|
|
 |
 Afghanistan |
 |
| |
| Description |
Comment
|
| Location |
In
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan and east
of Iran |
| Geographic
coordinates |
33
00 N, 65 00 E |
Map
references
|
Asia |
| Area |
Total
area: 647,500 sq km
Land: 647,500 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
|
| Area
- comparative |
Afghanistan
is slightly smaller than the state of Texas
|
| 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 (Afghanistan is landlocked) |
Maritime
claims
|
None
(Afghanistan is landlocked) |
| Climate |
Arid
to semiarid, with cold winters and hot summers
|
| Terrain |
Mostly
rugged mountains, with plains in the north and southwest
|
| Elevation
extremes |
Lowest point: Amu
Darya (258 m)
Highest point: 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: 46%
Forests and woodland: 3%
Other: 39% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated
land |
30,000
sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards |
Damaging earthquakes
occur in the Hindu Kush mountain area; flooding;
anddroughts
|
| Environment
-- current issues |
Soil
degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of
the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel
and building materials); and desertification |
| Environment
-- international agreements |
Afghanistan is party
to several international agreements, including:
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, and Nuclear Test Ban.
Signed, but not yet ratified: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, and
Marine Life Conservation.
|
|
| |
| Description |
Comment
|
| Population |
26,813,057 (July
2001 est.)
|
| Age
structure |
0-14
years: 42.2% (male 5,775,921; female 5,538,836)
15-64 years: 55.01% (male 7,644,242; female 7,106,568)
65 years and over: 2.79% (male 394,444; female
353,046) (All figures are 2001 est.)
|
Population
growth rate
|
3.48%
(2001 est.)
Note:
this rate reflects the continued return of refugees
from Iran
|
| Birth
rate |
41.42
births per 1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate |
17.72 deaths per
1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate |
11.11
migrant(s) per /1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio |
At
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
|
| Infant
mortality rate |
147.02
deaths per 1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
Total
population: 46.24 years
Male: 46.97 years
Female: 45.47 years (2001 est.)
|
Total
fertility rate
|
5.79
children born per oman (2001 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS
-- Adult prevalence rate:
|
Less
than 0.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
-- People living with HIV/AIDS |
N/A |
| HIV/AIDS
-- Deaths: |
N/A |
| Nationality |
Noun:
Afghan(s)
Adjective: Afghan
|
| Ethnic
groups |
Pashtun
38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups
(Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, and Uzbek
6% |
| Religions |
Sunni
Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% |
| Languages |
Pashtu
35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages
(primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages
(primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%. Many people are
bilingual. |
| Literacy |
Total population: 31.5%
Male: 47.2%
Female: 15% (1999 est.)
(Defined as people age 15 or over that can read
and write.)
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