3 GeoFroggy

Country Name

Conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Conventional short form: Afghanistan

Local long form: Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan

Local short form: Afghanistan

Former: Republic of Afghanistan

Administrative Divisions

34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul

Independence

19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

Constitution

Several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004 (2012)

Legal System

mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law

International Law Organization Participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai (since 29 September 2014 ); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014 ); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

Head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai (since 29 September 2014 ); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014 ); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014)

Cabinet: Cabinet consists of 25 ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly

Elections:

Election results: percent of vote in first round - Abdullah ABDULLAH (National Coalition of Afghanistan) 45%, Ashraf GHANI (independent) 31.6%, Zalmai RASSOUL 11.4%, other 12%; percent of vote in second round - Ashraf GHANI 56.4%, Abdullah ABDULLAH 43.6%

Legislative Branch

Description: the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by district councils to serve 3-year terms, 34 indirectly elected by provincial councils to serve 4-year terms, and 34 nominated by the president of which 17 must be women, 2 must represent the disabled, and 2 must be Kuchi nomads; members serve 5-year terms) and the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 250 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

Elections: last held on 18 September 2010 (next expected in 2015)

Election results: results by party - NA; note - ethnicity is the main factor influencing political alliances; approximate percentage of seats by ethnic group - Pashtun 39%, Hazara 24%, Tajik 21%, Uzbek 6%, other 10% (including Aimak, Arab, Baloch, Nuristani, Pahhai, Turkmen, Turkic); women hold 69 seats

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Stera Mahkama (consists of the Supreme Court Chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions or dewans)

Judge selection and term of office: court chief and justices appointed by the president with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga; court chief and justices serve single 10-year terms

Subordinate courts: Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles

Political Parties and Leaders

Note - the Ministry of Justice licensed 84 political parties as of December 2012

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Other: religious groups, tribal leaders, ethnically based groups, Taliban

Flag Description

Three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other two bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great"), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam

National Symbols

Lion; national colors: red, green, black

National Anthem

Lyrics:

Year

Government Type

  • Islamic republic

Capital

  • Name
    Kabul
  • Geographic Coordinates
    34 31 N, 69 11 E
  • Time Difference
    UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ramin MANAWI (since 20 April 2015)
  • Chancery
    2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 483-6410
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 483-6488
  • Consulate(s) General
    Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador P. Michael MCKINLEY (since 22 December 2014)
  • Embassy
    The Great Masood Road, Kabul
  • Mailing Address
    U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806
  • Telephone
    [00 93] 0700 108 001
  • FAX
    [00 93] 0700 108 564

International Organization Participation

  • ADB
  • CP
  • ECO
  • EITI (candidate country)
  • FAO
  • G-77
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (NGOs)
  • ICCt
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IDB
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO (correspondent)
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • MIGA
  • NAM
  • OIC
  • OPCW
  • OSCE (partner)
  • SAARC
  • SACEP
  • SCO (dialogue member)
  • SICA (observer)
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNHCR
  • UNIDO
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU (NGOs)
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO (observer)