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
water: 0 sq km
land: 647,500 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)
Source: CIA World Factbook
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