Location:
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 65 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 652,230 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 41
land:
652,230 sq km
water:
0 sq km
slightly smaller than Texas
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
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
none (landlocked)
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
More Climate Details
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point:
Noshak 7,485 m
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
arable land: 11.95%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
0.18%
other:
87.87% (2011)
32,080 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
65.33 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total: 20.28 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita:
823.1 cu m/yr (2005)
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
limited natural freshwater 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
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
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)