Afghanistan

War continues to rage in Afghanistan, as it has off and on for two decades. The U.N. and a number of Islamic countries were attempting in late 1997 to broker new peace talks, but with little apparent success.

In September 1996, the Taliban, a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim militia, appeared to have won control of the country when it entered the capital, Kabul, with barely a shot fired.

The Taliban immediately imposed a strict version of Islamic law: women were beaten for not covering themselves in a head-to-toe shroud known as a burqa. High heels and cosmetics were banned, and most women were not allowed to work outside their homes. Men were told to grow their beards as the Prophet Mohammed did or face lashings and jail time.

But the Taliban still struggles to defeat remaining opposition forces led by the Shiite Muslim Hezb-i-Wahdat party. The Sunni Taliban accuses Shiite-led Iran of aiding this group, a charge Iran denies.

Land and People | History |
| Financial | Weather

DEMOGRAPHICS

Population:
23,738,085
Average life span:
47 male, 46 female
Average income:
$260
GDP per capita:
$600
Literacy rate:
32%

THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE

Capital:
Kabul
Size:
251,826 square miles (652,225 square km)
Government type:
In transition
Political leaders:
Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar
Opposition alliance leader Burhanuddin Rabbani
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (84%); Shiite Muslim (15%)
Languages:
Pashto (official); Dari (official); Uzbek; Turkmen

HISTORY

FINANCIAL

Monetary unit:
Afghani

CNN Currency converter

CNN WEATHER INFORMATION

Forecasts:
--Kabul
Forecast and satellite maps:
--Asia forecast map