Afghanistan Country & Tourist Information

Location
Southwest Asia; northwest part of Indian subcontinent.

Area
652,225 sq km (251,773 sq miles).

Population
32 million (UN estimate 2007).

Population Density
46 per sq km.

Capital
Kabul. Population: 2.5 million (2006 estimate).

Government
Republic. Civil war since 1992.

Language
The principal languages are Pashto and Dari Persian. Some English and Russian may also be spoken.

Religion
Islamic majority with 89% Sunni Muslims, 9% Shi’ite, and Hindu and Sikh minorities.

Time
GMT + 4.5.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Supplies may be seriously affected and powercuts frequent.

Head of State
President Hamid Karzai since December 2001 (officially elected as president in October 2004).

Recent History
Hamid Karzai won Afghanistan’s first direct presidential elections in October 2004 despite reports of voting irregularities. The president is serving a five-year term and is implementing Afghanistan’s new constitution. The first parliamentary and local elections for more than 30 years were held in September 2005. Only about 55% of registered voters cast their ballots, more than 20% down on the previous year’s presidential poll. Fighting continues in Afghanistan, with many regions still controlled by warlords and attacks by the Taleban are becoming more common-place.

Telephone
Country code: 93. There is generally a severe shortage of lines for operator-connected international calls.

Mobile Telephone
There is coverage in cities such as Kabul and Herat, and in other small pockets throughout the country.

Internet
The first public Internet service opened in Kabul in late 2003, and several post offices have since been fitted with Internet connections.

Media
Afghanistan’s media were seriously restricted under Taleban rule. In late 2001, Radio Afghanistan returned to the air in Kabul after the Taleban deserted the capital. One of the first signs of change was the music broadcast over Radio Afghanistan for the first time in five years. Days later, Kabul TV was back on the air, with a woman presenting the news.
Afghanistan’s newly-invigorated press enjoys freedom of expression, although print runs are small. There is a small band of private radio and TV stations. A law bans media criticism of Islam and other religions.

Press
• Hewad and Anis are two government-sponsored daily newspapers.
• Kabul Times is an official, English-language newspaper.
• Kabul Weekly is a private, English-language publication.

Radio
• Radio Afghanistan is a state-run radio station.
• Radio Khilid Kabul (RKK) is an FM station set up by NGOs.
• Arman FM is a private FM network, in Kabul and other cities.
• Azad Afghan Radio is a private station in Kandahar.
• Taleban radio re-emerged in April 2005.
• Foreign radio stations on the air in Kabul include BBC, Radio France Internationale and Deutsche Welle.
• USA-funded stations include Radio Free Afghanistan, which uses the name Azadi Radio, and the Voice of America, which brands its Dari and Pashto broadcasts as Radio Ashna (’Friend’).

Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
7 Jan Ashura (Martyrdom of Imam Hussein).
15 Feb Liberation Day.
21 Mar Navruz (Persian New Year). 
9 Mar Roze-Maulud (Birth of the Prophet).
18 Apr Liberation Day.
28 Apr Revolution Day; Loss of the Muslim Nation.
1 May Labor Day.
19 Aug National Day. 
20-21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
27-28 Nov Eid-al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

2010
15 Feb Liberation Day.
26 Feb Roze-Maulud (Birth of the Prophet).
21 Mar Navruz (Persian New Year).
18 Apr Liberation Day.
28 Apr Revolution Day; Loss of the Muslim Nation.
1 May Labor Day.
19 Aug National Day. 
10-11 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
16-17 Nov Eid-al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

Note
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last up to several days, depending on the region.

Contact Information:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Malek Asghar Street, Kabul, Afghanistan
Tel: (70) 010  4173.
Website: www.mfa.gov.af

Embassy of Afghanistan in the UK
31 Princes Gate, London SW7 1QQ, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 8891/2 (consular section).
Website: www.afghanembassyuk.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600, 0930-1330 (visa applications).

Embassy of Afghanistan in the USA
2341 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Consular Section: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 216, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 483 6410 or 298 9125 (consular section).
Website: www.embassyofafghanistan.org


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