Country: Afghanistan

Capital: Kabul

Major Cities: Herat, kandahar, Bamyaan, Jalalabad and Mazar-i-Sharif

Area: 683465 square kilometres (approx. 270,000 square miles)

Population: Estimated 17.4 million (before 1978)

Languages: Dari and Pashto.

Currency: Afghani (US$1=Afg 50 & Can$1=Afg 41

Location: Afghanistan is a landlocked country between 29¨¬21'-38¨¬30'N latitude and 60¨¬31'-75¨¬E longitude, bounded by Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to the north, by the Islamic Republic of Iran on the west and by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the south and south-east. In the extreme northeast, Afghanistan has a common border with the People's Republic of China.

Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time minus approximately six hours.

Weather: Afghanistan has four distinct seasons. Winter days from December through February are generally sunny and crisp, with several heavy snows in the mountains. Spring brings out the fruit blossoms, the wild flowers and green grasses everywhere during March, April and May. Summer days are cool and comfortable in the mountains throughout June, July and August, but hot and dusty both north and south. A riot of colour brightens the fall months from September through November.

Business Hours: Government offices are open from 9.00am until 4.00pm, private business, markets and shops are open for longer hours. Holidays: The weekend in Afghanistan is Friday.
Weekend: Fridays
New Year's day: March 21.
Independence Day: 19 August
Anniversary of the victory of the Afghan Jehad against the Soviet occupation: 28 April
Religious: Two special religious occasions are observed: Ramadan and Hajj season, approximately, two months after Ramadan. Eid ul-Fitr (End of the Fast of Ramadan), and Eid ul-Adha (culmination of the Hajj).
Other holidays include the 10th of Moharam (Lunar Calendar), the birth of Prophet Mohammad (s) 14 June

Restrictions: Forbidden items include alcohol, narcotics, pork and pornography.

Media:
Kabul TV - nightly programming
Kabul Radio - Day time programming
Newspapers and magazines - Anees, Hewaad, Kabul Times (English), Kabul, Arman-i-milli Women's Magazines - Malalai, Rooz,
Other popular Afghan websites, providing daily news and cultural information, include Afghan Online Press www.afghan-web.com