The 1991 CIA World Factbook | Page 7

dollars
unless otherwise indicated.
_#_Net migration rate: The balance between the number of persons
entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based
on midyear population). An excess of persons entering the country is
referred to as net immigration (3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an
excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration (-9.26
migrants/1,000 population).
_#_Population: Figures are estimates from the Bureau of the Census
based on statistics from population censuses, vital registration systems,
or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past, and on assumptions
about future trends.
_#_Total fertility rate: The average number of children that would be
born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing
years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each age.
_#_Years: All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless
indicated as fiscal year (FY).
_#_Note: Information for the US and US dependencies was compiled
from material in the public domain and does not represent Intelligence
Community estimates.
The Handbook of Economic Statistics, published annually in
September by the Central Intelligence Agency, contains detailed
economic information for the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) countries, Eastern Europe, the USSR, and
selected other countries. The Handbook can be obtained wherever The

World Factbook is available.
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
_@_Afghanistan _*_Geography _#_Total area: 647,500 km2; land area:
647,500 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,826 km total; China 76 km, Iran 936 km,
Pakistan 2,430 km, USSR 2,384 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Disputes: Pashtun question with Pakistan; Baloch question with
Iran and Pakistan; periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water
rights; insurgency with Iranian and Pakistani involvement; traditional
tribal rivalries
_#_Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, coal, copper, talc, barites,
sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows
and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 3%; other 39%; includes
irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush
mountains; soil degradation, desertification, overgrazing, deforestation,
pollution
_#_Note: landlocked
_*_People _#_Population: US Bureau of the Census--16,450,304 (July

1991), growth rate 5.2% (1991) and excludes 3,750,796 refugees in
Pakistan and 1,607,281 refugees in Iran; note--another report indicates
a July 1990 population of 16,904,904, including 3,271,580 refugees in
Pakistan and 1,277,700 refugees in Iran
_#_Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 20 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 28 migrants/1,000 population (1991);
note--there are flows across the border in both directions, but data are
fragmentary and unreliable
_#_Infant mortality rate: 164 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 43 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Afghan(s); adjective--Afghan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Pashtun 50%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 9%, Hazara
12-15%; minor ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen,
Baloch, and other
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shia Muslim 15%, other 1%
_#_Language: Pashtu 50%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 35%, Turkic
languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages
(primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%; much bilingualism
_#_Literacy: 29% (male 44%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read
and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,980,000; agriculture and animal husbandry 67.8%,
industry 10.2%, construction 6.3%, commerce 5.0%, services and other
10.7%, (1980 est.)
_#_Organized labor: some small government-controlled unions

_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Afghanistan
_#_Type: authoritarian
_#_Capital: Kabul
_#_Administrative divisions: 30 provinces (velayat, singular--velayat);
Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni,
Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar,
Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia,
Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol;
note--there may be a new province of Nurestan (Nuristan)
_#_Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: adopted 30 November 1987, revised May 1990
_#_Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Saur Revolution, 27 April
(1978)
_#_Executive branch: president, four vice presidents, prime minister,
deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Meli Shura)
consists of an upper house or Council of Elders (Sena) and a lower
house or Council of Representatives (Wolosi Jirga)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President (Mohammad)
NAJIBULLAH (Ahmadzai) (since 30 November 1987); First Vice
President Abdul Wahed SORABI (since 7 January 1991); Prime
Minister Fazil Haq KHALIQYAR (since 21 May 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: main party--Hizbi Watan Homeland

Party (formerly known as the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
or PDPA); there are other, much smaller political parties recognized by
the government
_#_Suffrage: universal, male ages 15-50
_#_Elections:
Senate--last held NA April 1988 (next to be held April 1991);
results--Hizbi Watan was the only party; seats--(192 total, 128 elected)
Hizbi Watan 128;
House of Representatives--last held NA April 1988 (next to be held
April 1993); results--Hizbi Watan was