GENERAL
FACTS & LINKS |
|
Country
name Afghanistan conventional long form Islamic State of
Afghanistan conventional short form Afghanistan local long
form Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan local short form Afghanestan
former Republic of Afghanistan |
Area
- total: 647,500 sq km land: 647,500 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Geographic
Location - Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan,
east of Iran |
Map
references - Asia
|
Capital - Kabul |
Border Countries - China
76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan
2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km,
Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan
137 km |
Major
Cities - Kabul,
Majar-e-Sharief, Jalalabad |
Independence - Independence Day, 19 August (1919) |
National holiday - Independence Day, 19 August (1919) |
Languages Spoken - Pushtu,
Dari Persian, other Turkic and minor languages |
Weather
Forecast - • Farah • Faizabad • Herat • Jalalabad • Jabul Saraj • Mazar I Sharif • Shindand • Shebirghan • Zebak • Zaranj |
Airports
- Kabul Airport |
Ports - Kheyrabad, Shir Khan |
Population - 27,755,775
(July 2002 est.) |
Religion
- Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a
Muslim 15%, other 1% |
Nationality
- Afghan(s) |
Currency - Afghani |
Currency Code - AFA |
Internet
country code - .af |
Mountains
& Peaks - Shah Fuladi |
Lakes
- Helmand, Istada |
Rivers
- Amudarya, Harirud, Helmand, Kabul |
Terrain
- mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest |
Climate
- arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers |
Geography
- landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide
the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in
the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor) |
Waterways
- 1,200 km note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001)
|
Natural hazards - damaging earthquakes
occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts |
Natural
Resources - natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites,
sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones |