 | |
| Continent | Asia |
|---|---|
| Region | Central Asia /South Asia |
| Coordinates | 33°00′N65°00′E / 33.000°N 65.000°E /33.000; 65.000 |
| Area | Ranked 40th |
| • Total | 652,864 km2 (252,072 sq mi) |
| Coastline | 0 km (0 mi) |
| Borders | Pakistan 2,670 km (1,660 mi), Tajikistan 1,357 km (843 mi), Iran 921 km (572 mi), Turkmenistan 804 km (500 mi), Uzbekistan 144 km (89 mi), China 91 km (57 mi) |
| Highest point | Noshaq, 7,492 m (24,580 ft) |
| Lowest point | Amu Darya atKhamyab, 258 m (846 ft) |
| Longest river | Helmand River |
| Largest lake | Kamal Khan Dam Kajaki Dam Dahla Dam Naghlu Dam Band-e Amir Qargha |
| Climate | Arid tosemiarid; cold winters and hot summers |
| Terrain | mostly low plateau with deserts, rangelands and a fertile plain in the southeast |
| Natural resources | natural gas,petroleum,coal,copper,chromite,talc,barites,sulfur,lead,zinc,iron ore,salt,precious andsemiprecious stone[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes, flooding, avalanches |
| Environmental issues | limitedfresh water,soil degradation,overgrazing,deforestation,desertification,air pollution,water pollution |
Afghanistan is alandlocked mountainous country located on theIranian Plateau,[6] at the crossroads ofCentral Asia[7][8] andSouth Asia.[9][10] The country is the40th largest in the world in size.Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, located in theKabul Province. With a location at the intersection of major trade routes, Afghanistan has attracted a succession of invaders since the sixth century BC.[11]
Afghanistan contains most of theHindu Kush. There are a number of major rivers in the country, includingAmu Darya,Arghandab,Farah,Hari,Helmand,Kabul,Kokcha, andKunar. The country also possesses many smallerrivers as well asstreams,canals,lakes,ponds, andsprings. Most of itsfresh water historically flowed into neighboring countries.[12]
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TheHindu Kush mountain range reaches a height of 7,492 m (24,580 ft) atNoshaq, Afghanistan's highest peak. Of the ranges extending southwestward from the Hindu Kush, the Foladi peak (Shah Foladi) of the Baba mountain range (Koh-i-Baba) reaches the greatest height: 5,142 m (16,870 ft). TheSafed Koh range, which includes theTora Bora area, dominates the border area southeast ofKabul.
Important passes include theUnai Pass across the Safed Koh, theKushan andSalang Passes through the Hindu Kush, and theKhyber Pass that connects Afghanistan with Pakistan. The summit of the Khyber Pass at 1,070 m (3,510 ft) atLandi Kotal, Pakistan is 5 km (3 mi) east of the border town ofTorkham. Other key passages through the mountainous Pakistan border include two from Paktika Province into Pakistan'sWaziristan region: one atAngoor Ada, and one further south at theGumal River crossing, plus theCharkai River passage south ofKhost, Afghanistan, at Pakistan'sGhulam Khan village intoNorth Waziristan. The busy Pak-Afghan border crossing at Wesh, Afghanistan is in a flat and dry area, though this route involves Pakistan'sKhojak Pass at 2,707 m (8,881 ft) just 14 km (9 mi) from the border. The border connectsKandahar andSpin Boldak in Afghanistan withQuetta in Pakistan.
TheWakhan Corridor in the northeast lies eastward of the province ofPanjshir, between the Hindu Kush and thePamir Mountains, which leads to theWakhjir Pass intoXinjiang inChina. In Kabul, and over all the northern part of the country to the descent atGandamak, winter is rigorous, especially so on the high Arachosian plateau.
AlthoughHerat is approximately 240 m (787 ft) lower than Kandahar, the summer climate there is more temperate along with the yearly climate. From May to September, the wind blows from the northwest with great force, and this extends across the country to Kandahar. The winter is mild; snow melts as it falls, and even on the mountains does not lie long. Three years out of four at Herat it does not freeze hard enough for the people to store ice. Yet, it was not very far from Herat, in Rafir Kala, in 1750, where Ahmad Shah's army, retreating from Persia, is said to have lost 18,000 men from cold in a single night. In the northern Herat districts records of the coldest month (February) show the mean minimum as −8 °C (18 °F) and the maximum as 3 °C (37 °F). The eastern reaches of the Hari River, including the rapids, are frozen hard in the winter, and people travel on it as on a road.
Rainfall in Afghanistan is very scarce, and mainly only affects the northern highlands, arriving in March and April. Rainfall in the more arid lowlands is rare, and can be very unpredictable.[13] Marked characteristics are the great differences of summer and winter temperature and of day and night temperature, as well as the extent to which change of climate can be attained by slight change of place. The Afghan climate is a dry one. The sun shines for three-fourths of the year, and the nights are clearer than the days.
Taking the highlands of the country as a whole, there is no great difference between the mean temperature of Afghanistan and that of the lowerHimalaya. However, a remarkable feature of the Afghan climate is its extreme temperature range within limited periods. The smallest daily range in the north is when the weather is cold; the greatest is when it is hot. For seven months of the year (from May to November) this range exceeds 17 °C (31 °F) daily. Waves of intense cold occur, lasting for several days, and one may have to endure temperatures of −24 °C (−11 °F), rising to a maximum of −8 °C (18 °F). At Ghazni the snow has been known to stay long beyond the vernal equinox; the temperatures sink as low as −25 °C (−13 °F). Oral tradition tells of the destruction of the entire population of Ghazni by snowstorms on more than one occasion.[citation needed] On the other hand, the summer temperature is exceedingly high, especially in the Oxus regions, where a shade maximum of 45–50 °C (113–122 °F) is not uncommon.
The summer heat is strong in theSistan Basin,Jalalabad andTurkestan. Thesimoom wind occurs in Kandahar province during the summer. The hot season is rendered more intense by frequent dust storms and strong winds; whilst the bare rocky ridges that traverse the country, absorbing heat by day and radiating it by night, render the summer nights most oppressive. In Kabul the heat is tempered occasionally by cool breezes from theHindu Kush, and the nights are usually cool. In Kandahar snow seldom falls on the plains or lower hills; when it does, it melts at once.
The combination of hot summers and bitterly cold winters has been noted comparable to the U.S. state ofWyoming.[14]
The summer rains that accompany the southwest monsoon in India, beat along the southern slopes of the Himalaya, and travel up the Kabul valley as far as Laghman, though they are more clearly felt inBajour andPanjkora, under theHindu Kush, and in the eastern branches ofSafed Koh. Rain also falls at this season at the head ofKurram valley. South of this theSuliman mountains may be taken as the western limit of the monsoon's action. It is not felt in the rest of Afghanistan, in which, as in the rest of western Asia, the winter rains and snow are the most considerable. The spring rain, though less copious, is more important to agriculture than the winter rain, unless where the latter falls in the form of snow. In the absence of monsoon influences there are steadier weather indications than in India. The north-west blizzards which occur in winter and spring are the most noticeable feature, and their influence is clearly felt on the Indian frontier.
| Climate data for Kabul (1956–1983) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) | 18.4 (65.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 28.7 (83.7) | 33.5 (92.3) | 36.8 (98.2) | 37.8 (100.0) | 37.3 (99.1) | 35.1 (95.2) | 31.6 (88.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | 37.8 (100.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) | 5.5 (41.9) | 12.5 (54.5) | 19.2 (66.6) | 24.4 (75.9) | 30.2 (86.4) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.0 (89.6) | 28.5 (83.3) | 22.4 (72.3) | 15.0 (59.0) | 8.3 (46.9) | 19.5 (67.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.3 (27.9) | −0.7 (30.7) | 6.3 (43.3) | 12.8 (55.0) | 17.3 (63.1) | 22.8 (73.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.1 (75.4) | 19.7 (67.5) | 13.1 (55.6) | 5.9 (42.6) | 0.6 (33.1) | 12.1 (53.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.1 (19.2) | −5.7 (21.7) | 0.7 (33.3) | 6.0 (42.8) | 8.8 (47.8) | 12.4 (54.3) | 15.3 (59.5) | 14.3 (57.7) | 9.4 (48.9) | 3.9 (39.0) | −1.2 (29.8) | −4.7 (23.5) | 4.3 (39.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −25.5 (−13.9) | −24.8 (−12.6) | −12.6 (9.3) | −2.1 (28.2) | 0.4 (32.7) | 3.1 (37.6) | 7.5 (45.5) | 6.0 (42.8) | 1.0 (33.8) | −3.0 (26.6) | −9.4 (15.1) | −18.9 (−2.0) | −25.5 (−13.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 34.3 (1.35) | 60.1 (2.37) | 67.9 (2.67) | 71.9 (2.83) | 23.4 (0.92) | 1.0 (0.04) | 6.2 (0.24) | 1.6 (0.06) | 1.7 (0.07) | 3.7 (0.15) | 18.6 (0.73) | 21.6 (0.85) | 312.0 (12.28) |
| Average rainy days | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 48 |
| Average snowy days | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 68 | 70 | 65 | 61 | 48 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 42 | 52 | 63 | 52 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 177.2 | 178.6 | 204.5 | 232.5 | 310.3 | 353.4 | 356.8 | 339.7 | 303.9 | 282.6 | 253.2 | 182.4 | 3,175.1 |
| Source:NOAA[15] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Jalalabad | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 25.0 (77.0) | 28.8 (83.8) | 34.5 (94.1) | 40.5 (104.9) | 45.4 (113.7) | 47.5 (117.5) | 44.7 (112.5) | 42.4 (108.3) | 41.2 (106.2) | 38.2 (100.8) | 32.4 (90.3) | 25.4 (77.7) | 47.5 (117.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 15.9 (60.6) | 17.9 (64.2) | 22.5 (72.5) | 28.3 (82.9) | 34.7 (94.5) | 40.4 (104.7) | 39.3 (102.7) | 38.0 (100.4) | 35.2 (95.4) | 30.5 (86.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 17.5 (63.5) | 28.6 (83.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.9 (51.6) | 16.3 (61.3) | 21.9 (71.4) | 27.7 (81.9) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 31.9 (89.4) | 28.1 (82.6) | 22.2 (72.0) | 14.9 (58.8) | 9.5 (49.1) | 21.5 (70.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.9 (37.2) | 5.6 (42.1) | 10.5 (50.9) | 15.3 (59.5) | 19.8 (67.6) | 24.7 (76.5) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.2 (79.2) | 21.4 (70.5) | 14.4 (57.9) | 6.9 (44.4) | 3.5 (38.3) | 14.8 (58.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −14.1 (6.6) | −9.5 (14.9) | −1.0 (30.2) | 6.1 (43.0) | 10.6 (51.1) | 13.5 (56.3) | 19.0 (66.2) | 17.5 (63.5) | 11.0 (51.8) | 2.7 (36.9) | −4.5 (23.9) | −5.5 (22.1) | −14.1 (6.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 18.1 (0.71) | 24.3 (0.96) | 39.2 (1.54) | 36.4 (1.43) | 16.0 (0.63) | 1.4 (0.06) | 6.9 (0.27) | 7.7 (0.30) | 8.3 (0.33) | 3.2 (0.13) | 8.3 (0.33) | 12.1 (0.48) | 181.9 (7.17) |
| Average rainy days | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 39 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 61 | 60 | 62 | 59 | 47 | 40 | 52 | 58 | 56 | 55 | 58 | 63 | 56 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 180.9 | 182.7 | 207.1 | 227.8 | 304.8 | 339.6 | 325.9 | 299.7 | 293.6 | 277.6 | 231.0 | 185.6 | 3,056.3 |
| Source: NOAA (1964-1983)[16] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Herāt | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.4 (75.9) | 27.6 (81.7) | 31.0 (87.8) | 37.8 (100.0) | 39.7 (103.5) | 44.6 (112.3) | 50.7 (123.3) | 42.7 (108.9) | 39.3 (102.7) | 37.0 (98.6) | 30.0 (86.0) | 26.5 (79.7) | 50.7 (123.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 11.9 (53.4) | 17.9 (64.2) | 24.0 (75.2) | 29.6 (85.3) | 35.0 (95.0) | 36.7 (98.1) | 35.1 (95.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 25.0 (77.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 12.0 (53.6) | 23.8 (74.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.9 (37.2) | 5.5 (41.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 16.3 (61.3) | 22.1 (71.8) | 27.2 (81.0) | 29.8 (85.6) | 28.0 (82.4) | 22.9 (73.2) | 16.1 (61.0) | 8.8 (47.8) | 4.7 (40.5) | 16.2 (61.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.9 (26.8) | −0.6 (30.9) | 3.8 (38.8) | 9.1 (48.4) | 13.3 (55.9) | 18.2 (64.8) | 21.2 (70.2) | 19.2 (66.6) | 13.2 (55.8) | 7.4 (45.3) | 1.0 (33.8) | −1.4 (29.5) | 8.5 (47.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −26.7 (−16.1) | −20.5 (−4.9) | −13.3 (8.1) | −2.3 (27.9) | 0.8 (33.4) | 9.7 (49.5) | 13.3 (55.9) | 8.4 (47.1) | 1.3 (34.3) | −5.6 (21.9) | −12.8 (9.0) | −22.7 (−8.9) | −26.7 (−16.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 51.6 (2.03) | 44.8 (1.76) | 55.1 (2.17) | 29.2 (1.15) | 9.8 (0.39) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.7 (0.07) | 10.9 (0.43) | 35.8 (1.41) | 238.9 (9.41) |
| Average rainy days | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 40 |
| Average snowy days | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 72 | 69 | 62 | 56 | 45 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 34 | 42 | 55 | 67 | 50 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 149.3 | 153.5 | 202.5 | 235.7 | 329.6 | 362.6 | 378.6 | 344.8 | 323.2 | 274.0 | 235.0 | 143.1 | 3,131.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA (1959–1983)[17] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Ogimet[18] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Kandahar (1964–1983) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 25.0 (77.0) | 26.0 (78.8) | 36.5 (97.7) | 37.1 (98.8) | 43.0 (109.4) | 45.0 (113.0) | 46.5 (115.7) | 44.5 (112.1) | 41.0 (105.8) | 37.5 (99.5) | 31.5 (88.7) | 26.0 (78.8) | 46.5 (115.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) | 14.8 (58.6) | 21.6 (70.9) | 28.1 (82.6) | 34.1 (93.4) | 39.1 (102.4) | 40.2 (104.4) | 38.2 (100.8) | 34.0 (93.2) | 27.5 (81.5) | 21.0 (69.8) | 15.4 (59.7) | 27.2 (81.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) | 7.8 (46.0) | 13.9 (57.0) | 20.2 (68.4) | 25.4 (77.7) | 30.0 (86.0) | 31.9 (89.4) | 29.4 (84.9) | 23.5 (74.3) | 17.5 (63.5) | 11.0 (51.8) | 7.3 (45.1) | 18.6 (65.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) | 2.4 (36.3) | 7.1 (44.8) | 12.3 (54.1) | 15.8 (60.4) | 19.5 (67.1) | 22.5 (72.5) | 20.0 (68.0) | 13.5 (56.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 3.3 (37.9) | 1.0 (33.8) | 10.5 (50.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.1 (10.2) | −10.0 (14.0) | −4.8 (23.4) | 2.0 (35.6) | 2.4 (36.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 13.5 (56.3) | 9.0 (48.2) | 5.2 (41.4) | −2.2 (28.0) | −9.3 (15.3) | −11.4 (11.5) | −12.1 (10.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 54.0 (2.13) | 42.0 (1.65) | 41.1 (1.62) | 18.7 (0.74) | 2.2 (0.09) | 0 (0) | 2.3 (0.09) | 1.0 (0.04) | 0 (0) | 2.3 (0.09) | 7.0 (0.28) | 20.0 (0.79) | 190.6 (7.52) |
| Average precipitation days | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 29 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 58 | 59 | 50 | 41 | 30 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 29 | 40 | 52 | 38 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 198.4 | 183.6 | 235.6 | 255.0 | 347.2 | 369.0 | 341.0 | 337.9 | 324.0 | 306.9 | 264.0 | 217.0 | 3,379.6 |
| Source: NOAA (1964–1983)[19] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Zaranj | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.1 (75.4) | 30.6 (87.1) | 37.0 (98.6) | 45.0 (113.0) | 51.0 (123.8) | 49.7 (121.5) | 49.3 (120.7) | 50.0 (122.0) | 49.7 (121.5) | 42.0 (107.6) | 36.0 (96.8) | 27.8 (82.0) | 51.0 (123.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14.3 (57.7) | 18.7 (65.7) | 25.0 (77.0) | 32.6 (90.7) | 37.3 (99.1) | 42.8 (109.0) | 42.5 (108.5) | 41.3 (106.3) | 37.0 (98.6) | 31.2 (88.2) | 23.1 (73.6) | 17.7 (63.9) | 30.3 (86.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.5 (43.7) | 10.0 (50.0) | 15.7 (60.3) | 23.3 (73.9) | 29.1 (84.4) | 33.4 (92.1) | 35.0 (95.0) | 32.3 (90.1) | 27.2 (81.0) | 21.9 (71.4) | 13.1 (55.6) | 8.7 (47.7) | 21.3 (70.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.1 (32.2) | 2.9 (37.2) | 7.7 (45.9) | 14.7 (58.5) | 20.0 (68.0) | 25.2 (77.4) | 27.3 (81.1) | 24.9 (76.8) | 18.5 (65.3) | 12.3 (54.1) | 4.8 (40.6) | 0.7 (33.3) | 13.3 (55.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.2 (8.2) | −8.2 (17.2) | −5.2 (22.6) | 1.0 (33.8) | 5.0 (41.0) | 16.0 (60.8) | 18.4 (65.1) | 13.2 (55.8) | 3.9 (39.0) | −2.7 (27.1) | −7.1 (19.2) | −8.8 (16.2) | −13.2 (8.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 19.7 (0.78) | 9.9 (0.39) | 11.2 (0.44) | 2.4 (0.09) | 0.6 (0.02) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.2 (0.05) | 1.4 (0.06) | 5.1 (0.20) | 51.5 (2.03) |
| Average rainy days | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 55 | 50 | 44 | 40 | 35 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 33 | 41 | 49 | 54 | 41 |
| Source: NOAA (1969-1983)[20] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Mazar-i-Sharif | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.0 (75.2) | 28.6 (83.5) | 32.4 (90.3) | 37.8 (100.0) | 43.0 (109.4) | 45.6 (114.1) | 48.1 (118.6) | 46.0 (114.8) | 39.5 (103.1) | 37.0 (98.6) | 29.8 (85.6) | 24.4 (75.9) | 48.1 (118.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.0 (46.4) | 10.7 (51.3) | 16.3 (61.3) | 24.3 (75.7) | 31.2 (88.2) | 37.0 (98.6) | 38.9 (102.0) | 36.9 (98.4) | 31.9 (89.4) | 24.7 (76.5) | 16.4 (61.5) | 10.8 (51.4) | 23.9 (75.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) | 5.1 (41.2) | 10.8 (51.4) | 17.9 (64.2) | 24.5 (76.1) | 29.9 (85.8) | 33.3 (91.9) | 29.9 (85.8) | 23.9 (75.0) | 16.7 (62.1) | 9.1 (48.4) | 5.1 (41.2) | 17.4 (63.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.1 (28.2) | 0.0 (32.0) | 5.1 (41.2) | 11.3 (52.3) | 16.6 (61.9) | 22.5 (72.5) | 25.9 (78.6) | 23.8 (74.8) | 17.1 (62.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 3.2 (37.8) | 0.0 (32.0) | 11.1 (51.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.3 (−8.1) | −24.0 (−11.2) | −6.1 (21.0) | −0.8 (30.6) | 1.0 (33.8) | 11.4 (52.5) | 11.1 (52.0) | 13.7 (56.7) | 2.6 (36.7) | 4.5 (40.1) | −8.7 (16.3) | −15.5 (4.1) | −24.0 (−11.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 28.9 (1.14) | 34.8 (1.37) | 43.8 (1.72) | 28.3 (1.11) | 11.2 (0.44) | 0.2 (0.01) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.00) | 3.9 (0.15) | 13.5 (0.53) | 21.7 (0.85) | 186.4 (7.32) |
| Average rainy days | 4 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 46 |
| Average snowy days | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 79 | 77 | 72 | 64 | 44 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 28 | 41 | 62 | 75 | 52 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 122.2 | 118.4 | 158.1 | 193.8 | 299.9 | 352.9 | 364.4 | 332.7 | 298.2 | 223.2 | 173.6 | 125.5 | 2,762.9 |
| Source: NOAA (1959–1983)[21] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Kunduz | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 21.2 (70.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 32.8 (91.0) | 38.9 (102.0) | 42.2 (108.0) | 46.2 (115.2) | 45.3 (113.5) | 44.2 (111.6) | 39.2 (102.6) | 39.4 (102.9) | 28.4 (83.1) | 21.6 (70.9) | 46.2 (115.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) | 9.5 (49.1) | 15.8 (60.4) | 23.0 (73.4) | 29.8 (85.6) | 37.3 (99.1) | 39.0 (102.2) | 36.9 (98.4) | 31.8 (89.2) | 24.5 (76.1) | 16.0 (60.8) | 9.7 (49.5) | 23.3 (73.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) | 4.4 (39.9) | 10.4 (50.7) | 17.2 (63.0) | 22.9 (73.2) | 29.3 (84.7) | 31.3 (88.3) | 29.2 (84.6) | 23.9 (75.0) | 16.9 (62.4) | 9.5 (49.1) | 4.4 (39.9) | 16.8 (62.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) | 0.0 (32.0) | 5.7 (42.3) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.7 (60.3) | 20.9 (69.6) | 23.3 (73.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 16.3 (61.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 4.1 (39.4) | 0.0 (32.0) | 10.6 (51.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.7 (−8.9) | −23.1 (−9.6) | −11.8 (10.8) | −2.1 (28.2) | 4.2 (39.6) | 12.5 (54.5) | 15.7 (60.3) | 12.6 (54.7) | 3.5 (38.3) | −2.0 (28.4) | −9.8 (14.4) | −20 (−4) | −23.1 (−9.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 44.0 (1.73) | 56.5 (2.22) | 76.7 (3.02) | 54.4 (2.14) | 29.8 (1.17) | 0.1 (0.00) | 1.3 (0.05) | 0.3 (0.01) | 0.1 (0.00) | 7.3 (0.29) | 23.7 (0.93) | 28.4 (1.12) | 322.6 (12.68) |
| Average rainy days | 5 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 57 |
| Average snowy days | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 80 | 75 | 75 | 71 | 54 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 44 | 63 | 76 | 55 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 114.4 | 114.6 | 158.9 | 201.0 | 276.5 | 332.1 | 340.2 | 315.5 | 289.7 | 221.8 | 169.3 | 118.3 | 2,652.3 |
| Source: NOAA (1958-1983)[22] | |||||||||||||
Afghanistan receives snow between November and March, which gradually melts into numerousrivers,streams,canals,lakes,ponds, andsprings, but most of the country'sfresh water continues to flow into neighboring countries.[23] It loses about two-thirds of its water to neighboring Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.[12]
The nation's drainage system is largely landlocked.
The characteristic distribution of vegetation on the mountains of Afghanistan is worthy of attention. The great mass of it is confined to the main ranges and their immediate offshoots, whilst on the more distant and terminal prolongations it is almost entirely absent; in fact, these are naked rock and stone. On the Safed Koh alpine range itself and its immediate branches, at a height of 1,800–3,000 m (5,900–9,800 ft) there is abundant growth of large forest trees, among which conifers are the most noble and prominent, such asCedrus deodara,Abies excelsa,Pinus longifolia,Pinus pinaster,Stone pine (the edible pine, although this species is probably introduced, since it is original toSpain andPortugal) and the larch. There is also theyew, thehazel,juniper,walnut,wild peach andalmond. Growing under the shade of these are several varieties ofrose,honeysuckle,currant,gooseberry,hawthorn,rhododendron and a luxuriant herbage, among which the ranunculus family is important for frequency and number of genera. The lemon and wild vine are also here met with, but are more common on the northern mountains. The walnut and oak (evergreen, holly-leaved and kermes) descend to the secondary heights, where they become mixed with alder, ash, khinjak, Arbor-vitae, juniper, with species of Astragalus. Here also are Indigoferae rind dwarf laburnum.
In Afghanistanforest cover is around 2% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,208,440 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, which was unchanged from 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 1,208,440 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to beprimary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 0% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be underpublic ownership.[24][25]
Down to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) there arewild olive, species of rock-rose, wild privet, acacias and mimosas, barberry andZizyphus; and in the eastern ramifications of the chain,Nannerops ritchiana (which is applied to a variety of useful purposes),Bignonia or trumpet flower, sissu,Salvadora persica, verbena, acanthus, varieties of Gesnerae.
The lowest terminal ridges, especially towards the west, are, as it has been said, naked in aspect. Their scanty vegetation is almost wholly herbal; shrubs are only occasional; trees almost non-existent. Labiate, composite and umbelliferous plants are most common.Ferns andmosses are almost confined to the higher ranges.
In the low brushwood scattered over portions of the dreary plains of the Kandahar tablelands, it is possible to find leguminous thorny plants of the papilionaceous suborder, such as camel-thorn (Hedysarum alhagi),Astragalus in several varieties, spiny rest-harrow (Ononis spinosa), the fibrous roots of which often serve as a tooth-brush; plants of the sub-orderMimosae, as the sensitive mimosa; a plant of therue family, called by the nativeslipad; the commonwormwood; also certainorchids, and several species of Salsola. The rue and wormwood are in general use as domestic medicines—the former forrheumatism andneuralgia; the latter in fever, debility and dyspepsia, as well as for a vermifuge. The lipad, owing to its heavy nauseous odour, is believed to keep off evil spirits. In some places, occupying the sides and hollows of ravines, it is found theRose Bay, called in Persiankhar-zarah, or ass-bane, the wildlaburnum and various Indigoferae.
In the last several decades, 90% offorests in Afghanistan have been destroyed and much of the timber has been exported to neighboring Pakistan. As a result, large percent of Afghanistan's land could be subject tosoil erosion anddesertification. On the positive note, theKarzai administration and international organizations are helping counter this problem by often planting millions of saplings.[26] Afghanistan had a 2018Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.85/10, ranking it 15th globally out of 172 countries.[27]
Among the various types of land cover, rangeland covers a significant portion of Afghanistan's northern and eastern regions, accounting for 44.58% of the country's total area in 2018. It has decreased slightly from 47.97% in 2000. Barren land, primarily found in the central and southern regions, accounted for 34.82% of the country's land area in 2018. Its size has remained fairly consistent over the years. In contrast, irrigated agriculture has steadily increased from 2.81% in 2000 to 3.30% in 2018. Irrigated agriculture is primarily concentrated in the southern and southwestern regions, particularly along river valleys and in areas with a consistent water supply. The development of new irrigation systems, as well as the demand for food crops, will undoubtedly have an impact on distribution.
According to anICIMOD study from 2000, the total forest area was 18,548 km2. Between 2000 and 2018, the forest area remained relatively stable at 18,134 km2. This indicates that there was a balance of deforestation and afforestation during this time. Approximately 1,291 km2 of forest land was gained from rangeland, implying that some rangeland was converted to forest. In 2000, the total snow area was 9,496 km2. Between 2000 and 2018, the snow area decreased to 7,485 km². This implies a loss of 2,011 km2 of snow cover over the 18 years. The extents of Rangeland and Grassland vary depending on how snow-covered areas are classified.
The Forest land cover category had the largest patch area, slightly increasing from 7883 ha to 8045 ha in 2018. The core area of the forest has also increased somewhat, from 12841 ha in 2000 to 13510 ha in 2018.[29]
, as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has noted, Afghanistan is itself a Central Asian country.
Afghanistan has abundant water resources. It produces 80 billion cubic meters of water a year, pumping 60 billion cubic meters of it to the neighbors — particularly Pakistan.
