Country: AFGHANISTAN

Capital: Kabul

Geographic Coordinates: 33 00 N, 65 00 E

Population: 28,396,000 (July 2009 est.)

Main Religion: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%

Language: Afghan Persian or Dari (official), Pashto (official), Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen)

Government Type: Islamic Republic

Head of State: President Hamid KARZAI

GDP in US Dollars (per capita): $800 (2008 est.)

Main Industries: Small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper

Currency Code: Afghani (AFA)

Life Expectancy: 44 years (men), 44 years (women) (UN)

Environment - current issues: Limited natural fresh water resources; Inadequate supplies of potable water; Soil degradation; Overgrazing; Deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); Desertification; Air and water pollution

Issues facing Women and Children:

• Infant, under-five, and maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan are among the world’s highest. Twenty five per cent of children die before reaching their fifth birthday.
• Because immunization coverage is still very low, preventable diseases kill thousands of children annually. Malaria (which afflicts approximately 2 million people per year), measles, and respiratory infections are the leading causes of childhood death.
• The great majority of Afghanistan’s population lacks access to safe water or sanitation. Diarrhoeal diseases and tuberculosis are chronic threats to public health.
• Two million children of primary school age do not attend classes. Literacy rates are low.

Land Mine Ban Signatory: Y

Famous for: Hindu Kush, Gardens of Babur, dogh (yoghurt drink), the Taliban, Minaret of Jam