Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

President: Hamid Karzai (2008)
Location: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Area:total: 647,500 sq km
land: 647,500 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Neighboring Countries: total: 5,529 km border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km
Population:32,738,376 (July 2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 154.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 158.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 150.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 28.1%
male: 43.1%
female: 12.6% (2000 est.)
Natural hazards:
Damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
GDP – per capita (ppp): $1,000 (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate: 40% (2005 est)
Population below poverty line: 53% (2003)
IDPs:
136,565 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in south and west due to drought and instability) (2006)
Economic aid – recipient:$2.775 billion (2005)
Capital: Kabul, Monetary unit: Afghani
Largest cities: Mazar-i-Sharif, 250,000 Kandahar, 225,500; Herat, 177,300
Languages: Pushtu, Dari Persian, other Turkic and minor languages
Ethnicity/race: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%
Religion: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones.
Major trading partners: Pakistan, India, Belgium, Germany, Russia, UAE, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Turkmenistan (1999).
Administrative divisions:
34 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Daikondi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kundoz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parwan, Panjshir, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Wardak, and Zabul.

Sourse: CIA Website https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html

Afghanistan Today:
Walking down the street almost anywhere in Kabul-one is certain to see large crowds of people walking, ridding bicycles, or driving—a far cry from the ghostly empty streets only 6 years ago under the Taliban.  Families are out for a stroll in the early hours of the evening until hours after sunset.  The shops are stocked up on all essentials and more.  Cans of Tofu and cartons of Soy Milk can be found on the shelves of upscale supermarkets that have been thriving since the fall of Taliban when the doors were opened to expatriates and their cash. 

That said, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world and with the rise of insecurity, has a long way from becoming an independent and peaceful country.   Of its almost 32 mil residents only 28% (mostly men) can read and write.  Although the economy has improved much since the days of the Taliban, poverty, especially among women, is on a rise.  This is specifically due to the return of large refugee populations from Pakistan and Iran.   

CARE is one the largest NGOs on the ground that has a long history in Afghanistan.  Looking to uproot the underlying causes of poverty, CARE has designated much of its resources for education, particularly for girls.  CARE also attends to the immediate needs of Afghans through provision of shelter as well as water and sanitation for refugees and food aid for widows.  With an emphasis on good governance and women’s rights across all programs, CARE is empowering communities to become self-reliant and to include women in decision-making.