Region: South-central Asia

Capital: Kabul

Population: 28 500 000 (2004 estimates)

Surface area: 652 090 square km

Currency: afghani

GDP per capita: $700 (2003)

Background:
The Afghan nation began to emerge in the late eighteenth century. It was ruled, with brief interruptions, by a succession of monarchs whose consolidation of power was constantly undermined by civil wars and foreign invasions. The current borders of Afghanistan were delineated in the nineteenth century, as a result of the "great game" rivalry between Russia and Britain. Britain exerted some influence over Afghan foreign policy from the late nineteenth century until the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919.

Economy – overview:
Afghanistan's economic outlook has improved significantly over the past years since 2001 because of the infusion of over $2 billion in international assistance, dramatic improvements in agricultural production, and the end of a four-year drought in parts of the country. However, Afghanistan remains extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, farming, and trade with neighboring countries.
Growing political stability and continued international commitment to Afghan reconstruction create an optimistic outlook for maintaining improvements to the Afghan economy in 2004. The replacement of the opium trade - which may account for one-third of GDP - is one of several potential spoilers for the economy over the long term.

United Nations Membership date: 19 November 1946

New York Mission:
Permanent Mission of the Islamic State of Afghanistan to the United Nations
360 Lexington Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10017 USA
Telephone: 212-972-1212 / 1213 Fax: 212-972-1216