Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

• Key facts
• Relations with New Zealand
• Political Situation
• Visits
• Representation
• Travel advice

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Key Facts

General

Official Name Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Land Area 652,000 sq km
Population 31 million (2006 estimate)
Capital City Kabul
Religion The majority of Afghans are Muslims of the Sunni sect (84%). There are also minority religious groups of Shi’ite Muslims (15%), Hindus, Sikhs and Jews (1%).
Ethnic divisions Pashtuns are the dominant ethnic community, accounting for between 40-50% of the population. Tajiks constitute a further 20%. Another 10% are Turkic, Uzbeks and Turkmen. There are some 20 other ethnic groups, including Hazaras, Baluchis and Nuristanis.
Language There are over 30 languages of which the principal two are Pashtu (35%) and Dari (a dialect of Farsi) (50%). Others include Turkic - primarily Uzbek and Turkmen (11%); Balochi and Pashai (4%). Bilingualism is common.
Currency Afghanistan Afghani (Af)
Exchange Rate US$1 = Af47.7 (2004 average)

Political

Political system Constitutional government
National government The Afghan Transitional Authority was replaced by the Afghan National Assembly following the parliamentary and provincial council elections on 18 September 2005. The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was inaugurated in December 2005.
National legislature Elections for a legislative assembly were successfully conducted on 18 September 2005.
Last election Presidential elections were held on 9 October 2004.
Next election due The next presidential election is scheduled for 2009.

Head of State President Hamid Karzai (Pashtun)

Key Ministers

First Vice President Ahmad Zia Masood
Second Vice President Abdul Karim Khalili (Hazara)
Defence Minister Abdur Rahim Wardak (Pashtun)
Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta
Finance Anwar al-Haq Ahadi
Counter-narcotics Habibullah Qadari

Main political organisations

Political parties include:

Jamiat-e Islami (Tajik)
Jumbesh-e Milli (Uzbek)
Hizb-e Wadhat (Hazara)
Harakat-e Islami (Hazara)
Nezhat-e Milli (Tajik)
Hizb-e Islami (Pashtun)
Adalat-e Shura (Turkmen)
Ittihad-e Islami (Pashtun)
Mahaz-e Milli (Pashtun)

Economic

GDP US$7.31 billion (2005 EIU estimates)
Real GDP growth 8% (2006 EIU estimates)
Exports US$1.6 billion (2005 EIU estimates)
Imports US$4.2 billion (2005 EIU estimates)
Inflation 12.3% (Kabul average 2005 - EIU)
Current account balance US$3.115 billion (2005 EIU estimates)
Principal exports Carpets (US$156 million); dried fruit (US$81 million); Skins (US$22 million) - (2004/05 fiscal year – EIU)
Main export markets Pakistan (84.6%); India (6.6%); Russia (1.3%) (2005/06 EIU estimates)
Principal imports Machinery (US$528 million); food (US$404 million); fabric, clothing and footwear (US$330 million); - (2004/5 fiscal year – EIU)
Current account balance US$3.196 billion (2005 World Bank projection)

Other economic information not currently available

New Zealand Trade

NZ Exports (FOB) NZ$892,888 (for the year to December 2008)
Main Exports Wool (37%); electrical apparatus for line telephony (29%); surveying instruments and appliances (8%)
NZ Imports (CIF) NZ$67,511 (for the year to December 2008)
Main Imports Carpets (51%); machinery (18%); medical instruments (11%)

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Relations with New Zealand

Bilateral Trade

Exports to Afghanistan for the year ending June 2007 totalled NZ $229,962 and consisted mainly of meat, sports equipment and medicaments. Imports from Afghanistan for the same period totalled NZ$119,303 (a decrease from the NZ$745,868 imported in the year to December 2006), comprised mainly of carpets. Prospects in the services area (e.g. air traffic control) have yet to be realised.

New Zealand assistance

New Zealand is committed to supporting Afghanistan in its progress toward political and economic stability. Since 2002, New Zealand has contributed more than NZ$160 million to Afghanistan in the form of military assistance and development support. Between 100 and 130 NZDF personnel are stationed in Afghanistan at any one time.

Since September 2003 New Zealand has maintained a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Bamyan Province. This was originally part of our contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and since November 2006, the PRT has operated under the command of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). This adjustment took place as part of the transfer of security responsibility for Afghanistan (in collaboration with the Afghan government) from OEF to ISAF. The PRT will, on current commitments, stay until September 2009. It involves about 122 NZDF personnel drawn from the three services. It is helping the Afghan government extend its influence beyond Kabul by promoting stability in Bamyan Province. New Zealand also has personnel serving in the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Two officers are assisting train the Afghan National Army in Kabul and three NZ Police officers are helping train Afghan National Police officers at the Regional Police Training Centre in Bamyan.

New Zealand continues to support reconstruction through its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes. Since 2001 NZAID has allocated $33 million in funding with a further $6 million for 2008/09. Areas of focus include human rights, health, education, sustainable rural livelihoods, governance and capacity development. All programming has a gender focus. The programme is implemented primarily in Bamyan, where the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is located. Funding is also provided for three New Zealand Police officers to assist the Afghan National Police in Bamyan through the development of Afghan police trainers in the Bamyan Regional Training Centre and to direct mentoring of senior Afghan police staff. A NZ$500,000 contribution was made to the UN Counter Narcotics Trust Fund, to support the alternative livelihoods pillar, and an annual core contribution of $800,000 is made to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

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Political Situation

Following the ousting of the Taleban regime in 2001, the Bonn Conference established a process for political reconstruction for Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai was sworn in as head of an interim government in December 2001, and in June 2002 was elected by the Loya Jirga (Grand Council) to serve as interim Head of State. In January 2004, the Loya Jirga adopted a new constitution.

Hamid Karzai became Afghanistan’s first democratically elected leader in the presidential election held in October 2004. He was formally inaugurated on 7 December and appointed a new cabinet, which was subject to the approval of the Afghan National Assembly, elected in September 2005 and inaugurated on 19 December 2005. The successful parliamentary and provincial council elections saw the inauguration of a 249 seat lower house (Wolesi Jirga), whose members in turn elected 68 representatives to the upper house (Meshrano Jirga).

The Afghanistan Compact launched at the London Conference in January 2006 provides the framework for international engagement in Afghanistan for five years from that date. The Compact seeks to improve aid effectiveness through alignment to the interim Afghan National Development Strategy (i-ANDS), and sets out agreed targets in key areas, including security, economic development and counter-narcotics.

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