nd 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.)

Afghanistan Government

Country name: conventional long form: Islamic State of Afghanistan;
note - the self-proclaimed Taliban government refers to the country
as Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

conventional short form: Afghanistan

local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

local short form: Afghanestan

former: Republic of Afghanistan

Government type: no functioning central government, administered by
factions

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 two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan) and
Khowst

Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign
affairs)

National holiday: Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

Constitution: none

Legal system: a new legal system has not been adopted but all
factions tacitly agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law)

Suffrage: NA; previously males 15-50 years of age

Executive branch: on 27 September 1996, the ruling members of the
Afghan Government were displaced by members of the Islamic Taliban
movement; the Islamic State of Afghanistan has no functioning
government at this time, and the country remains divided among
fighting factions

note: the Taliban have declared themselves the legitimate
government of Afghanistan; however, the UN still recognizes the
government of Burhanuddin RABBANI; the Organization of the Islamic
Conference has left the Afghan seat vacant until the question of
legitimacy can be resolved through negotiations among the warring
factions; the country is essentially divided along ethnic lines; the
Taliban controls the capital of Kabul and approximately two-thirds
of the country including the predominately ethnic Pashtun areas in
southern Afghanistan; opposing factions have their stronghold in the
et