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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 652,230 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 41

Area - comparative:
almost six time the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas
Area comparison map:

Land boundaries:
total: 5,987 km
border countries (6): China 91 km, Iran 921 km, Pakistan 2,670 km, Tajikistan 1,357 km, Turkmenistan 804 km, Uzbekistan 144 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Elevation:
mean elevation: 1,884 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m highest point: Noshak 7,485 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land

Land use:
agricultural land: 58.1% arable land 11.9%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 46%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 2.1%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 39.8% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
32,080 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
65.33 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 20.28 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%)
per capita: 823.1 cu m/yr (2005)

Natural hazards:
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts

Environment - current issues:
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

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)