19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
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
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Exports
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
External Debt
$1,280,000,000 $
$306,600,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004), 49 (2003)
Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar - 1.3179 (2008 est.), 1.319 (2007), 1.4286 (2006), 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (2004) note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish lira (TRL) was converted to new Turkish lira (TRY) at a rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish lira; on 1 January 2009 the Turkish government dropped the word "new" and the currency is now called simply the Turkish lira
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.900%
5.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
8
Location
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Area
652,230 km sq
783,562 km sq
Coastline
0 km
7,200 km
Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
