Afghanistan Geography Profile 2009

Location

Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

Geographic coordinates

33 00 N, 65 00 E

Map references

Asia

Area

total: 652,230 sq km
land: 652,230 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)

Total renewable water resources

65 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 23.26 cu km/yr (2%/0%/98%)
per capita: 779 cu m/yr (2000)

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)