World Bank, the Asian Development
Bank, and the UN Development Program, rebuilding Afghanistan will cost
roughly $15 billion over the next ten years

Currency: afghani (AFA)

Currency code: AFA

Exchange rates: afghanis per US dollar - 4,700 (January 2000), 4,750
(February 1999), 17,000 (December 1996), 7,000 (January 1995), 1,900
(January 1994), 1,019 (March 1993), 850 (1991); note - these rates reflect
the free market exchange rates rather than the official exchange rate,
which was fixed at 50.600 afghanis to the dollar until 1996, when it
rose to 2,262.65 per dollar, and finally became fixed again at 3,000.00
per dollar in April 1996

Fiscal year: 21 March - 20 March

Communications Afghanistan

Telephones - main lines in use: 29,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: very limited telephone and telegraph service domestic:
Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul through satellite and microwave
systems international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean) linked only to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
commercial satellite telephone center in Ghazni

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station
is in Kabul), FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian
(Dari), Urdu, and English) (1999)

Radios: 167,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations: at least 10 (one government-run central
television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 32
provinces; the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also,
in 1997, there was a station in Mazar-e Sharif reaching four northern
Afghanistan provinces) (1998)

Televisions: 100,000 (1999)

Internet country code: .af

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: NA

Transportation Afghanistan

Railways: total: 24.6 km broad gauge: 9.6 km 1.524-m gauge from
Gushgy (Turkmenistan) to Towraghondi; 15 km 1.524-m gauge from Termiz
(Uzbekistan) to Kheyrabad transshipment point on south bank of Amu Darya
(2001)

Highways: total: 21,000 km paved: 2,793 km unpaved: 18,207 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 1,200 km note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up
to 500 DWT (2001)

Pipelines: natural gas 180 km note: product pipelines from Uzbekistan
and Turkmenistan have been in disrepair and disuse for years (2002)

Ports and harbors: Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Airports: 46 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 10 over 3,047