Afghanistan 
Facts
Population:
26,813,057 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
42.2% (male 5,775,921; female 5,538,836)
15-64 years:
55.01% (male 7,644,242; female 7,106,568)
65 years and over:
2.79% (male 394,444; female 353,046) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.48% (2001 est.)
note:
this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran
Birth rate:
41.42 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate:
17.72 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate:
11.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.12 male(s)/female
total population:
1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
147.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
46.24 years
male:
46.97 years
female:
45.47 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun:
Afghan(s)
adjective:
Afghan
Ethnic groups:
Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Languages:
Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
31.5%
male:
47.2%
female:
15% (1999 est.)
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $21 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:
53%
industry:
28.5%
services:
18.5% (1990)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Labor force:
10 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 70%, industry 15%, services 15% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
Electricity - production:
420 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel:
35.71%
hydro:
64.29%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption:
480.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (1999)
Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March
Statistics: CIA World Factbook.
Press
(Farsi-language daily), Kabul
http://www.8am.af/
(Advocacy web site for Afghan Women), Kabul
http://www.afghanwomensnetwork.org
Aina-E-Zan (Women's Mirror)
(Weekly Newspaper for Women), Kabul
(Daily Newspaper), Kabul
http://www.anisdaily.com/
(English language online publication), Kabul
http://www.e-ariana.com
(non-governmental press agency), Kabul
http://kabulpress.org/
(Independent news agency), Kabul
http://www.pajhwok.com/
Afghanistan in the News
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Displaying 37 to 40 of 52 items.
The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan is no Vietnam, yet there are real parallels: a terrain that favors the foes, a porous border impossible to police, and dependence on local forces whose reliability is far from certain.
The United Kingdom may be eager to hand Turkey the reins to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, but Turkish public opinion is divided on the new, greater peacekeeping role.
"Niklas Ekdal draws lessons for Sweden's military based on the experiences of Kosovo, Somalia, and Afghanistan.
Gerhard Bitzan, writing for conservative Vienna newspaper Die Presse, considers the current threat from Al-Qaeda.
Americas 
