The 1992 CIA World Factbook

From the opening

Total area: 647,500 km2 Land area: 647,500 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: 5,529 km total; China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km Coastline: none - landlocked Maritime claims: none - landlocked Disputes: Pashtunistan issue over the North-West Frontier Province with Pakistan; periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights; Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran continue to support clients in country; power struggles among various groups for control of Kabul, regional rivalries among emerging warlords, and traditional tribal disputes continue Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, coal, copper, talc, barites, sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 3%; other 39%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; soil degradation, desertification, overgrazing, deforestation, pollution Note: landlocked

Population: US Bureau of the Census - 16,095,664 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992) and excludes 3,750,796 refugees in Pakistan and 1,607,281 refugees in Iran; note - another report indicates a July 1990 population of 16,904,904, including 3,271,580 refugees in Pakistan and 1,277,700 refugees in Iran Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 20 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1992); note - there are flows across the border in both directions, but data are fragmentary and unreliable Infant mortality rate: 162 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 43 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 6.

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