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Country Name

Conventional long form: formerly Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Conventional short form: Afghanistan

Local long form: formerly Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan

Local short form: Afghanistan

Former: Islamic 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

History: last ratified in 2004

Amendments: formerly proposed by a commission formed by presidential decree followed by the convention of a Grand Council (Loya Jirga) decreed by the president; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Loya Jirga membership and endorsement by the president

Legal System

before the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in August 2021, Afghanistan had a mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic (sharia) law; after August 2021, the Talibanâ€™s so-called â€œinterim governmentâ€ has claimed to be implementing its own interpretation of Islamic law, partially based on the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence.

International Law Organization Participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; formerly accepted ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no

Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must have been born in - and continuously lived in - Afghanistan

Dual citizenship recognized: no

Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: president (vacant); note â€“ before 15 August, 2021, the president was both chief of state and head of government; President Ashraf GHANI departed the country on 15 August 2021; on 7 September 2021, the Taliban announced Mullah Mohammad HASSAN Akhund as the so-called â€œacting Prime Ministerâ€ of a so-called â€œinterim governmentâ€; as of November 2021, the group had announced three acting so-called â€œDeputy Prime Ministersâ€: Mullah Abdul Ghani BERADER, Mullah Abdul Salam HANAFI, and Maulawi Abdul KABIR

Legislative Branch

Description: before 15 August, 2021, Afghanistan had a bicameral National Assembly that consisted of a House of Elders and a House of People; since August 15, the Talibanâ€™s so-called â€œinterim governmentâ€ has not purported to announce the formation of a legislative branch

Elections: before 15 August, 2021

Election results: before 15 August 2021, House of Elders - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 85, women 17, percent of women 16.7%before 15 August 2021, House of People - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 179, women 69, percent of women 27.7%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 24.4%

Judicial Branch

Highest courts: the Talibanâ€™s so-called â€œinterim governmentâ€ has a â€œSupreme Courtâ€ (consisting of a supreme court chief and an unknown number of justices); before 15 August, 2021, Afghanistan had a Supreme Court (consisting of a supreme court chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions)

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

Subordinate courts: before 15 August 2021, consisted of Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; and Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles

Political Parties and Leaders

The Talibanâ€™s so-called â€œinterim governmentâ€ includes mostly Taliban members and not other political parties; before 15 August, 2021, the Ministry of Justice had licensed 72 political parties as of April 2019

Flag Description

Array

National Symbols

National Anthem

Lyrics music: Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA

Note: adopted 2006

National Heritage