President: Olafur Ragnar Grimsson Prime minister: Johanna Sigurdardottir
Population
30,419,928
313,183
Life Expectancy
49.720 years
81.000 years
Capital City
Kabul
Reykjavik
Largest city
Kabul (population: 3,043,530)
Reykjavik (population: 113,906)
Human Development Index
0
NA
GDP per capita
$1,000 US
$38,500 US
Literacy Rate
28.1%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
1.5
8.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
25.9%
33.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Bjorgolfur Thor Bjorgolfsson ($1.0bn US)
Unemployment Rate
35.000%
7.400%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
Islamic republic
constitutional republic
Independence date
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%
Lutheran Church of Iceland 82.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2.4%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.3%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.6%, other Christian 2.8%, other religions 0.9%, unaffiliated 2.6%, other or unspecified 5.5% (2006 est.)
Languages
Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Exports
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite
External Debt
$1,280,000,000 $
$124,500,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004), 49 (2003)
Icelandic kronur (ISK) per US dollar - 85.619 (2008 est.), 63.391 (2007), 70.195 (2006), 62.982 (2005), 70.192 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.900%
0.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
1
Location
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Area
652,230 km sq
103,000 km sq
Coastline
0 km
4,970 km
Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
