: 46 years (2002 est.)
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Literacy rate:
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Male: 51%
Female: 21% (1999 est.)
Total population: 36%
Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
$21 billion (2001 est.)
Currency:
Afghani (AFA; 4,700AFA=1USD)
Area:
250,000 sq. miles (slightly smaller than Texas)
Climate:
Arid to semi-arid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain:
Mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Natural Resources:
Natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
