The 1990 CIA World Factbook | Page 8

party--the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) has two
factions--the Parchami faction has been in power since December 1979
and members of the deposed Khalqi faction continue to hold some
important posts mostly in the military and Ministry of Interior;
nonparty figures hold some posts Suffrage: universal, male ages 15-50
Elections: Senate--last held NA April 1988 (next to be held April 1991);
results--PDPA is the only party; seats--(192 total, 115 elected) PDPA
115; House of Representatives--last held NA April 1988 (next to be
held April 1993); results--PDPA is the only party; seats--(234 total)
PDPA 184, 50 seats reserved for opposition Communists: the PDPA
claims 200,000 members (1988) Other political or pressure groups: the
military and other branches of internal security have been rebuilt by the
USSR; insurgency continues throughout the country; widespread
anti-Soviet and antiregime sentiment and opposition on religious and
political grounds Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development
Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO, WSG; suspended from OIC in
January 1980 Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor, Charge
d'Affaires MIAGOL; Chancery at 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-3770 or 3771;
US--Charge d'Affaires (vacant); Embassy at Ansari Wat, Wazir Akbar
Khan Mina, Kabul; telephone 62230 through 62235 or 62436; note--US
Embassy in Kabul was closed in January 1989 Flag: three equal
horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with the national coat of
arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands; similar
to the flag of Malawi which is shorter and bears a radiant, rising, red
sun centered in the black band - Economy Overview: Fundamentally,
Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly
dependent on farming (wheat especially) and livestock raising (sheep
and goats). Economic considerations, however, have played second

fiddle to political and military upheavals, including the nine-year
Soviet military occupation (ended 15 February 1989) and the
continuing bloody civil war. Over the past decade, one-third of the
population has fled the country, with Pakistan sheltering some 3
million refugees and Iran perhaps 2 million. Another 1 million have
probably moved into and around urban areas within Afghanistan. Large
numbers of bridges, buildings, and factories have been destroyed or
damaged by military action or sabotage. Government claims to the
contrary, gross domestic product almost certainly is lower than 10
years ago because of the loss of labor and capital and the disruption of
trade and transport. Official claims indicate that agriculture grew by
0.7% and industry by 3.5% in 1988. GDP: $3 billion, per capita $200;
real growth rate 0% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): over
50% (1989 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues NA;
expenditures $646.7 million, including capital expenditures of $370.2
million (FY87 est.) Exports: $512 million (f.o.b., FY88);
commodities--natural gas 55%, fruits and nuts 24%, handwoven carpets,
wool, cotton, hides, and pelts; partners--mostly USSR and Eastern
Europe Imports: $996 million (c.i.f., FY88); commodities--food and
petroleum products; partners--mostly USSR and Eastern Europe
External debt: $1.8 billion (December 1989 est.) Industrial production:
growth rate 6.2% (FY89 plan) Electricity: 480,000 kW capacity; 1,470
million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989) Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and
cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper Agriculture:
largely subsistence farming and nomadic animal husbandry; cash
products--wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts, wool, mutton Illicit drugs:
an illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international
drug trade; world's second largest opium producer (after Burma) and a
major source of hashish Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $265 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF
bilateral commitments (1970-87), $419 million; OPEC bilateral aid
(1979-89), $57 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $4.1 billion
Currency: afghani (plural--afghanis); 1 afghani (Af) = 100 puls
Exchange rates: afghanis (Af) per US$1--50.6 (fixed rate since 1982)
Fiscal year: 21 March-20 March - Communications Railroads: 9.6 km
(single track) 1.524-meter gauge from Kushka (USSR) to Towraghondi

and 15.0 km from Termez (USSR) to Kheyrabad transshipment point
on south bank of Amu Darya Highways: 21,000 km total (1984); 2,800
km hard surface, 1,650 km bituminous-treated gravel and improved
earth, 16,550 km unimproved earth and tracks Inland waterways: total
navigability 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles steamers up
to about 500 metric tons Pipelines: petroleum, oil, and lubricants
pipelines--USSR to Bagram and USSR to Shindand; natural gas, 180
km Ports: Shir Khan and Kheyrabad (river ports) Civil air: 2 TU-154, 2
Boeing 727, assorted smaller transports Airports: 38 total, 34 usable; 9
with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 10
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast
services; television introduced in 1980; 31,200 telephones; stations--5
AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station - Defense Forces Branches:
Armed Forces (Army;