y to: Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Geography--note: landlocked

People

Population: 25,824,882 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 5,640,841; female 5,422,460)
15-64 years: 54% (male 7,273,681; female 6,776,750)
65 years and over: 3% (male 374,666; female 336,484) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.95% (1999 est.)
note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees

Birth rate: 41.93 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 17.02 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 14.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 140.55 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.33 years
male: 47.82 years
female: 46.82 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.94 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan

Ethnic groups: Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%,
minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)

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% (1995 est.)

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

Data code: AF

Government type: transitional government

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, Low