AFGHANISTAN AFGHANISTAN REGION MIDDLE EAST NATURAL RESOURCES INDUSTRY AGRICULTURE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION GLOBAL RELATIONS DATE OF INDEPENDENCE AUGUST 19 1919 FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM DATE OF CURRENT CONSTITUTION NO CONSTITUTION IN PLACE POPULATION 25824882 1999 EST AREA 251825 SQ MI CAPITAL KABUL FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN TRANSITION NATURAL RESOURCES NATURAL GAS COAL OIL COPPER BARITE TALC LEAD SULFUR IRON ZINC SALT PRECIOUS AND SEMIPRECIOUS STONES MAIN INDUSTRIES SMALL SCALE PRODUCTION OF TEXTILES SOAP FURNITURE SHOES FERTILIZER AND CEMENT HANDWOVEN CARPETS NATURAL GAS OIL COAL COPPER AGRICULTURE WHEAT CORN BARLEY RICE COTTON FRUIT NUTS SHEEP CURRENCY AFGHANI GDP 20 BILLION 1998 EST GDP PER CAPITA 800 1998 EST LANGUAGES PASHTU DARI AFGHAN PERSIAN TURKIC DIALECTS RELIGIONS ISLAM SUNNISM SHI'A LITERACY RATE 32 LIFE EXPECTANCY 48 YEARS MALE 47 YEARS FEMALE BIRTHRATE 42 BIRTHS PER 1000 POPULATION DEATH RATE 17 DEATHS PER 1000 POPULATION
