Location
Afghanistan is a landlocked country surrounded by Iran in west, Pakistan in East, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmanistan in North and Baluchestan in South.

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

Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Terrain
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Amu Darya 285 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%
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; droughts