People - note:
of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3 million
have returned
Government Afghanistan
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan
Government type:
Islamic republic
Capital:
name: Kabul
geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 12 E
time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
34 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,
Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Daykondi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr,
Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar,
Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan,
Paktia, Paktika, Panjshir, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar,
Vardak, Zabol
Independence:
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Constitution:
new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16
January 2004
Legal system:
according to the new constitution, no law should be "contrary to
Islam"; the state is obliged to create a prosperous and progressive
society based on social justice, protection of human dignity,
protection of human rights, realization of democracy, and to ensure
national unity and equality among all ethnic groups and tribes; the
state shall abide by the UN charter, international treaties,
international conventions that Afghanistan signed, and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights