The country's infant and mortality rates are among the world's highest, and 25 per cent of children die before reaching their fifth birthday. Preventable diseases, such as malaria, measles and acute respiratory infections kill thousands of children each year, and a lack of access to safe drinking water means waterborne diseases also cause more unnecessary deaths.Safety for women and children in Afghanistan is a major issue, and there is still a large gender gap between boys and girls in the education system, with girls lagging behind. General literacy levels are very low and it's currently estimated that around two million children of primary school age do not attend classes.
Country facts
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country positioned between the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.Afghanistan has been invaded many times during its long history, but has suffered significantly from the ongoing and brutal civil war that began in the 1970s. This led to an international intervention in 1979 from Soviet forces, and then the 2001 conflict with the US, during which time the ruling Taliban was overthrown. Afghanistan is widely perceived as having major problkmes with governance, seen in its ranking of 176 out of 181 in Transparency International's CPI Index.
Afghanistan's fledgling democratic government now faces the tough challenge of rebuilding a country and also dealing with a renewed upsurgeance in Taliban support. However, extending its power beyond the capital is proving difficult and militant violence has continued. Widespread accusations about vote rigging in the 2009 election have underlined the fragility of the government first elected in 2004.
- Population: 26 million
- Capital: Kabul
- Major languages: Afghan Persian or Dari (official), Pashtu (official), Turkic languages
- Major religions: Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim
- Life expectancy: 43 years
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