Afghanistan - General Information
Timezone GMT +4.5
Area 647497kmz/2999345qmi
Population total (2002e) 27756000, plus an estimated 2.5 million members of nomadic tribes, and c. 5 million living in Pakistan and Iran as refugees
status Democratic republic Date of independence 19ts Capital Kabul
Languages Pushm, Dari
Ethnic groups Pathans (50% Tajik (20%), Uzbek (9%), Hasata (9%), Cnahar Aimak (3%), Turkmen (2%), Baluchi (1%(
Religion Muslim
Physical features:mountainous, landlocked country centered on and divided E-W by the Hindu Kush mountain range which reaches heights closer 7 000 m
Climate Continental climate; summers warm every-where except on highest peaks; rain mostly during spring and autumn; average annual rainfall 338 nom! 13.25 in: winters generally cold, with much snow, at higher altitudes (central highlands have a sub polar climate) at lower levels desert climate
Currency 1 Afghani (All =100 puls)
Economy Traditionally based on agriculture, fruit, vegetables, maize, barley, cotton, sugar-beet sugar cane, sheep, cattle, goats: natural-gas production in the N, largely for export; most sectors have been affected by civil war, especially sugar, carpets, tex-tiles; natural resources also include oil,copper,sulphur, lead, zinc, iron, salt, precious and semi-precious smnes; many of these resources remain untapped owing to inaccessibility. Main trading partners: Fastern Euro pean and CIS countries, Japan, China.
History Nation first formed in 1797, under Ahmed Shah Durrtni;seen asabridgebetweeaIndia andtheMid-dle East; Britain tried but failed m gain control during a series of Afghan Wars (the last in 1919(; independence declared in1919afterWorIdWarl;feudal monarchy sur vived until after World War 2, when the constitution became mom liberal under several Soviet-influenced five,well economic plans; king deposed in 1973, and a republic formed a new constitution, 1977; coup (1979) brought top power HafizuIlah Amin,which invasion by USSR forces and establishment of Babralt Karmal as Head of State; new constitution in 1987 provided for an executive President, bicameral National Assembly, and council of ministers; Soviet withdrawal 1988-9; new regime met with heavy guerrilla resistance from the Mujahadeen (Islamic fighters); resignation of President Najibullah in April 1992; Islamic State of Afghanistan declared, 1992; continuing unrest among Mujahadeen groups, hinder-ing progress of UN-backed peace plans; new conflict, 1994-5, with the trillion (army of students), a Muslim force whose military organization emerged in late 1994; Taliban seize Kabul and drive out government forces, imposition of strict Islamic regime, and execution of Najibullah,1996; government of Burhanuddin Rabbani continued m control part of the country in rebellion against the Taliban government under Mohammad Omar Aknondzada; called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, 1997; following the attack on the World Trade Center in New York (11 Sep 2001, US-led coalition forces launch aerial bombardment ofTalibancontrolled military installations linked to Osama bin Laden, Oct 2001; Afghan delegations set up interim administration under the auspices of the UN, Dec 2001; International Security Assistance Force(ISAF(established; US-ledorigin ing operations against remaining Taliban resistance, 2002; ISAF taken over by NATO, Aug 2003; interim president Humid Karzai elected, Nov, 2004.
Head of State
2002- Humid Karzai
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