constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy
Independence date
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
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
Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
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
10.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Area
652,230 km sq
26 km sq
Coastline
0 km
24 km
Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
