GEOGRAPHY
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
land: 647,500 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, talc, barites,
sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious
stones
Land
use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 39% (1993 est.)
Irrigated
land: 30,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural
hazards: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains;
flooding
Environment—current
issues: soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much
of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building
materials); desertification
Environment—international
agreements:
party to: Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Geography—note: landlocked
