Essay About Natural Resources And Land Area

Afghanistan
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Afghanistan
Geography
Total area: 647,500 km2; land area: 647,500 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: 5,826 km total; China 76 km, Iran 936 km,
Pakistan 2,430 km, USSR 2,384 km
Coastline: none–landlocked
Maritime claims: none–landlocked
Disputes: Pashtun question with Pakistan; Baloch question with Iran
and Pakistan; periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights;
insurgency with Iranian and Pakistani involvement; traditional tribal
rivalries
Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, coal, copper, talc, barites,
sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Land use: 12% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 46% meadows and
pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 39% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains;
soil degradation, desertification, overgrazing, deforestation, pollution
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 15,862,293 (July 1990), growth rate 7.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 51 migrants/1,000 population (1990);
note–there are flows across the border in both directions, but data are
fragmentary and unreliable
Infant mortality rate: 154 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 47 years male, 46 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun–Afghan(s); adjective–Afghan
Ethnic divisions: 50% Pashtun, 25% Tajik, 9% Uzbek, 12-15% Hazara; minor
ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others
Religion: 74% Sunni Muslim, 15% Shia Muslim, 11% other
Language: 50% Pashtu, 35% Afghan Persian (Dari), 11% Turkic languages
(primarily Uzbek and Turkmen), 4% thirty minor languages (primarily
Balochi and Pashai); much bilingualism
Literacy: 12%
Labor force: 4,980,000; 67.8% agriculture and animal husbandry,
10.2% industry, 6.3% construction, 5.0% commerce, 10.7% services and other
(1980 est.)
Organized labor: some small government-controlled unions
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Afghanistan
Type: authoritarian
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, Lowgar,
Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika,
Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol;
note–there may be a new province of Nurestan (Nuristan)
Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK)
Constitution: adopted 30 November 1987
Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Saur Revolution, 27 April (1978)
Executive branch: president, four vice presidents, prime minister,
deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Meli Shura) consists of
an upper house or Senate (Sena) and a lower house or House of Representatives
(Wolasi Jirgah)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government–President (Mohammad)
NAJIBULLAH (Ahmadzai) (since 30 November 1987); Chairman of the Council
of Ministers Executive Committee Soltan Ali KESHTMAND (since 21
February 1989); Prime Minister Fazil Haq KHALIQYAR (since 21 May 1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party–the Peoples Democratic
Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) has two factions–the Parchami faction
has been in power since December 1979 and members of the deposed Khalqi
faction continue to hold some important posts mostly in the military and
Ministry of Interior; nonparty figures hold some posts
Suffrage: universal, male ages 15-50
Elections: