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Location:
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Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
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Geographic coordinates:
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33 00 N, 65 00 E
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Map references:
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Asia
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Area:
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total: 647,500 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 647,500 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Texas
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked)
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked)
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Climate:
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arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
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Terrain:
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mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
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Natural resources:
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natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
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Land use:
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arable land: 12.13%
permanent crops: 0.22%
other: 87.65% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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limited natural fresh water 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
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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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)
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