Afghanistan, (which literally means Land of the Afghan), is a mountainous land-locked country located in Central Asia. It has a history and culture that goes back over 5000 years. Throughout its long, splendid, and sometimes chaotic history, this area of the world has been known by various names. In ancient times, its inhabitants called the land Aryana. In the medieval era, it was called Khorasan, and in modern times, its people have decided to call it Afghanistan. The exact population of Afghanistan is unknown, however, it is estimated to be somewhere close to 32 million.

Afghanistan is a heterogeneous nation, in which there are four major ethnic groups: Pashtoons, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks. Numerous other minor ethnic groups like Nuristanis, Baluchis, Turkmens, etc also call Afghanistan their home. While the majority of Afghans (99%) belong to the Islamic faith, there are also small pockets of Sikhs, Hindus and even some Jews. The official languages of the country are Pashto and Dari (Afghan Persian aka Farsi).

The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul, which throughout history, was admired by many great figures, such as the great Central Asian conqueror, Zahirudeen Babur. Unfortunately, due to many years of war, this great city has been shattered and nearly destroyed.

Flag :
Official Name:	Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Population:	31,056,997 (July 2006 est.)
Time zone:	UTC+4:30
Calling code:	+93
Geographic coordinates:	33 00 N, 65 00 E
Climate:	Cold winters and hot summers
Independence Day:	August 19
Right to vote:	Men & women (18 and older)
Currency (code):	Afghani (AFA)
Capital :	Kabul
Provinces :	34 Provinces

Government and politics

Politics in Afghanistan has historically consisted of power struggles, bloody coups and unstable transfers of power. With the exception of a military junta, the country has been governed by nearly every system of government over the past century, including a monarchy, republic, theocracy and communist state. The constitution ratified by the 2003 Loya jirga restructured the government as an Islamic republic consisting of three branches, (executive, legislature and judiciary).

Afghanistan is currently led by President Hamid Karzai, who was elected in October 2004. The current parliament was elected in 2005. Among the elected officials were former mujahadeen, Taliban members, communists, reformists, and Islamic fundamentalists. 28% of the delegates elected were women, three points more than the 25% minimum guaranteed under the constitution. This made Afghanistan, long known under the Taliban for its oppression of women, one of the leading countries in terms of female representation. Construction for a new parliament building began on August 29, 2005.

The Supreme Court of Afghanistan is currently led by Chief Justice Abdul Salam Azimi, a former university professor who had been legal advisor to the president. The previous court, appointed during the time of the interim government, had been dominated by fundamentalist religious figures, including Chief Justice Faisal Ahmad Shinwari. The court issued several rulings, such as banning cable television, seeking to ban a candidate in the 2004 presidential election and limiting the rights of women, as well as overstepping its constitutional authority by issuing rulings on subjects not yet brought before the court. The current court is seen as more moderate and led by more technocrats than the previous court, although it has yet to issue any rulings.

Learn more at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan

Afghanistan and Australia
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Australia offers a comprehensive and modern resource.

Providing information about recent news and events including business and investment opportunities, also offering a great deal of information on various Afghanistan and Australia related issues.

go to Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Australia) website

Voice of Afghanistan (Afghan Media Link)

www.afghan-web.com (Afghan Online)

www.bbc.co.uk/pashto (bbc pushto)

www.bbc.co.uk/persian (bbc percian)

www.voanews.com/pashto (Voice of America in Pushto)

www.voanews.com/dari (Voice of America in Persian/dari)

www.aopnews.com (Afghan Online Press)

www.afghaninfo.org (Afghanistan Info)

www.afghannews.net (Afghan News)

www.afghanistans.com (Afghanistan's Web Site)

www.payamemojahed.com (Afghan's Web Portal)

http://www.faanoos.com (Afghan's Web Portal)

Afghanistan Map
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Afghanistan Map (Showing Ethno Linguistic)
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Afghanistan Map (Province Basis)
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When you think Afghanistan, Imagine!

Afghanistan is a landlocked and mountainous country in South-Central Asia, with plains in the north and southwest. The highest point is Nowshak, at 7,485 m (24,557 ft) above sea level. Large parts of the country are dry, and fresh water supplies are limited. The endorheic Sistan Basin is one of the driest regions in the world. Afghanistan has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The country is frequently subject to minor earthquakes, mainly in the northeast of Hindu Kush mountain areas. Some 125 villages were damaged and 4000 people killed by the May 30, 1998 earthquake.

At 249,984 sq mi (647,500 km²), Afghanistan is the world's 41st-largest country (after Burma).
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan border Afghanistan to the north, Iran to the west, Pakistan to the south and the People's Republic of China to the east.

The country's natural resources include gold, silver, copper, zinc, and iron ore in the Southeast; precious and semi-precious stones (such as lapis, emerald, and azure) in the Northeast; and potentially significant petroleum and natural gas reserves in the North. The country also has uranium, coal, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, and salt. However, these significant mineral and energy resources remain largely untapped, due to the effects of the Soviet invasion and the subsequent civil war. Plans are underway to begin extracting them in the near future.

Learn more at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan

Afghanistan is among the poorest countries in the world. Situated in Central Asia, it shares borders with Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and Pakistan.

• Remains very poor and dependent on foreign aid and support.
• The economy and the infrastructure remains in ruins.
• More than 700,000 refugees have been forcibly repatriated back to Afghanistan
• 7 million are vulnerable to food shortages
• 87% of the population do not have access to clean and safe water
• 1 in 3 children die before they reach their 5th Birthday
• Less than 2% have access to healthcare.
• Average life expectancy is 40 years for men and 43 years for women.

Today, Afghanistan is on a road to recovery, however, after decades of war, the economy is still in ruins, and its environment is in a state of crises. After pushing the date back twice, at last Afghanistan's presidential elections were finally held on October 9, 2004.

Over 8 million Afghans voted in the elections. The Joint Electoral Management Body of Afghanistan certified the elections on November 3rd, and declared Hamid Karzai, the interim President, the winner with 55.4% of the votes.

With help from the United States and the United Nations, Afghanistan adopted its new constitution, establishing the country as an Islamic Republic, in early January 2004.

According to the constitution, the Afghan government consists of a powerful and popularly elected President, two Vice Presidents, and a National Assembly consisting of two Houses: the House of People (Wolesi Jirga), and the House of Elders (Meshrano Jirga). There is also an independent Judiciary branch consisting of the Supreme Court (Stera Mahkama), High Courts and Appeal Courts. The President appoints the members of the Supreme Court with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga. Assembly elections were held in late 2005.

For a detailed statistical look at Afghanistan check out the following link:

• CIA -- The World Fact Book -- Afghanistan