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: 42

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

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

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

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Elevation:
mean elevation: 1,884 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m highest point: Noshak 7,492 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: 58.07% arable land 20.5%; permanent crops 0.37%; permanent pasture 79%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 2.07%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 39.86% (2014 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

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

Population - distribution:
populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled while the south is sparsely populated

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)