Long-form name: Republic of Afghanistan

Type: Communist regime

Capital: Kabul

Administrative divisions: 29 provinces (velayat, singular--velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kapisa, Konarha, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Qandahar, Konduz, Samangan, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol; note--there may be two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan) and Sar-e Pol (Saripol)

Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK)

Constitution: adopted 30 November 1987

Legal system: Supreme Court highest judicial organ, but military and specialized courts remain outside Supreme Court purview; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

National holiday: Anniversary of the Saur Revolution, 27 April (1978)

Branches: bicameral National Assembly; president elected by legislature; cabinet and judiciary responsible to president; Council of Ministers has full authority when legislature not in session

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--President (Mohammad) NAJIBULLAH (Ahmadzai) (since 30 November 1987) @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister Soltan Ali KESHTMAND (since NA February 1989); First Deputy Prime Minister Mahmud BARYALAI (since 24 June 1989)

Suffrage: universal from age 18

Elections: none

Political parties and leaders: the ruling People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) has two factions--the Parchami faction has been in power since December 1979; members of the deposed Khalqi faction continue to hold some important posts; nonparty figures hold some posts

Communists: the PDPA claims 200,000 members (1988)

Other political or pressure groups: the military and other branches of internal security have been rebuilt by the USSR; insurgency continues throughout the country; widespread anti-Soviet sentiment and opposition on religious grounds

Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO, WSG; suspended from OIC in January 1980

Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires MIAGOL; Chancery at 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-3770 or 3771; US--Charge d'Affaires Jon D. GLASSMAN; Embassy at Ansari Wat, Wazir Akbar Khan Mina, Kabul; telephone 62230 through 62235 or 62436

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands; similar to the flag of Malawi which is shorter and bears a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band

NOTE: The information regarding Afghanistan on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Afghanistan Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Afghanistan Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.