Facts about Afghanistan

Population and Development facts

To see an interactive map of Afghanistan follow this link to Reuters Alertnet

Population size: 32,738,376

Ethnic groups: Pashtun (42%), Tajik (27%), Hazara (9%), Uzbek (9%), Aimak (4%), Turkmen (3%), Baloch (2%), other (4%)

Religions: Sunni Muslim (80%), Shi'a Muslim (19%), other (1%)

Languages: Afghan Persian or Dari (official - 50%), Pashto (official - 35%), Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen - 11%), 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai - 4%)

Age Structure: 0 -14 years: 44.6%

15 - 64 years: 53%

65 years and over: 2.4 %

Birth rate: 45.82 births/ 1,000 population

Death rate: 19.56 deaths/ 1,000 population

Infant mortality rate: 257 deaths/ 1,000 live births

Maternal mortality ratio: 1900 deaths per 100,000 population (2000)

Life expectancy at birth: 44.21 years

Total fertility rate: 6.58 children born/ women

Literacy (age 15 and over can read and write): Total Population - 28.1%

Male 43.1%

Female 12.6%

GDP per capita: $1000

Physical and geographical facts

Area size: 647,500 sq km

Border countries: China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Climate: arid to semiarid: Cold winters and hot summers

Terrain: mostly rugged mountains: plains in the north and southwest

Elevation extremes: lowest point - Amu Darya 258 m

highest point - Nowshak 7, 485 m

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Sources: World Health Organisation, CIA Factbook, World Bank