Afghanistan
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 
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 
note landlocked