I. AFGHANISTAN

I.1. THE COUNTRY

I.1.1. Geography and Land Use

Afghanistan has a total of 647,500 sq km of land area, and reportedly 248,187 ha of water bodies (2,482 sq km, some 1.0% of total land area). Its area is composed of mountainous and desert areas where the Iranian Plateau borders the mountains of Central Asia. The Hindu Kush mountain range splits Afghanistan from east to west. The steep high peaks of the Wakhan Corridor are in the east, at 5,500-7,500 meters altitude. In the east-central and central part, the mountains broaden into wide spurs fanning to the north and south at 3,000-4,000 meters elevation. In the west, the mountains end in the Safed Koh Range, north of Herat and close to the northwestern border, where the altitude is around 1,100 meters.

As determined by the mountain system described above, Afghanistan is usually divided into 4 geographic regions: (1) Northern plains, (2) Central mountains, (3) Eastern and Southeastern hills and foothills, and (4) Southern and Western lowlands.

Only some 12% of Afghanistan's land is arable. Use of Afghanistan's land is: arable land: 12%; permanent crops: 0%; permanent pastures: 46%; forests and woodland: 3%; other: 39% (1993 est.). Irrigated land is 30,000 sq km (1993 est.).

I.1.2. Governmental Administration

There are 30 provinces: 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, Wardak, Zabol. There may be two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan) and Khowst. Within each province are subsidiary Districts. Within these, most rural families live in villages.

The central government had an organizational structure of Ministries for each important area. These included Ministries of Agriculture; Rural Development: Public Health; Women Affairs; Higher Education; Water and Power; Commerce; Education; Mines and Industries; Pilgrimage (Haj); Light Industries; Interior Affairs; Defense; Civil Aviation and Tourism; Information and Culture; Reconstruction; Urban Development; Transport; Public Works; Justice; Martyrs and Disables; Telecommunication; Foreign Affairs; Border Affairs; Refugees; Planning; Finance; Irrigation. Another Cabinet-level agency was the General Directorate of Intelligence.

I.1.3. Transportation

Afghanistan's transport system was composed of:
Roads: total: 21,000 km; paved: 2,793 km; unpaved: 18,207 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 1,200 km chiefly Amu Darya river, which handles vessels with DWT up to about 500 (2001).
Railroads: total: 24.6 km.
Airports with paved runways: 10.
Airports with unpaved runways: 36.

Public transport is generally by bus and truck, with loads of people and produce packed into small spaces or on the roof. Most Afghans in rural areas travel by foot, donkey or horse.

Most transport facilities, especially roads, are in very poor condition due to conflict and lack of maintenance. Transport for any distance is reportedly difficult.

I.1.4. Communication

In 1991, there were about 30,000 telephones; telephone and telegraph connected major towns. Most of the communications network, including the Kabul international telephone exchange system, was destroyed in the conflict period.

I.1.5. Electricity

Before 1979, the level of consumption of energy (electricity, gas, etc.) use was among the world's lowest. In 1993, UNDP estimated that 60% of the electric transmission lines were inoperative. War damage, looting and poor maintenance has caused electricity supply to drop far below its potential of 400mw. Even at full capacity, 400mw is substantially below the country's needs. Generating plants, substations, transformers, switchgear, distribution and transmission lines are all in very poor condition or inoperative.

I.2. POPULATION

I.2.1. Characteristics

Total population (July 2001 est.) was 26,813,057, composed approximately as:
0-14 years of age: 42.2% (male 5,775,921; female 5,538,836)
15-64 years: 55.01% (male 7,644,242; female 7,106,568)
65 years and over: 2.79% (male 394,444; female 353,046) (2001 est.)

Average lifespan has been reported as: total population 46.24 years; male 46.97 years; female 45.47 years (2001 est.). Another estimate of lifespan was 41 years. UNDP (2000) put life expectancy at 40 years.

Population growth rate is 3.48% (2001 est.), reflecting the continued return of refugees from Iran. Fertility rate, as related to family size, is 5.79 children born/woman (2001 est.).

Ethnic groups: Pashtun 38% of the population, Tajik 25%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others) 12%, Uzbek 6%.

Religions: Sunni Muslim 84% of the population, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%.

Languages: Pashtu 35% of the population, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%. There is much bilingualism; many persons speak English to some degree.

I.2.2. Rural and Urban Populations

Before the recent conflict/refugee situation, rural households reportedly made up 80% of the total national population, with only 20% urban. Major urban provinces are Kabul (79% of its population is urban); Kandahar (35% urban); Mazar-i-Sharif (26% urban); Herat (24% urban) and Kunduz (21% urban). These provinces make up 33% of the total national population, but over 80% of the urban population. The nine provinces with the most rural population make up 17% of the national population, but have virtually no urban population.

I.2.3. Health

Inadequate health infrastructure and war devastation of what existed has left the country with one of the worst health situations in the world. There are high rates of maternal, infant and child mortality, and high incidence of widows and orphans. Many children have infectious and parasitic diseases, including diarrhea and respiratory infection. ". Children under 5 years had a mortality rate of 25.7%. Most medical professionals have fled the country. There is an estimated one health center for every 100,000 persons. In 1996, an estimated 1.5 million were physically disabled by war injuries (including amputation, blindness and paralysis) and debilitating infectious diseases such as polio and leprosy. Cholera is endemic. "A majority relies on indigenous healers such as traditional midwives, herbalists, bone setters and barbers who circumcise, let blood, pull teeth, and perform some curative procedures. Mullahs, sayyids and other specialists prepare curative and protective amulets".

I.2.4. Education

Literacy (age 15 and over, can read and write): total population: 31.5%; male: 47.2%; female: 15% (1999 est.). During the war, educational infrastructure has been all but demolished. Women have been excluded from education; quality of education for boys is rated poorly. By law, all male children aged 7-15 must attend school. In 1998, there were about 4.4 million children (boys and girls) of this age. Some 250,000 boys attended externally supported schools and 750,000 boys were in government schools. The rest (2 million girls and 1.4 million boys) have never attended any school. 85% of the trained teachers are estimated to have been killed or fled the country.

There are two universities (Ningrahar University in Jalalabad, and Kabul University). Most higher education institutions are closed much of the time due to fighting and shelling, and have severely damaged physical facilities with few or no textbooks, libraries or laboratories, and under-qualified staff.

I.2.5. Refugee Situation

Of a total population of 26+ million (estimated), estimates of refugees range from 6 to 8 million, including refugees in neighboring countries and in refugee status within the country (IDP's, internally displaced persons). 44% of returning refugees reportedly go to the Kabul area, one of the most heavily-mined regions. Reportedly, some 140,000 refugees return each week.

I.2.6. Social Problems

A variety of social ills are common (ADB): poverty, interethnic strife, gender inequality, and widespread thievery, kidnapping and banditry. The Taliban imposed order through intimidation by imposing a strict centuries-old mountain-village social code on the entire population. Years of war have separated and impoverished extended families that traditionally cared for widows and fatherless children, many of whom now must fend for themselves. Diseases of malnutrition are reported for the first time in decades. The World Bank described it as: "Afghanistan, which has always been at or near the bottom of most poverty and social indicator rankings, must now be considered the poorest, most miserable state in the world."