Fast Facts About Afghanistan

Geography

Land Area:
647,500 square kilometers (249,935 square miles) (slightly smaller than Texas)

Terrain:
Mostly rugged mountains with plains in the north and southwest

Arable Land:
12%

People

Population:
32,738,376 (May 2008)

Population Density:
43 per square kilometer

Age Structure:
0-14 years: 44.6%
15-64: 53%
65 years and older: 2.4%

Population Growth:
2.626% annually (2008)

Major Cities:
Capital is Kabul 3,000,000. Other cities: Kandahar 420,000, Mazar-e- Sharif 270,000. Urbanites number 22%

Ethnic Groups:
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 13%, Uzbek 9%

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:
28.1% (male=43.1%, female=12.6%) (2000)

Languages with Scriptures:
2 New Testaments, 3 portions

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

Christian churches are not permitted. The number of Afghan Christians is estimated to be between 1,000 and 3,000


Communications

Telephones:
280,000 (2005)

Mobile Telephones:
2.52 million (2002)

Radio Stations:
AM 21, FM 5, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pushtu, Dari, Urdu, and English) (2006)

Radios:
167,000 (1999)

Television Stations:
At least 7 (2006)

Televisions:
100,000 (1999)

Internet Service Providers:
21 (2007)

Internet Users:
535,000 (2006)

Data Sources:
World Factbook 2008 and Operation World 2001