Names: conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan conventional short form: Afghanistan local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan local short form: Afghanestan former: Republic of Afghanistan

Capital City: Kabul

Population: 31,056,997 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $800 (2004 est.)

Currency: afghani (AFA)

Languages: Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashtu (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Total Area: total: 647,500 sq km land: 647,500 sq km water: 0 sq km slightly smaller than Texas

Region: Asia

Industries: small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper

Agriculture: opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins

Resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Labor Force: 15 million (2004 est.)
agriculture: 80% industry: 10% services: 10% (2004 est.)

Exports: $471 million; note - not including illicit exports or reexports (2005 est.)
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Imports: $3.87 billion (2005 est.)
capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Overview: Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Real GDP growth probably exceeded 8% in 2006. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, and the Afghan Government's inability to extend rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. It will probably take the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid and attention to significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards from its current status, among the lowest in the world. While the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $24 billion at three donors' conferences since 2002, Kabul will need to overcome a number of challenges. Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade generate roughly $3 billion in illicit economic activity and looms as one of Kabul's most serious policy concerns. Other long-term challenges include: budget sustainability, job creation, corruption, government capacity, and rebuilding war torn infrastructure.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $2,845,692 in goods to Afghanistan. This ranks Afghanistan 82^nd among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Afghanistan increased from the previous year by $2,140,968 a change of 303.80%. State exports to Afghanistan have increased over the last 5 years by $1,797,802 a change of 171.56%. Missouri exports account for .02%. of all 2007 US exports to Afghanistan.