Geography of Afghanistan

The Afghanistan is dominated by the solid mass of the Hindukush. More than 100 tops the 6.000 meters, exceed highest being Naochak in the Pamir with almost 7.500 meters. Hindukush is like a wall separating the country in two parts, broken by some rare collars blocked in winter and by the Tunnel of Salang builds with the Soviet assistance in the years 1960. Hindukush undergoes up to 50 earthquakes per annum, some being able to make thousands of victims like in February or May 1998.

When snow starts to melt in March, the rivers inflate with a maximum safe spring in the Wakhan where the maximum is in August. A too fast warming of time can cause violent and imprédictibles risings, carrying animals and human beings. From the four principal aquiferous basins (the rivers Amu Darya, Hari Rud, Helmand and Kabul) only the Kabul river goes until the Mer, the others evaporating in deserts or the Mer of Aral.

The snow of the mountains is the principal one if not the only source of water in a country where it almost never rains. A said Afghan proverb: “Better Kabul without gold is worth than Kabul without snow”.

The only provinces with forests are the Nouristan and Paktia and deforestation threatens the rare remaining forests. The other provinces would be plains or stone mountains without the presence of a clever system called will qarez , especially in the east and the south of the country: a series of wells (up to 30 meters basic) inter-connected collect the water table and an alignment of wells connected by a tunnel brings water to tens of kilometers of its source.

The Passe of Khyber is a long passage of about fifty kilometers which culminates to 1.067 m, it one is perforated in the mountain of Safed Koh. It is one of the most important passages between Afghanistan and the Pakistan.

Cities of Afghanistan

See also: List of the cities of Afghanistan

The principal cities of Afghanistan are its capital: Kabul, Herat, Jalalabad, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kandahar

Other towns of average importance: Baghlan, Bamyan, Charikar, Faizabad, Farah, Keep, Ghazni, Khost, Kunduz, Maimana,

Rivers and rivers

the Amou-Daria materializes the border with the Tadjikistan, the Ouzbékistan, and very partially the Turkmenistan. Its principal affluents on the Afghan side are the river Kokcha which bathes Faizabad, chief town of the Badakhchan, and the Kunduz.
the river Kabul is important tributary of the Indus which sprinkles the capital and receives in its turn water of the Logar, of the Panjchir and the Kunar, its principal Afghan affluents.
the Hari Rud or Heri Roud
the Helmand is more one river that a river. It has an important area catchment and of many affluents. Its abundant water as those of its tributaries (of which the Arghandab is most important) ensures the irrigation of several large oases and finishes in Iran, where they feed a chain of several fresh water big lakes: hamouns of Seistan (or Sistan).
the Khach Roud
the Farah Roud, like the Helmand, feeds the chain of the hamouns of Seistan, where it succeeds.
the Balkh-Ab which bathes the ruins of the antique Bactres, capital of old Bactriane.
the Murghab.

Lakes of Afghanistan

the Band-e-Amir is a group of five lakes to the varied colors, located in high mountain in the Hindou Kouch.
the Ab-e Istada is a closed lake, not very deep and alkaline of the province of Ghazni. It is an important relay for the migratory birds come from Siberia, which lodges an important population of pink flamingos.
the Ab-i Nawar is located at 3200 meters of altitude and point of disjunction same avian fauna as Ab-e Istada.

Hydrological assessment of the country

According to Aquastat, the height of average annual water of precipitations is of 327 mm, that is to say for a surface of 652.000 square kilometers, a volume of annual precipitations of 213,43 kilometers cubic ( France 477,98 km ³ ).

Of this precipitated volume, the evapotranspiration consumes 158,43 km ³. Remain 55 kilometers cubic of resources produced on the territory of the country (in-house). It is necessary to add to that 10 kilometers cubic abroad products and which belong to the resources usable of Afghanistan, once the crossed border. It is about the flow brought of Pakistan by the system Chitral/Kunar. On the whole thus water the total resources of the country are assembled to 65 kilometers cubic.

Currently 50 km ³ leave the country, bound for the following countries:

Pakistan: especially the river Kabul, but also the Kurram and some other minor rivers.
Turkménistan: Amou-Daria, Murgab, Hari Rud, etc…
Iran: the system Helmand-Farah Roud-Sistan finishes partially in Iranian Sistan.

The quantity of water consumed in the country is thus of 15 km ³ annually (especially by irrigation), it is with-to say 475 m ³ a second.

Provinces and districts

Famous places

Master key of Khodjak, Master key of Khyber, Valley of the Panjchir, Deserted of Registan, Solid mass of the Hindu Kouch, Tunnel of Salang, mountain Dorah, lakes Band-e-Amir subjected to the World heritage UNESCO.

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