Geography of Afghanistan
Location: | Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran |
Geographic coordinates: | 33 00 N, 65 00 E |
Map references: | Asia |
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: 0.21% other: 87.66% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 27,200 sq km (2003) |
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, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: 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) |