2.  Afghanistan is in southwestern Asia, bounded on the north by
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan; on the east by China
and the part of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir
controlled by Pakistan; on the south by Pakistan; and on the
west by Iran. Afghanistan was a monarchy from 1747 to 1973,
when the king was overthrown by military officers and the
country was proclaimed a republic; the republic dissolved in
1992 as the country erupted in civil war.
 Afghanistan lies across ancient trade and invasion routes from
central Asia into India. This position has been the greatest
influence on its history because the invaders often settled
there.
 Today the population includes many different ethnic groups.
Most of the present borders of the country were drawn up in the
19th century, when Afghanistan became a buffer state, or
neutral zone, between Russia and British India. Kabul is the
capital and largest city.

3.  Ahmad Shah Durani also known as (Ahmad
Shah Baba) is the founder of today's
Afghanistan. Pir Sabir Shah, the spiritual
guide of the time, showered his praise for
the young Ahmad Shah by declaring him
Dar-e-Durran (pearl of the pearls) not
because that he was a military giant but
for his humanity a definite quality of a
statesman. He was the King of Afghanistan
from 1747-1772 AD.

4. Black = Occupation
Red = Bloodshed (War)
Green = Freedom

5.  Region: Asia
 Area Total: 647,500 km2
 Coast Line: 0 km (Landlocked) km
 Capital: Kabul
 Climate: Dry to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
 Languages: (60%) Pashto number of Speakers in Afghanistan are approximately
14 million and (30%) Dari (Farsi) is spoken by almost every ethnic division, they
are Indo-European languages and are the major two languages spoken in
Afghanistan; other Indo-European, Indo-Aryan languages, such as Balochi,
Pashayi and Eastern Farsi, are also spoken; Turkic and Altaic languages, such as
Uzbek and Turkmen, are present; Tajiki is also used.
 Currency: Afghani
 Holiday: Independence Day, 19 August

6.  Pakistan: 2,430km;Tajikistan: 1,206km
 Iran: 936km; Turkmenistan: 744km
 Uzbekistan: 137km; China:76km
 Pashtun 52%
 Tajiks 21%
 Hazara 9%
 Baloch 7%
 Uzbek 6%
 Turkmen 2%
 Qizilbash 1%
 Other 1%

7.  Sunni Muslim88%
 Shi`a Muslim11%
 Other (including Hindu, Sikhs, Baha'i
and Christian)1%

8.  In the mid-1990s, after a decade of Soviet occupation, war, and economic manipulation, followed by the
ongoing civil war, the economy of Afghanistan was in shambles.
 Even in the 1970s, prior to the war, Afghanistan had one of the lowest standards of living in the world; things
have declined since then, with the production, trafficking, and movement of drugs and guns as a major
hidden part of the economy.
 As the war and its effects spread throughout the country in the early 1980s, two separate economies
emerged; the urban financial and industrial facilities, tied especially to the Soviet Union, and the largely
independent rural subsistence economy.
 In 1990 annual income was estimated to be $714 per person.
 Over the centuries, Afghans have developed a number of different strategies to earn a living from their
difficult environment:
 Most Afghans are settled farmers, herders, or both, depending upon ecological, economic, and political
factors. They are usually self-sufficient in foodstuffs and other necessities.
 Industry and mining developed considerably in the 20th century, but local handicrafts are still important.
 In 1956 the government launched the first of several five-year plans.
 Irrigation efforts and development of a better road and telecommunications network had top priority, with
later efforts toward production of textiles, cement, electricity, fertilizer, and grain storage facilities.
Progress was made to develop better trade with the outside world, especially toward Europe, the United
States, and Japan.
 Major nations aided Afghanistan in building roads, dams, hydroelectricity facilities, airports, factories
(including those for light machinery, cement, and textiles), and irrigation networks for such crops as cotton,
wheat, barley, and rice. After the Soviet invasion in 1979, development aid from the West ceased, and
Afghanistan became economically dependent on the USSR. Fruits, vegetables, fine carpets, and gemstones
now constitute the majority of the export mark

9.  In 1993 the total labor force was estimated to
be about 6.6 million.
 As recently as 1985, about 60 percent of the
working population was engaged in
agriculture or animal husbandry, though this
percentage may be higher today with the loss
of other kinds of employment because of war.
 Widespread unemployment and a lack of
skilled workers and administrators are among
the most pressing labor problems.

10.  Only a very small share of Afghanistan's land (about 15 percent), mostly in
scattered valleys, is suitable for farming; about 6 percent of the land is
actually cultivated. At least two-thirds of this farmland requires irrigation.
Water is drawn from springs and rivers and is distributed through surface
ditches and through underground channels, or tunnels, which are excavated
and maintained by a series of vertical shafts. Such a tunnel is known as
a karez or qanat. In 1987 about 26,600 sq km (10,300 sq mi) of farmland were
irrigated.Wheat is the most important crop, followed by barley, corn, and rice.
Cotton is another important and widely cultivated crop. Fruit and nuts are
among Afghanistan's most important exports. Afghanistan is noted for its
unusually sweet grapes and melons, grown mostly in the southwest, north of
the Hindu Kush, and in the fertile regions around Herat. Raisins are also an
important export. Other important fruits are apricots, cherries, figs,
mulberries, and pomegranates.
 Livestock is nearly as important as crops to Afghanistan's economy. Karakul
sheep are raised in large numbers in the north. The tight curly fleece of Karakul
lambs is used to make Persian lamb coats. Other breeds of sheep, such as the
fat-tailed sheep, and goats are also raised.
 Afghanistan is a major supplier in the international drug trade. It is the second-
largest opium producer after Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), with 950
metric tons produced in 1994. Afghanistan also produces significant quantities
of hashish.

11.  Distinctive Afghan Rugs are made by Turkmen and
some Uzbeks; characteristically these have
parallel rows of geometric figures on a dark red
ground, although many other patterns also exist.
 The Baluchi, well-known producers of prayer rugs,
also make carpets mainly of wool, using a blend of
dark colors. Camel hair and cotton are also used
in some of these carpets. A variety of beautiful
embroideries are also made for bridal trousseaus
(the cloth in which the bride wraps her clothes
and other personal possessions) and for sale.

12.  Large natural gas deposits in northern
Afghanistan were exploited jointly with the USSR
starting in 1967.
 In the 1980s large quantities of natural gas were
exported to the USSR, but that was terminated
after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.
 Oil has been found to the north of the Hindu Kush
in large reserves but it is unexploited, primarily
because of war.
 Afghanistan is the world's only source of high-
grade lapis lazuli and has major copper and iron
deposits. However, most resources have not been
exploited.

13.  Industrial development increased substantially
after World War II (1939-1945). With the opening
in 1965 of a large West German-built wool mill,
woolen-textile production more than doubled.
 Among the other factories located primarily in
Kabul are plants manufacturing textiles (the most
important manufactured export product) and
footwear; government-operated cement plants; a
fruit-processing plant; a plant making coal
briquettes; and several cotton gins. As with other
aspects of the economy, the war has been a
major obstacle to industrial expansion.

14.  Almost half of the energy used in
Afghanistan comes from firewood.
 Most of the rest comes from gas, oil, and
hydroelectricity. There are dams and
hydroelectric stations on the Kondoz,
Kabul, Arghandab, and Helmand rivers.
The dams also store water for irrigation.

15.  The unit of currency in Afghanistan is the afghani, which is divided into
100 puls.
 Since 1981 the official rate of exchange has been fixed at 50 afghanis
equal U.S.$1. However, the actual market rate of the afghani has
fluctuated, and in 1994, 2400 afghanis equaled U.S.$1.
 Dramatic inflation (with rates of up to 57 percent), which has been
taking place in Afghanistan since the Soviet invasion, contributed to
the drastic decrease in the purchasing power of the afghani from 1981
to 1994.
 Afghanistan's central bank was founded in 1938 and is the largest bank
in Afghanistan. The central bank issues all notes, executes government
loans, and lends money to cities and to other banks. All private banks
in Afghanistan were nationalized in 1975, mostly because a lack of
clear terms for borrowers and lenders had made it difficult for people
to use the country's credit resources.
 No stock market or other modern form of economic development exists
in Afghanistan. Instead, archaic "money bazaars" exist to provide
money-lending and foreign exchange dealings.
 As of 2012, the Afghani currency has become a bit stabled due to the
foreign aid of America. The current market rate is 50 afghanis equals
to 1$.

16.  Telephone and telegraph networks link the major towns. In the early
1990s about 31,200 telephones were in use but there was only one
public telephone in Kabul.
 One international telephone link is maintained through Iran.
 The government provides radio broadcasts in Pashto, Dari, and ten
other languages on a handful of AM and shortwave radio-broadcast
stations. Many Afghans own transistor radios, and loudspeaker systems
in some villages carry the broadcasts to larger audiences.
 The first Afghan television station, built with Japanese aid, went on the
air in Kabul in 1978. In the mid-1990s several television stations were
run by factions and local councils, providing only intermittent service.
 The first printed newspaper was distributed in 1875, and two other
small newspapers were printed just after 1900. In 1919, the press
flourished with the publication of more than 15 newspapers and
magazines. In 1962 the Kabul Times appeared as the first English-
language paper. Following the 1978 coup the Kabul Times was renamed
the Kabul New Times and began publishing Communist rhetoric that
was reminiscent of the worst days of the Cold War.
 In the early 1990s Afghanistan had more than 10 newspapers, but by the
mid-1990s this number had dropped off as the suppression of
Afghanistan's media increased.

17.  Although Afghanistan is rich in natural resources,
very little has been done to explore them. Some
of these resources are extensive deposits of
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite,
talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, and
precious and semiprecious stones.
 However, the country’s rugged terrain and lack of
transportation network restrict trade activities. In
the 1980s, export of natural gas was at its peak,
with $300 million in export revenues annually.
However, 90% of this revenue was utilized for the
payment of imports and debts to the Soviet Union.
The Afghan economy also rode on goods smuggled
into Pakistan.

18.  Afghanistan's chief exports are natural gas and dried fruit.
 Other exports include carpets, fresh fruit, wool, and
cotton.
 Afghanistan imports food, motor vehicles, petroleum
products, and textiles.
 Most of the foreign trade of Afghanistan is controlled by
the government or by government-controlled monopolies.
The USSR was Afghanistan's chief trading partner even
before the 1979 Soviet invasion, and this relationship
intensified in the 1980s.
 The leading purchasers of Afghan products, in addition to
the USSR and the former Soviet republics, have been
Pakistan, Great Britain, Germany, and India.
 In 1991 exports amounted to about $188.2 million, while
imports cost $616.4 million.

19.  There is not enough information and guaranteed statistics available about the economy of
Afghanistan, but here are some estimates:
 Exports: $603 million (2008)
 Imports: $8.27 billion (2008)
 Exports-to-GDP ratio: 3.5 % (2008)
 Imports-to-GDP ratio: 47.6 % (2008)
 Trade-to-GDP ratio: 51.1 % (2008)
 Exports Partners
 The major export partners of Afghanistan include (figures as of 2008):
 India 23.5%
 Pakistan 17.7%
 US 16.5%
 Tajikistan 12.8%
 Netherlands 6.9%
 Imports Partners
 The major import partners of Afghanistan include (figures as of 2008):
 Pakistan 36%
 US 9.3%
 Germany 7.5%
 India 6.9%

20.  The following are the major commodities
that form the basis of Afghanistan’s
economy:
 Export commodities include opium, fruits and
nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides
and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems.
 Imports include machinery and other capital
goods, food, textiles, petroleum products.

21. Breakdown in economy's total exports
By main commodity group (ITS)
Agricultural products 57.6
Fuels and mining products 0.0
Manufactures 34.6
By main destination
1. Pakistan 39.0
2. India 16.8
3. Turkey 9.0
4. Iran, Islamic Rep. of 8.2
5. Russian Federation 7.6

22. Breakdown in economy's total imports
By main commodity group (ITS)
Agricultural products 17.4
Fuels and mining products 1.2
Manufactures 32.2
By main origin
1. Uzbekistan 21.1
2. China 13.7
3. Pakistan 11.6
4. European Union (27) 9.9
5. Japan 9.6

24. KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
GDP (US$ bn): 2.5 4.1 4.6 6 7.3 8.9 9.9
GDP per capita (Us$) 90 182 199 253 300 354 362
Real GDP growth (% change YOY) n.a. 28.6 15.7 8 14 12 13
Goods exports(%GDP) 28.7 31.6 41.3 27.5 24.6 23.3 n.a.
Inflation(% change YOY) n.a. n.a. 24.1 13.2 12.3 5.1 8.3
Unemployment rate (%) n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 40 n.a. n.a.
Total Exports (US$bn) 0.1 0.25 0.35 0.42 0.56 0.4 0.48
Total Imports (US$bn) 1 1.5 2.3 2.7 3.2 2.85 2.95
GDP–COMPOSITION: Agriculture: 38% Industry: 24%, Services: 38% (2007)
MAJOR INDUSTRIES: small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture,
shoes, fertilizer, cement; hand woven carpets;
natural gas, coal, copper
Source: WTO Trade data base, World Development Indicators, Federal Bureau of Statistic.

25.  Travel within Afghanistan is severely limited by the rugged terrain.
 The country has less than 25 km (less than 16 mi) of railroad track, all of which is
for shipping goods to and from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
 Petroleum products are piped in from Uzbekistan to Bagram and from
Turkmenistan to Shindand.
 Natural gas used to be piped into the part of the USSR that is now Uzbekistan
through a 180-km (110-mi) pipeline, but was terminated immediately after the
war.
 Except for the Amu Darya, which has 1200 km (750 mi) of navigable waters and
handles vessels up to about 500 metric tons, the country's narrow, fast-flowing
rivers are nearly all unnavigable and are used chiefly for the transportation of
free-floating timber.
 Ports on the Amu Darya include Keleft, Kheyrabad, and Shir Khan.
 There are about 21,000 km (about 13,000 mi) of highways, about 13 percent are
paved, 8 percent are gravel, and 79 percent are dirt.
 Kabul and Kandahar have international airports. There are 48 airports in the
country, about half of which have paved runways.
 The national airline is Ariana Afghan Airlines; Bakhtar Afghan Airlines also provides
some domestic service, but it is nearly defunct because of the war.
 Camels and other pack animals are used for conveying goods. Afghanistan depends
on neighboring countries for the shipment of goods to and from its borders.
Hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan have often led to the closing of that
border.

26. Continued;
 According to a 2006 estimate, out of 42,150 km (26180 mi) of roads only
12,350 km (7671mi) are paved and 29,800 km (18509 mi) are unpaved.
The 29% of paved roadways is a 13% increase from 2004 to 2006. A 2005
survey provides an overview of national pavement conditions.
 The Regional Highways are trade roads between Afghanistan and 20
neighboring countries. The National Highways extend Regional Highways
and promote trade to provincial capitals.
 To improve freight transportation from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan,
Afghanistan recently started a 75 km (46 miles) long railroad between
Hairaton and Mazar-i-Sharif next to the Uzbekistan border that is
planned to be completed by 2011.
 The second and largest stage of this project is going to be an additional
1000 km (621 mi) of railroad. The government of Afghanistan has
planned to generate 2000 km (1242 mi) of railroads to connect some of
the country's major cities to neighbor countries. The first corridor begins
from the port of Shirkhan and passes through Kunduz and Balkh
provinces, and ends in Herat province. It will have two branches: one
linking Hairatan to Mazar, and the other one linking Andkhoi to Aqina.
The second corridor will begin from Mazar, pass through Polikhomri,
Kabul, Jalalabad, and end in Toorkham. The third corridor will begin
from Spinboldak/Chaman from south of the country and end in Kandahar
city.

28.  Afghanistan has two major air gateways: Kabul
International Airport, serving the capital, and
Kandahar International Airport, serving the
south of the country. The two airports were
operated in the past under instrument flight
rules with day and night operations. Four major
domestic airports with airside pavements
provide air connection to the major cities. In
addition, 16 regional domestic airports are
spread over the country serving the smaller,
more remote areas. These airports have mainly
gravelled airside facilities and operate under
visual flight rules.

29. City served Province ICAO IATA Airport name
International airports
Kabul Kabul OAKB KBL Kabul International Airport
Kandahar Kandahar OAKN KDH Kandahar International Airport
Major domestic airports
Herat Herat OAHR HEA Herat International Airport
Jalalabad Nangarhar OAJL JAA Jalalabad Airport
Kunduz Kunduz OAUZ UND Kunduz Airport
Mazar-i-Sharif Balkh OAMS MZR Mazar-i-Sharif Airport
Regional domestic airports
Bamyan Bamyan OABN BIN Bamyan Airport
Lashkar Gah (Bost) Helmand OABT BST Bost Airport
Chaghcharan Ghōr OACC CCN Chaghcharan Airport
Darwaz OADZ DAZ Razer Airport
Fayzabad Badakhshan OAFZ FBD Fayzabad Airport
Farah Farah OAFR FAH Farah Airport
Khost Khost OAKS KHT Khost Airfield
Khwahan Badakhshan OAHN KWH Khwahan Airport
Kron Monjan OARZ KUR Razer Airport
Maymana Faryab OAMN MMZ Maymana Airport
Qala i Naw Badghis OAQN LQN Qala i Naw Airport
Sheberghan Jowzjan OASG Sheberghan Airport
Sheghnan (Shighnan) Badakhshan OASN SGA Sheghnan Airport
Taloqan Takhar OATQ TQN Taloqan Airport
Tarin Kowt Orūzgān OATN TII Tarin Kowt Airport
Zaranj Nimruz OAZJ ZAJ Zaranj Airport
Sardeh Band OADS SBF Sardeh Band Airport
Military airports
Bagram Parwan OAIX OA1 Bagram Air Base
Shindand Herat OASD OA5 Shindand Airbase
Bastion Helmand OAZI OAZ Camp Bastion

30.  The most preferred routing for cargo originating or
destined for Afghanistan is via Gateway Bandar Abbas.
There is no rail network in Afghanistan and all trade
is conducted by land route from Iran and other
neighboring countries.
 Carrier's Own containers (COC) are to be de-stuffed
at Islamgala, Afganistan. However, Shipper's Own
Containers can be transported up to any final
destination in Afghanistan . All Fragile items and
household goods shipment to be crated and then
stuffed in COC.

31.  Via Karachi - Islambad/Rawalpindi - Lahore - Peshawar - Quetta - Kabul.

The nearest Sea Port for import of Cargo into Afghanistan is Karachi,
Pakistan.
Pakistan is in the most advantageous position in Afghan Transit Trade,
(ATT) where Port of Karachi plays a major role as hinterland port and
"GATEWAY" to Afghanistan and Central Asian States, Countries.
There is no rail network in Afghanistan and all trade is conducted by land route
from Pakistan and other neighboring countries. Cargo for Afghanistan in Transit
via Pakistan (Karachi /Port) is exempted from Custom Duty and taxes in
Pakistan. However, a Special Custom Cell, processes and examines the cargo at
Karachi Port.
All cargo i.e. containerized or break-bulk is forwarded by Road from Karachi to
the Customs Posts at following location.
1. Peshawar/Torkham for Cargo destined for Jalalabad/kabul.
2. Outlets/Chaman for Cargo destined for Kandhar & Herat.
Required documentation is carried out at Custom Post, after which the
cargo/container crosses into Afghanistan. Having crossed the border the loaded
trucks to the Afghan Custom House at Torkham, Jalalabad, Kabul or Kandhar as
the case may be. The consignee in Afghanistan arranges the unloading and
custom clearance of the cargo.

32.  Original Bill of Lading
 Showing full name and address of the Importer/Consignee in Afghanistan
 Declaring - " GOODS IN TRANSIT TO AFGHANISTAN"
 Showing our nominated agents as Notify Party.
 Shipping Line at Load Port to instruct their Agents in Karachi (Pakistan) to release the cargo
to our Nominated agents (Notify Party) without the signature and endorsement of the
Consignee/Importer in Afghanistan.
 Original Invoice + Packing List showing description, quantity, net weight, gross
weight and dimension of each package; also declaring "GOODS IN TRANSIT TO
AFGHANISTAN"
 Each individual package should have a painted/printed label/sign reading "GOODS IN
TRANSIT TO AFGHANISTAN"
 Authority letter authorizing us to custom clear and transport the cargo to
Afghanistan as well as to act as your representative to apply and obtain requisite
permissions from Government of Pakistan.
 Authority-cum-Undertaking letter of the Embassy/Consulate of the respective donor
country. In case of Gift/ Donation, Certificate from Donor Agency or Protocol
Agreement amongst Importing Agency (Consignee/Importer) in Kabul, Afghanistan
and the Exporting Agency. (Supplier/Exporter)
 NOC/Transit Permit issued by Central Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan.
 Original Proforma invoice duly signed and attested by Ministry of Commerce,
Afghanistan
 Original JAWAZ NAMA (Import License issued by Ministry of Commerce,
Afghanistan) to Afghan importer along with photocopy of the JAWAZ NAMA duly
attested by Afghan Ministry of Commerce.

33. Documents Required For
Special Cargoes
 For Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Aid & Diplomatic
Cargo-SI-# 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
 N.G.O. Cargo - SI. # 1, 2, 3, 4 & 6
 Commercial Cargo - SI # 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 & 8

34. Continued;
 TRANSIT TIME ROAD

From arrival Karachi via Peshawar up to delivery kabul 07-08 days
From arrival Karachi via Chaman up to delivery Kandahar 03-04 days
Road Transportation

Karachi - Peshawar - Kabul Sector
Karachi - Chaman - Kandahar Sector
Maximum weight per container 30 M. Tons
Distance from Karachi

Kabul via Peshawar 2,015 Kilo Meters
Kandahar via Chaman 917 Kilo Meters
Jalalabad via Peshawar 1,840 Kilo Meters
Via Gateway Bandar Abbas

Route to Islam Qalah/Afganistan: Bandar Abbas - Kerman - Birjandn - Taibad - Dogharun and finally Islamqalah (
1KM distance from Iran border). From Islamqalah, the cargo will be arranged to move to Heart, Kandhar , Kabul,
Jalalabad , etc by Afghani trucks.
Route to Mazar-e-Sharief: Bandar Abbas - Kerman- Mashhad- Sarakhs - Charjou/Turkmenistan - Aghineh and finally
Mazar-e-Sharief.
Customs Borders

There are 6 customs border as follows:
Dogharun - Iran / Islam Qalah - Afghanistan.
Kosha - Turkmenistan / Turghundi - Afghanistan.
Aghinesh - Turkmenistan / Andkhooy- Afghanistan.
Termez - Uzbekistan / Galabeh - Afghanistan.
Khaibar Pass - Pakistan / Turkham.
Chaman / Pakistan - Soleyman Kalay

35.  Where 20 years of war has totally crippled the
economy, and you must try to somehow survive day-by-
day by scrounging enough food to feed your
children. Where people do not have the facilities to
receive an education. Where people do not have the
facilities to receive treatment at hospitals. Where, on
average, men die at 40 years of age and women at
43. Where hundreds of thousands of people are
maimed, disabled, or blind because of war and land
mines. Where you face a high chance of becoming
blind or crippled because of the lack of fresh fruit and
vegetables, causing vitamin deficiency. If you are blind
or crippled, no one can help you because those that are
not blind or crippled need help as well.