Afghanistan Geography
LocationSouthern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Geographic coordinates
33 00 N, 65 00 E
Area
total: 647,500 sq km
land: 647,500 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
total: 5,529 km
border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Natural resources
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Land use
arable land: 12.13%
permanent crops: 0.22%
other: 87.65% (2001)
Irrigated land
23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Environment - current issues
limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note
landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)
