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the Afghanistan Flag

Afghanistan FAQs:

 

Capital: Kabul

Official languages: Dari (Persian), Pashto

Government: Islamic republic

Establishment:
» 1st Afghan state Oct.1747
» Independence from the United Kingdom Aug. 19, 1919

Population: 2009 estimate 33,609,937

Ethnic groups: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%

Currency: Afghani (AFN)
Time zone: D† (UTC+4:30)
Drives: on the right
Internet TLD: .af

Area: slightly smaller than Texas
Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones


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Program for the Republic of Afghanistan

 

The Landmine Problem

  • Afghanistan’s mine and UXO (unexploded ordnance) problem is the consequence of more than 30 years of war.

  • The continuous strife has left vast areas of land contaminated and the U.S. led intervention in Afghanistan has resulted in the increased use of cluster munitions.

  • Thus, estimates of suspected hazardous areas have risen and mines continue to plague both coalition forces and civilians alike.

 

Humanitarian Demining Programs

To date, MLI has donated eighteen mine detection dogs to four Afghan demining organizations. With funding from the U.S. Department of State, MLI donated three MDDs to the Demining Agency For Afghanistan (DAFA) in September 2007, six MDDs to the Organization for Mine Action and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR) in June 2008 and nine MDDs to Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC) and the Mine Clearance and Planning Agency (MCPA) in March 2009.

MLI plans to send up to 75 MDDs to Afghanistan over the next five years. MLI has also launched CHAMPS International in Afghanistan, in partnership with Help the Afghan Children. Schools in the United States has now videoconference with schools in Afghanistan. The purpose of CHAMPS International Afghanistan is to promote goodwill, global citizenship, raise awareness about the landmine problem in Afghanistan, and to raise money to provide rehabilitation to young Afghan landmine survivors.


** Sources of Additional Information
• Landmine Monitor Report 2008, Human Rights Watch/International Campaign to Ban Landmines
• To Walk the Earth in Safety, U.S. Department of State