Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II Prime minister: Portia Simpson-Miller
Population
30,419,928
2,889,187
Life Expectancy
49.720 years
73.430 years
Capital City
Kabul
Kingston
Largest city
Kabul (population: 3,043,530)
Kingston (population: 937,700)
Human Development Index
0
0.771
GDP per capita
$1,000 US
$9,100 US
Literacy Rate
28.1%
87.9%
Corruption Perception Index
1.5
3.1
Percentage of Women in Parliament
25.9%
13.6%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
35.000%
12.700%
Death Penalty
Legal
Legal
Political System
Islamic republic
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Independence date
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
6 August 1962 (from UK)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
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
English, English patois
Exports
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
