republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
Independence date
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
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
Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Exports
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
cotton, gold, energy products, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, textiles, food products, machinery, automobiles
External Debt
$1,280,000,000 $
$10,460,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004), 49 (2003)
Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - 1,317 (2008 est.), 1,263.8 (2007), 1,219.8 (2006), 1,020 (2005), 971.265 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
10.000%
3.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
6
Location
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Central Asia, north of Afghanistan
Area
652,230 km sq
447,400 km sq
Coastline
0 km
0 km
Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east
