no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government
Independence date
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%
Sunni Muslim
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
Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Exports
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
External Debt
$1,280,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004), 49 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Area
652,230 km sq
637,657 km sq
Coastline
0 km
3,025 km
Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
