diff --git a/australia-oceania/at.json b/australia-oceania/at.json index 799b1bfe..ad82872f 100644 --- a/australia-oceania/at.json +++ b/australia-oceania/at.json @@ -15,17 +15,17 @@ "text": "Southeast Asia" }, "Area": { - "total": { + "total:": { "text": "5 sq km" }, - "land": { + "land:": { "text": "5 sq km" }, - "water": { + "water:": { "text": "0 sq km" }, "note": { - "text": "includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island" + "text": "note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island" } }, "Area - comparative": { @@ -38,17 +38,17 @@ "text": "74.1 km" }, "Maritime claims": { - "territorial sea": { + "territorial sea:": { "text": "12 nm" }, - "contiguous zone": { + "contiguous zone:": { "text": "12 nm" }, - "exclusive fishing zone": { - "text": "200 nm" - }, - "continental shelf": { + "continental shelf:": { "text": "200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation" + }, + "exclusive fishing zone:": { + "text": "200 nm" } }, "Climate": { @@ -58,32 +58,24 @@ "text": "low with sand and coral" }, "Elevation": { - "mean elevation": { - "text": "NA" + "lowest point:": { + "text": "Indian Ocean 0 m" }, - "elevation extremes": { - "text": "lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m ++ highest point: unnamed location 3 m" + "highest point:": { + "text": "Cartier Island 5 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "fish" }, "Land use": { - "agricultural land": { - "text": "0%" - }, - "forest": { - "text": "0%" - }, - "other": { - "text": "100% (all grass and sand) (2011 est.)" - } + "text": "0% (2014 est.)" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards" }, "Environment - current issues": { - "text": "illegal killing of protected wildlife by traditional Indonesian fisherman, as well as fishing by non-traditional Indonesian vessels, are ongoing problems" + "text": "illegal killing of protected wildlife by traditional Indonesian fisherman, as well as fishing by non-traditional Indonesian vessels, are ongoing problems; sea level rise, changes in sea temperature, and ocean acidification are concerns; marine debris" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000" @@ -93,19 +85,19 @@ "Population": { "text": "no indigenous inhabitants", "note": { - "text": "Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only" + "text": "note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only" } } }, "Government": { "Country name": { - "conventional long form": { + "conventional long form:": { "text": "Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands" }, - "conventional short form": { + "conventional short form:": { "text": "Ashmore and Cartier Islands" }, - "etymology": { + "etymology:": { "text": "named after British Captain Samuel ASHMORE, who first sighted his namesake island in 1811, and after the ship Cartier, from which the second island was discovered in 1800" } }, @@ -116,10 +108,14 @@ "text": "the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply" }, "Citizenship": { - "text": "see Australia" + "note": { + "text": "see Australia" + } }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { - "text": "none (territory of Australia)" + "note": { + "text": "none (territory of Australia)" + } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "text": "none (territory of Australia)" @@ -135,7 +131,9 @@ }, "Transportation": { "Ports and terminals": { - "text": "none; offshore anchorage only" + "note": { + "text": "none; offshore anchorage only" + } } }, "Military and Security": { diff --git a/south-asia/af.json b/south-asia/af.json index 665759e0..4792af1c 100644 --- a/south-asia/af.json +++ b/south-asia/af.json @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ { "Introduction": { "Background": { - "text": "Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN. ++ A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December. KARZAI was reelected in August 2009 for a second term. The 2014 presidential election was the country's first to include a runoff, which featured the top two vote-getters from the first round, Abdullah ABDULLAH and Ashraf GHANI. Throughout the summer of 2014, their campaigns disputed the results and traded accusations of fraud, leading to a US-led diplomatic intervention that included a full vote audit as well as political negotiations between the two camps. In September 2014, GHANI and ABDULLAH agreed to form the Government of National Unity, with GHANI inaugurated as president and ABDULLAH elevated to the newly-created position of chief executive officer. The day after the inauguration, the GHANI administration signed the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO Status of Forces Agreement, which provide the legal basis for the post-2014 international military presence in Afghanistan. ++ Despite gains toward building a stable central government, the Taliban remains a serious challenge for the Afghan Government in almost every province. The Taliban still considers itself the rightful government of Afghanistan, and it remains a capable and confident insurgent force despite its last two spiritual leaders being killed; it continues to declare that it will pursue a peace deal with Kabul only after foreign military forces depart." + "text": "Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in increased democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN. A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December. KARZAI was reelected in August 2009 for a second term. The 2014 presidential election was the country's first to include a runoff, which featured the top two vote-getters from the first round, Abdullah ABDULLAH and Ashraf GHANI. Throughout the summer of 2014, their campaigns disputed the results and traded accusations of fraud, leading to a US-led diplomatic intervention that included a full vote audit as well as political negotiations between the two camps. In September 2014, GHANI and ABDULLAH agreed to form the Government of National Unity, with GHANI inaugurated as president and ABDULLAH elevated to the newly-created position of chief executive officer. The day after the inauguration, the GHANI administration signed the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO Status of Forces Agreement, which provide the legal basis for the post-2014 international military presence in Afghanistan. After two postponements, the next presidential election was held in September 2019. The Taliban remains a serious challenge for the Afghan Government in almost every province. The Taliban still considers itself the rightful government of Afghanistan, and it remains a capable and confident insurgent force fighting for the withdrawal of foreign military forces from Afghanistan, establishment of sharia law, and rewriting of the Afghan constitution. In 2019, negotiations between the US and the Taliban in Doha entered their highest level yet, building on momentum that began in late 2018. Underlying the negotiations is the unsettled state of Afghan politics, and prospects for a sustainable political settlement remain unclear." } }, "Geography": { @@ -33,14 +33,16 @@ "text": "5,987 km" }, "border countries": { - "text": "China 91 km, Iran 921 km, Pakistan 2,670 km, Tajikistan 1,357 km, Turkmenistan 804 km, Uzbekistan 144 km" + "text": "China 91 km, Iran 921 km, Pakistan 2670 km, Tajikistan 1357 km, Turkmenistan 804 km, Uzbekistan 144 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "0 km (landlocked)" }, "Maritime claims": { - "text": "none (landlocked)" + "note": { + "text": "none (landlocked)" + } }, "Climate": { "text": "arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers" @@ -52,8 +54,11 @@ "mean elevation": { "text": "1,884 m" }, - "elevation extremes": { - "text": "lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m ++ highest point: Noshak 7,485 m" + "lowest point": { + "text": "Amu Darya 258 m" + }, + "highest point": { + "text": "Noshak 7,492 m" } }, "Natural resources": { @@ -61,26 +66,29 @@ }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { - "text": "58.1% ++ arable land 11.9%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 46%" + "text": "58.1% (2016 est.)" + }, + "arable land / permanent crops / permanent pasture": { + "text": "11.8% (2016) / 0.3% (2016) / 46% (2016)" }, "forest": { - "text": "2.1%" + "text": "2.07% (2016 est.)" }, "other": { - "text": "39.8% (2011 est.)" + "text": "39% (2016)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "32,080 sq km (2012)" }, - "Population - distribution": { - "text": "populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled while the south is sparsely populated" + "Population distribution": { + "text": "populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts" }, "Environment - current issues": { - "text": "limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution" + "text": "limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution in overcrowded urban areas" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { @@ -96,7 +104,7 @@ }, "People and Society": { "Population": { - "text": "33,332,025 (July 2016 est.)" + "text": "36,643,815 (July 2020 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { @@ -107,15 +115,15 @@ } }, "Ethnic groups": { - "text": "Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, other (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz)", + "text": "Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, other (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz) (2015)", "note": { - "text": "current statistical data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghanistan is not available, and ethnicity data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a reliable alternative; Afghanistan's 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai (2015)" + "text": "note: current statistical data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghanistan are not available, and ethnicity data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a reliable alternative; Afghanistan's 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai" } }, "Languages": { - "text": "Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism, but Dari functions as the lingua franca", + "text": "Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 77% (Dari functions as the lingua franca), Pashto (official) 48%, Uzbek 11%, English 6%, Turkmen 3%, Urdu 3%, Pashayi 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, Balochi 1% (2017 est.)", "note": { - "text": "the Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashai, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them" + "text": "note: data represent most widely spoken languages; shares sum to more than 100% because there is much bilingualism in the country and because respondents were allowed to select more than one language note: the Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them" } }, "Religions": { @@ -123,71 +131,71 @@ }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { - "text": "41.03% (male 6,947,939/female 6,728,983)" + "text": "40.62% (male 7,562,703/female 7,321,646)" }, "15-24 years": { - "text": "22.49% (male 3,816,369/female 3,678,657)" + "text": "21.26% (male 3,960,044/female 3,828,670)" }, "25-54 years": { - "text": "30.01% (male 5,095,905/female 4,907,019)" + "text": "31.44% (male 5,858,675/female 5,661,887)" }, "55-64 years": { - "text": "3.9% (male 640,813/female 660,121)" + "text": "4.01% (male 724,597/female 744,910)" }, "65 years and over": { - "text": "2.57% (male 396,124/female 460,095) (2016 est.)" + "text": "2.68% (male 451,852/female 528,831) (2020 est.)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { - "text": "87%" + "text": "88.8" }, "youth dependency ratio": { - "text": "82.3%" + "text": "75.3" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { - "text": "4.6%" + "text": "4.8" }, "potential support ratio": { - "text": "21.7% (2015 est.)" + "text": "21 (2020 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { - "text": "18.6 years" + "text": "19.5 years" }, "male": { - "text": "18.5 years" + "text": "19.4 years" }, "female": { - "text": "18.6 years (2016 est.)" + "text": "19.5 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { - "text": "2.34% (2016 est.)" + "text": "2.38% (2020 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { - "text": "38.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)" + "text": "36.7 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)" }, "Death rate": { - "text": "13.7 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)" + "text": "12.7 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { - "text": "-1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)" + "text": "-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { - "text": "populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled while the south is sparsely populated" + "text": "populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { - "text": "26.7% of total population (2015)" + "text": "26% of total population (2020)" }, "rate of urbanization": { - "text": "3.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)" + "text": "3.37% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { - "text": "KABUL (capital) 4.635 million (2015)" + "text": "4.222 million KABUL (capital) (2020)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { @@ -197,143 +205,155 @@ "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { - "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" + "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { - "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" + "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "0.97 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { - "text": "0.86 male(s)/female" + "text": "0.85 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { - "text": "1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)" + "text": "1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { - "text": "20.1", + "text": "19.9 years (2015 est.)", "note": { - "text": "median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)" + "text": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29" } }, "Maternal mortality rate": { - "text": "396 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)" + "text": "638 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { - "text": "112.8 deaths/1,000 live births" + "text": "104.3 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { - "text": "120.3 deaths/1,000 live births" + "text": "111.3 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { - "text": "105 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)" + "text": "96.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { - "text": "51.3 years" + "text": "52.8 years" }, "male": { - "text": "49.9 years" + "text": "51.4 years" }, "female": { - "text": "52.7 years (2016 est.)" + "text": "54.4 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { - "text": "5.22 children born/woman (2016 est.)" + "text": "4.82 children born/woman (2020 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { - "text": "21.2% (2010/11)" - }, - "Health expenditures": { - "text": "8.2% of GDP (2014)" - }, - "Physicians density": { - "text": "0.27 physicians/1,000 population (2013)" - }, - "Hospital bed density": { - "text": "0.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)" - }, - "Drinking water source": { - "improved": { - "text": " ++ urban: 78.2% of population ++ rural: 47% of population ++ total: 55.3% of population" - }, - "unimproved": { - "text": " ++ urban: 21.8% of population ++ rural: 53% of population ++ total: 44.7% of population (2015 est.)" + "text": "18.9% (2018)", + "note": { + "text": "note:  percent of women aged 12-49" } }, - "Sanitation facility access": { - "improved": { - "text": " ++ urban: 45.1% of population ++ rural: 27% of population ++ total: 31.9% of population" + "Drinking water source": { + "urban": { + "text": "unimproved: 3.2% of population" }, - "unimproved": { - "text": " ++ urban: 54.9% of population ++ rural: 73% of population ++ total: 68.1% of population (2015 est.)" + "rural": { + "text": "38.6% of population" + }, + "total": { + "text": "38.6% of population (2017 est.)" + } + }, + "Current Health Expenditure": { + "text": "11.8% (2017)" + }, + "Physicians density": { + "text": "0.28 physicians/1,000 population (2016)" + }, + "Hospital bed density": { + "text": "0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)" + }, + "Sanitation facility access": { + "urban": { + "text": "unimproved: 16.4% of population" + }, + "rural": { + "text": "57% of population" + }, + "total": { + "text": "46.8% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { - "text": "0.04% (2015 est.)" + "text": "<.1% (2019 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { - "text": "6,900 (2015 est.)" + "text": "11,000 (2019 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - deaths": { - "text": "300 (2015 est.)" + "text": "<500 (2019 est.)" }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { - "text": "intermediate" + "text": "intermediate (2020)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever" }, "vectorborne diseases": { - "text": "malaria (2016)" + "text": "Crimea-Congo hemorrhagic fever, malaria" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { - "text": "2.4% (2014)" + "text": "5.5% (2016)" + }, + "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { + "text": "19.1% (2018)" }, "Education expenditures": { - "text": "3.4% of GDP (2015)" + "text": "4.1% of GDP (2017)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { - "text": "38.2%" + "text": "43%" }, "male": { - "text": "52%" + "text": "55.5%" }, "female": { - "text": "24.2% (2015 est.)" + "text": "29.8% (2018)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { - "text": "11 years" + "text": "10 years" }, "male": { "text": "13 years" }, "female": { - "text": "8 years (2014)" + "text": "8 years (2018)" } }, - "Child labor - children ages 5-14": { - "total number": { - "text": "2,082,722" + "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { + "total": { + "text": "17.6%" }, - "percentage": { - "text": "25.3%" + "male": { + "text": "16.3%" }, - "note": { - "text": "data on child labor in Afghanistan is uncertain and may be higher than the estimated 25.3% of children ages 5-14 derived from 2010-11 survey results; UNICEF estimated that 30% of children ages 5-14 in 2011 were engaged in child labor (2010/11 est.)" + "female": { + "text": "21.4% (2017)" } } }, @@ -370,6 +390,12 @@ }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" + }, + "daylight saving time": { + "text": "does not observe daylight savings time" + }, + "note": { + "text": "etymology: named for the Kabul River, but the river's name is of unknown origin" } }, "Administrative divisions": { @@ -382,10 +408,15 @@ "text": "Independence Day, 19 August (1919)" }, "Constitution": { - "text": "several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004; note - a provision in the constitution prohibits changes until 2020 (2016)" + "history": { + "text": "several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004" + }, + "amendments": { + "text": "proposed by a commission formed by presidential decree followed by the convention of a Grand Council (Loya Jirga) decreed by the president; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Loya Jirga membership and endorsement by the president" + } }, "Legal system": { - "text": "mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law" + "text": "mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic (sharia) law" }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction" @@ -409,37 +440,37 @@ }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { - "text": "President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai (since 29 September 2014); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" + "text": "President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI (since 29 September 2014); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH, Dr. (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); First Deputy CEO Khyal Mohammad KHAN; Second Deputy CEO Mohammad MOHAQQEQ; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government" }, "head of government": { - "text": "President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai (since 29 September 2014 ); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014 ); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014)" + "text": "President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI (since 29 September 2014); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH, Dr. (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); First Deputy CEO Khyal Mohammad KHAN; Second Deputy CEO Mohammad MOHAQQEQ" }, "cabinet": { - "text": "Cabinet consists of 26 ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly" + "text": "Cabinet consists of 25 ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly" }, "elections/appointments": { - "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held in 2 rounds on 5 April and 14 June 2014 (next to be held in 2019)" + "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 September 2019 (next to be held in 2024)" }, "election results": { - "text": "percent of vote in first round - Abdullah ABDULLAH (National Coalition of Afghanistan) 45%, Ashraf GHANI (independent) 31.6%, Zalmai RASSOUL 11.4%, other 12%; percent of vote in second round - Ashraf GHANI 56.4%, Abdullah ABDULLAH 43.6%" + "text": "Ashraf GHANI declared winner by the Independent Election Commission on 18 February 2020; Ashraf GHANI 50.6%, Abdullah ABDULLAH, Dr. 39.5%, other 0.9%" } }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { - "text": "bicameral National Assembly consists of the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by district councils to serve 3-year terms, 34 indirectly elected by provincial councils to serve 4-year terms, and 34 nominated by the president of which 17 must be women, 2 must represent the disabled, and 2 must be Kuchi nomads; members serve 5-year terms) and the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (249 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)" - }, - "note": { - "text": "the constitution allows the government to convene a constitutional Loya Jirga (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; it consists of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils; no constitutional Loya Jirga has ever been held, and district councils have never been elected; the president appointed 34 members of the Meshrano Jirga that the district councils should have indirectly elected" + "text": "bicameral National Assembly consists of:Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed by district councils to serve 3-year terms, 34 indirectly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed by provincial councils to serve 4-year terms, and 34 appointed by the president from nominations by civic groups, political parties, and the public, of which 17 must be women, 2 must represent the disabled, and 2 must be Kuchi nomads; presidential appointees serve 5-year terms) Wolesi Jirga or House of People (250 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)" }, "elections": { - "text": "the Wolesi Jirga’s five-year term expired in 2015, but the president extended its term by decree until elections can be held" + "text": "Meshrano Jirga - district councils - within 5 days of installation; provincial councils - within 15 days of installation; presidential appointees - within 2 weeks after the presidential inauguration Wolesi Jirga - last held on 20 October 2018) (next to be held in 2023)" }, "election results": { - "text": "results by party - NA; seats by party - NA" + "text": "Meshrano Jirga - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 84, women 18, percent of women 17.6%Wolesi Jirga - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party - NA; composition - NA" + }, + "note": { + "text": "note: the constitution allows the government to convene a constitutional Loya Jirga (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it consists of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils; a Loya Jirga can amend provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; no constitutional Loya Jirga has ever been held, and district councils have never been elected; the president appointed 34 members of the Meshrano Jirga that the district councils should have indirectly elected" } }, "Judicial branch": { - "highest court(s)": { + "highest courts": { "text": "Supreme Court or Stera Mahkama (consists of the supreme court chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions or dewans)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { @@ -450,19 +481,14 @@ } }, "Political parties and leaders": { - "text": "note - the Ministry of Justice licensed 67 political parties as of September 2015" - }, - "Political pressure groups and leaders": { - "other": { - "text": "religious groups, tribal leaders, ethnically based groups, Taliban" - } + "text": "note - the Ministry of Justice licensed 72 political parties as of April 2019 " }, "International organization participation": { "text": "ADB, CICA, CP, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNAMA, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador Hamdullah MOHIB (since 17 September 2015)" + "text": "Ambassador Roya RAHMANI (since 24 November 2018)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" @@ -479,25 +505,25 @@ }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { - "text": "Ambassador P. Michael MCKINLEY (since 22 December 2014)" + "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ross WILSON (since 18 January 2020)" + }, + "telephone": { + "text": "[00 93] 0700 108 001" }, "embassy": { "text": "Bibi Mahru, Kabul" }, "mailing address": { - "text": "U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806" - }, - "telephone": { - "text": "[00 93] 0700 108 001" + "text": "U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO AE 09806" }, "FAX": { "text": "[00 93] 0700 108 564" } }, "Flag description": { - "text": "three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other two bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning \"God is great\"), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam", + "text": "three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other 2 bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are Eastern Arabic numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning \"God is great\"), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam", "note": { - "text": "Afghanistan had more changes to its national flag in the 20th century than any other country; the colors black, red, and green appeared on most of them" + "text": "note: Afghanistan had more changes to its national flag in the 20th century - 19 by one count - than any other country; the colors black, red, and green appeared on most of them" } }, "National symbol(s)": { @@ -511,97 +537,97 @@ "text": "Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA" }, "note": { - "text": "adopted 2006; the 2004 constitution of the post-Taliban government mandated that a new national anthem should be written containing the phrase \"Allahu Akbar\" (God is Greatest) and mentioning the names of Afghanistan's ethnic groups" + "text": "note: adopted 2006; the 2004 constitution of the post-Taliban government mandated that a new national anthem should be written containing the phrase \"Allahu Akbar\" (God is Greatest) and mentioning the names of Afghanistan's ethnic groups" } } }, "Economy": { "Economy - overview": { - "text": "Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, weak governance, lack of infrastructure, and the Afghan Government's difficulty in extending rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. Afghanistan's living standards are among the lowest in the world. ++ ++ The international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $67 billion at nine donors' conferences between 2003 and 2010. In July 2012, the donors at the Tokyo conference pledged an additional $16 billion in civilian aid through 2015. Despite this help, the Government of Afghanistan will need to overcome a number of challenges, including low revenue collection, anemic job creation, high levels of corruption, weak government capacity, and poor public infrastructure. ++ ++ Afghanistan's growth rate slowed markedly in 2014-15. The drawdown of international security forces that started in 2014 has negatively affected economic growth, as a substantial portion of commerce, especially in the services sector, has catered to the ongoing international troop presence in the country. Afghan President Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai is dedicated to instituting economic reforms to include improving revenue collection and fighting corruption. However, the reforms will take time to implement and Afghanistan will remain dependent on international donor support over the next several years." + "text": "Despite improvements in life expectancy, incomes, and literacy since 2001, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Corruption, insecurity, weak governance, lack of infrastructure, and the Afghan Government's difficulty in extending rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. Afghanistan's living standards are among the lowest in the world. Since 2014, the economy has slowed, in large part because of the withdrawal of nearly 100,000 foreign troops that had artificially inflated the country’s economic growth. The international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $83 billion at ten donors' conferences between 2003 and 2016. In October 2016, the donors at the Brussels conference pledged an additional $3.8 billion in development aid annually from 2017 to 2020. Even with this help, Government of Afghanistan still faces number of challenges, including low revenue collection, anemic job creation, high levels of corruption, weak government capacity, and poor public infrastructure. In 2017 Afghanistan's growth rate was only marginally above that of the 2014-2016 average. The drawdown of international security forces that started in 2012 has negatively affected economic growth, as a substantial portion of commerce, especially in the services sector, has catered to the ongoing international troop presence in the country. Afghan President Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai is dedicated to instituting economic reforms to include improving revenue collection and fighting corruption. The government has implemented reforms to the budget process and in some other areas. However, many other reforms will take time to implement and Afghanistan will remain dependent on international donor support over the next several years." }, "GDP (purchasing power parity)": { - "text": "$64.08 billion (2016 est.) ++ $62.82 billion (2015 est.) ++ $62.35 billion (2014 est.)", + "text": "$69.45 billion (2017 est.) / $67.65 billion (2016 est.) / $66.21 billion (2015 est.)", "note": { - "text": "data are in 2016 dollars" + "text": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" } }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { - "text": "$18.4 billion (2014 est.)" + "text": "$20.24 billion (2017 est.)" }, "GDP - real growth rate": { - "text": "2% (2016 est.) ++ 0.8% (2015 est.) ++ 1.3% (2014 est.)" + "text": "2.7% (2017 est.) / 2.2% (2016 est.) / 1% (2015 est.)" }, "GDP - per capita (PPP)": { - "text": "$2,000 (2016 est.) ++ $2,000 (2015 est.) ++ $2,000 (2014 est.)", + "text": "$2,000 (2017 est.) / $2,000 (2016 est.) / $2,000 (2015 est.)", "note": { - "text": "data are in 2016 dollars" + "text": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" } }, "Gross national saving": { - "text": "23.4% of GDP (2016 est.) ++ 23.3% of GDP (2015 est.) ++ 20% of GDP (2014 est.)" + "text": "22.7% of GDP (2017 est.) / 25.8% of GDP (2016 est.) / 21.4% of GDP (2015 est.)" }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { - "text": "108.6%" + "text": "81.6% (2016 est.)" }, "government consumption": { - "text": "12.8%" + "text": "12% (2016 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { - "text": "18.2%" + "text": "17.2% (2016 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { - "text": "0%" + "text": "30% (2016 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { - "text": "6.6%" + "text": "6.7% (2016 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { - "text": "-46.2% (2014 est.)" + "text": "-47.6% (2016 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { - "text": "24%" + "text": "23% (2016 est.)" }, "industry": { - "text": "21%" + "text": "21.1% (2016 est.)" }, "services": { - "text": "55%" + "text": "55.9% (2016 est.)" }, "note": { - "text": "data exclude opium production (2014 est.)" + "text": "note: data exclude opium production" } }, "Agriculture - products": { - "text": "opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins, poppies" + "text": "opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins, poppies" }, "Industries": { "text": "small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { - "text": "2.4% (2014 est.)" + "text": "-1.9% (2016 est.)" }, "Labor force": { - "text": "7.983 million (2013 est.)" + "text": "8.478 million (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { - "text": "78.6%" + "text": "44.3%" }, "industry": { - "text": "5.7%" + "text": "18.1%" }, "services": { - "text": "15.7% (FY08/09 est.)" + "text": "37.6% (2017 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { - "text": "35% (2008 est.) ++ 40% (2005 est.)" + "text": "23.9% (2017 est.) / 22.6% (2016 est.)" }, "Population below poverty line": { - "text": "35.8% (2011 est.)" + "text": "54.5% (2017 est.)" }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { @@ -613,264 +639,277 @@ }, "Budget": { "revenues": { - "text": "$1.7 billion" + "text": "2.276 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { - "text": "$6.639 billion (2015 est.)" + "text": "5.328 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { - "text": "9.2% of GDP (2015 est.)" + "text": "11.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { - "text": "-26.8% of GDP (2015 est.)" + "text": "-15.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" + }, + "Public debt": { + "text": "7% of GDP (2017 est.) / 7.8% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "21 December - 20 December" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { - "text": "4.5% (2016 est.) ++ -1.5% (2015 est.)" - }, - "Commercial bank prime lending rate": { - "text": "15% (31 December 2015 est.) ++ 15% (31 December 2014 est.)" - }, - "Stock of narrow money": { - "text": "$6.644 billion (31 December 2014 est.) ++ $6.192 billion (31 December 2013 est.)" - }, - "Stock of broad money": { - "text": "$6.945 billion (31 December 2014 est.) ++ $6.544 billion (31 December 2013 est.)" - }, - "Stock of domestic credit": { - "text": "$-454 million (31 December 2014 est.) ++ $-767.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)" - }, - "Market value of publicly traded shares": { - "text": "$NA" + "text": "5% (2017 est.) / 4.4% (2016 est.)" }, "Current account balance": { - "text": "$827 million (2016 est.) ++ $925 million (2015 est.)" + "text": "$1.014 billion (2017 est.) / $1.409 billion (2016 est.)" }, "Exports": { - "text": "$658 million (2014 est.) ++ $2.679 billion (2013 est.)", + "text": "$784 million (2017 est.) / $614.2 million (2016 est.)", "note": { - "text": "not including illicit exports or reexports" + "text": "note: not including illicit exports or reexports" } }, - "Exports - commodities": { - "text": "opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems" - }, "Exports - partners": { - "text": "India 42.3%, Pakistan 29%, Tajikistan 7.6% (2015)" + "text": "India 56.5%, Pakistan 29.6% (2017)" + }, + "Exports - commodities": { + "text": "opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems, and medical herbs" }, "Imports": { - "text": "$7.004 billion (2014 est.) ++ $12.19 billion (2013 est.)" + "text": "$7.616 billion (2017 est.) / $6.16 billion (2016 est.)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products" }, "Imports - partners": { - "text": "Pakistan 38.6%, India 8.9%, US 8.3%, Turkmenistan 6.2%, China 6%, Kazakhstan 5.9%, Azerbaijan 4.9% (2015)" + "text": "China 21%, Iran 20.5%, Pakistan 11.8%, Kazakhstan 11%, Uzbekistan 6.8%, Malaysia 5.3% (2017)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { - "text": "$6.232 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ++ $6.681 billion (31 December 2014 est.)" + "text": "$7.187 billion (31 December 2017 est.) / $6.901 billion (31 December 2015 est.)" }, "Debt - external": { - "text": "$1.28 billion (FY10/11) ++ $2.7 billion (FY08/09)" + "text": "$284 million (FY10/11)" }, "Exchange rates": { - "text": "afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - ++ 61.14 (2016 est.) ++ 61.14 (2015 est.) ++ 61.14 (2014 est.) ++ 57.25 (2013 est.) ++ 46.45 (2010)" + "text": "afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - / 7.87 (2017 est.) / 68.03 (2016 est.) / 67.87 (2015) / 61.14 (2014 est.) / 57.25 (2013 est.)" } }, "Energy": { + "Electricity access": { + "population without electricity": { + "text": "18,999,254 (2012)" + }, + "electrification - total population": { + "text": "84.1% (2016)" + }, + "electrification - urban areas": { + "text": "98% (2016)" + }, + "electrification - rural areas": { + "text": "79% (2016)" + } + }, "Electricity - production": { - "text": "1 billion kWh (2014 est.)" + "text": "1.211 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - consumption": { - "text": "4.7 billion kWh (2014 est.)" + "text": "5.526 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - exports": { - "text": "0 kWh (2013 est.)" + "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - imports": { - "text": "3.7 billion kWh (2014 est.)" + "text": "4.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - installed generating capacity": { - "text": "600,000 kW (2014 est.)" + "text": "634,100 kW (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from fossil fuels": { - "text": "35.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)" + "text": "45% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": { - "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)" + "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": { - "text": "64.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)" + "text": "52% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from other renewable sources": { - "text": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)" + "text": "4% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Crude oil - production": { - "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" + "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "Crude oil - exports": { - "text": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)" + "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - imports": { - "text": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)" + "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - proved reserves": { - "text": "0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)" + "text": "0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { - "text": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)" + "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - consumption": { - "text": "130,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)" + "text": "35,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { - "text": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)" + "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { - "text": "127,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)" + "text": "34,210 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas - production": { - "text": "159.6 million cu m (2014 est.)" + "text": "164.2 million cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - consumption": { - "text": "159.6 million cu m (2014 est.)" + "text": "164.2 million cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - exports": { - "text": "0 cu m (2013 est.)" + "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - imports": { - "text": "0 cu m (2013 est.)" + "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - proved reserves": { - "text": "49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)" + "text": "49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy": { - "text": "7.4 million Mt (2013 est.)" + "text": "9.067 million Mt (2017 est.)" } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { - "text": "110,000" + "text": "125,232" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "less than 1 (July 2015 est.)" + "text": "less than 1 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { - "total": { - "text": "19.709 million" + "total subscriptions": { + "text": "21,239,280" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { - "text": "61 (July 2015 est.)" + "text": "59.36 (2019 est.)" } }, - "Telephone system": { + "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { - "text": "limited fixed-line telephone service; an increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone networks" + "text": "progress has been made on Afghanistan's first limited fixed-line telephone service and nationwide optical fiber backbone; aided by the presence of multiple providers, mobile-cellular telephone service continues to improve swiftly; the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information claims that more than 90% of the population live in areas with access to mobile cellular service; moderate growth through 2024, assuming stable governance and improving economic environment (2020)" }, "domestic": { - "text": "aided by the presence of multiple providers, mobile-cellular telephone service continues to improve rapidly; the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information claims that more than 90 percent of the population live in areas with access to mobile-cellu" + "text": "less than 1 per 100 for fixed-line teledensity; 59 per 100 for mobile-cellular; an increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone networks (2019)" }, "international": { - "text": "country code - 93; multiple VSAT's provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2012)" + "text": "country code - 93; multiple VSAT's provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2019)" + }, + "note": { + "text": "note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated" } }, "Broadcast media": { - "text": "state-owned broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operates a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces; an estimated 150 private radio stations, 50 TV stations, and about a dozen international broadcasters are available (2007)" + "text": "state-owned broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operates a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces; an estimated 174 private radio stations, 83 TV stations, and about a dozen international broadcasters are available (2019)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".af" }, "Internet users": { "total": { - "text": "2.69 million" + "text": "4,717,013" }, "percent of population": { - "text": "8.3% (July 2015 est.)" + "text": "13.5% (July 2018 est.)" + } + }, + "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { + "total": { + "text": "15,999" + }, + "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { + "text": "less than 1 (2018 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { - "text": "4" + "text": "3 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { - "text": "20" + "text": "13" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { - "text": "1,929,907" + "text": "1,722,612 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { - "text": "33,102,038 mt-km (2015)" + "text": "29.56 million mt-km (2018)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "YA (2016)" }, "Airports": { - "text": "43 (2016)" + "text": "46 (2020)" }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { - "text": "25" + "text": "29 (2020)" }, "over 3,047 m": { "text": "4" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { - "text": "4" + "text": "8" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { - "text": "14" + "text": "12" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "2" }, "under 914 m": { - "text": "1 (2013)" + "text": "3" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { - "text": "18" + "text": "17 (2020)" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "1" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { - "text": "8" + "text": "7" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "4" }, "under 914 m": { - "text": "5 (2016)" + "text": "5" } }, "Heliports": { - "text": "9 (2013)" + "text": "1 (2020)" }, "Pipelines": { - "text": "gas 466 km (2013)" + "text": "466 km gas (2013)" }, "Roadways": { "total": { - "text": "42,150 km" + "text": "34,903 km (2017)" }, "paved": { - "text": "12,350 km" + "text": "17,903 km (2017)" }, "unpaved": { - "text": "29,800 km (2006)" + "text": "17,000 km (2017)" } }, "Waterways": { - "text": "1,200 km; (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2011)" + "text": "1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2011)" }, "Ports and terminals": { "river port(s)": { @@ -879,14 +918,31 @@ } }, "Military and Security": { - "Military branches": { - "text": "Afghan National Security Forces: Afghan National Army (includes Afghan Air Force), Afghan National Police, Afghan Local Police (2016)" - }, - "Military service age and obligation": { - "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2016)" + "Military and security forces": { + "text": "Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) are comprised of military, police, and other security elements:Ministry of Defense: Afghan National Army ((ANA), Afghan Air Force, Afghan Special Security Forces (includes Special Operations Forces), Afghanistan National Army Territorial Forces (ANA-TF)); Afghan Border Force (ABF); Afghan National Civil Order Force (ANCOF)Ministry of Interior: Afghan Uniform (National) Police (AUP); Public Security Police (PSP); Afghan Border Police (ABP); Afghan Anti-Crime Police; Afghan Local Police; Afghan Public Protection ForceNational Directorate of Security ((NDS), intelligence service) (2020)" }, "Military expenditures": { - "text": "28.09% of GDP (2016) ++ 4.74% of GDP (2011)" + "text": "1.2% of GDP (2019) / 1% of GDP (2018) / 0.9% of GDP (2017) / 1% of GDP (2016) / 1% of GDP (2015)" + }, + "Military and security service personnel strengths": { + "text": "the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have approximately 180,000 active personnel (173,000 Army; 7,000 Air); est. 150,000 Afghan National Police (2019)" + }, + "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { + "text": "the Afghan Army and Air Force inventory is mostly a mix of Soviet-era and more modern US equipment; since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of arms to Afghanistan, followed by Russia (2019 est.)" + }, + "Military service age and obligation": { + "text": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2017)" + }, + "Military - note": { + "text": "since early 2015, the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan known as Resolute Support Mission (RSM) has focused on training, advising, and assisting Afghan government forces; as of mid-2020, RSM includes about 16,000 troops from 38 countries (June 2020)" + } + }, + "Terrorism": { + "Terrorist group(s)": { + "text": "Haqqani Taliban Network; Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami; Islamic Jihad Union; Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Jaish-e-Mohammed; Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Lashkar i Jhangvi; Lashkar-e Tayyiba; al-Qa’ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent; Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (2020)", + "note": { + "text": "note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T" + } } }, "Transnational Issues": { @@ -895,14 +951,14 @@ }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { - "text": "257,523 (Pakistan) (2015)" + "text": "72,191 (Pakistan) (2019)" }, "IDPs": { - "text": "1,174,306 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to drought and political instability) (2015)" + "text": "2.993 million (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to natural disasters and political instability) (2019)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { - "text": "world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation increased 7 percent, to a record 211,000 hectares in 2014 from 198,000 hectares in 2013, while eradication dropped sharply; relatively low opium yields due to poor weather kept potential opium production - 6,300 metric tons - below the record set in 2007; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; Afghanistan is also struggling to respond to a burgeoning domestic opiate addiction problem; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; illicit cultivation of cannabis and regional source of hashish " + "text": "world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation increased 63 percent, to 328,304 hectares in 2017; while eradication increased slightly, it still remains well below levels achieved in 2015; the 2017 crop yielded an estimated 9,000 mt of raw opium, a 88% increase over 2016; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; Afghanistan is also struggling to respond to a burgeoning domestic opiate addiction problem; a 2015 national drug use survey found that roughly 11% of the population tested positive for one or more illicit drugs; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; illicit cultivation of cannabis and regional source of hashish (2018)" } } } \ No newline at end of file