Afghanistan facts and links

Afghanistan is a landlocked, mountainous country in Central Asia with high plains in the north and southwest. It is bordered by Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and China.

An estimated 21 million people live in Afghanistan - 2 million in the capital city of Kabul. Most Afghans live in rural areas, subsisting on farming.

Afghanistan covers an area of 652,000 square kilometres (New Zealand covers 268,680 sq km).

99 per cent of the population are Muslim. According to the CIA, 84 per cent are Sunni Muslim and 15 per cent Shi'a Muslim.

Just over one third of the population are literate. Forty seven per cent of males can read and write, compared with just 15 per cent of females.

The four major ethnic groups are: Pashtoons, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks.

Government

* Afghanistan has no functioning central government. Instead, two fighting factions: the United Front (UNIFSA) and the Taleban militia control areas of the country.

* The Taleban, led by Mullah Mohammad Omar, control almost 95 per cent of Afghanistan, including its major cities (Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Herat). Only Pakistan recognise the Taleban.

* The United Arab Emirates supported the Taleban until September 23, 2001. Saudi Arabia withdrew their support on September 25, 2001.

* The United Front is led by Burhanuddin Rabbani and is recognised by the United Nations, USA, and the rest of the world as the legitimate government in Afghanistan.

Living conditions

* Even without the threat of United States retribution, life for the Afghan people is bleak. Most live without sufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care.

* Afghans have weathered more than two decades of internal conflict and Soviet occupation, beginning in 1973 when the Afghan monarchy was overthrown. The destruction means that now an estimated 5 million people threatened by starvation. Dominic Nutt, an emergency officer with Christian Aid, told the Guardian newspaper on September 19 that he knew of one refugee camp in the mountains near the Afghan city of Herat, where at least 40 people were dying a day.

* The World Food programme says the average life expectancy in Afghanistan is 40. Up to 20 per cent of Afghan children are dying before they reach five years old.

* The incessant conflict has left the country's infrastructure in ruins. War destroyed 50 per cent of the villages and 25 per cent of the country's main roads.

* The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says that at times the conflict has displaced as many as 6.2 million Afghans. Most flee to camps in Pakistan and Iran. According to the UNHCR, Afghanistan's internal war has produced the largest single refugee case-load.

* The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ranks Afghanistan at 171 out of 173 countries in terms of poverty and development.

* The United Nations has estimated there are as many 10 million mines scattered across 420 square kilometres of Afghanistan. The mines render formerly productive land useless and place refugees returning overland from Pakistan and Iran difficult in terrible danger.

Economy

* The main source of income in the country is agriculture. The major food crops produced are: corn, rice, barley, wheat, vegetables, fruits and nuts. The major industrial crops are: cotton, tobacco, madder, castor beans, and sugar beets. The major sheep product exports are wool, and highly prized Karakul skins.

* Afghanistan is a land that is rich in natural resources. There are numerous mineral and precious stone deposits, as well as natural gas and yet untapped petroleum stores. Some of these resources have been exploited, while others have remained relatively unexploited.

* According to the CIA, Afghanistan is the world's largest illicit opium producer. Its potential production in 1999 was 1,670 metric tons. It is also a major source of hashish and an increasing number of heroin-processing laboratories are being set up in the country. The CIA says major political factions in the country profit from the drug trade.

A short history

* The Afghan monarchy was overthrown in 1973 after a devastating drought.

* After six years of internal conflict, the Soviet Union invaded in 1979 in support of the communist faction.

* The USSR was forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-communist mujahidin forces supplied and trained by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others.

* Fighting continued among the various mujahidin factions until 27 September 1996, when the ruling members of the Afghan Government were displaced by members of the Islamic Taleban movement.

Links

NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Afghanistan FAQs

The Taleban (site may not be working)

Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) (anti-Taleban)

Afghanistan Online

Afghan Online Press

History of the Taleban (Federation of American Scientists)

Human Rights Watch special report on Afghanistan

Radio Pakistan news (audio or text)