Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 21% (1999 est.)
total population: 36%
male: 51%
People - note:
large numbers of Afghan refugees create burdens on neighboring
states
Government Afghanistan
Country name:
conventional long form: Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan
local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan
Government type:
transitional
Capital:
Kabul
Administrative divisions:
32 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,
Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand,
Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz,
Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia,
Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, and Zabol
Independence:
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Constitution:
the Bonn Agreement called for a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) to be
convened within 18 months of the establishment of the Transitional
Authority to draft a new constitution for the country; the basis for
the next constitution is the 1964 Constitution, according to the
Bonn Agreement