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Maps of Afghanistan

Physical Map of Afghanistan showing state boundaries, relief, major rivers, mountains, important cities, and more. pakistan iran turkmenistan uzbekistan kyrgyzstan china india tajikistan large afghanistan map

About the size of the U.S. State of Texas, Afghanistan occupies an area of 647,230 km2 (249,900 sq mi) in Southern Asia. 

As observed on the physical map of the country above, most of Afghanistan is a rugged, inhospitable mountainous landscape. More than 50% of the total land area lies above 6,500 ft. (2,000 m). It all culminates in the high peaks of the Hindu Kush, where extensions of the Pamir Mountains, Karakorum Mountains and the Himalayas all come together. 

Afghanistan's highest point is Mt. Nowshak (marked on the map by a yellow triangle) which peaks at 24,446 ft. (7,485 m). 

In the north, a fertile plain front the Amu Darya River. In the south, below the mountains, rolling desert and scattered salt flats cover the land. 

Afghanistan is drained by numerous rivers; significant ones include the Amu Darya, Hari, Helmand, and the Kabul - directly east of the capital city, flowing down into the Indus River in Pakistan. 

In 2009 Afghanistan designated a portion of the Hindu Kush Mountains, known as Band-e Amir, their first national park. The park contains six deep blue lakes, Band-e Gholaman, Band-e Qambar, Band-e Haibat, Band-e Panir, Band-e Pudina and Band-e Zulfiqar, all of which are separated by natural dams.

Provinces of Afghanistan Map

Afghanistan (officially, The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) is divided into 34 administrative provinces (welayat). In alphabetical order, the 34 provinces are: Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e-Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak and Zabul. These provinces are further subdivided into several districts. 

Located in the east-central part of the country, Kabul – is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Kabul’s location at an altitude of 1790m, in a narrow valley of the Hindu Kush Mountains – makes it one of the highest capitals in the world. Kabul is the only city in Afghanistan, with populations over a million. Kabul is the country’s largest urban center as well as the political, cultural and economic hub of Afghanistan. 

Where is Afghanistan?

Map showing location of Afghanistan in the world. arctic ocean pacific ocean indian ocean australia oceania tropic of capricorn tropic of cancer arctic circle equator africa europe black sea caspian aral sea red sea gulf of aden bay of bengal arabian sea middle east mediterranean sea asia

Afghanistan is a landlocked mountainous country in Southern Asia. It is situated in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. It is bordered by six nations – by Pakistan in the east and south; Iran in the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north and China in the northeast. 

Afghanistan Bordering Countries: Iran, Turkmenistan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.

Regional Maps: Map of Asia

Outline Map of Afghanistan

The blank outline map above represents Afghanistan. The map can be downloaded, printed, and used for geography education.

The above map represents Afghanistan, a country in South Asia with a rugged, mountainous landscape.

Key Facts

Legal Name Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Flag
Flag of Afghanistan
Capital City Kabul
34 31 N, 69 11 E
Total Area 652,230.00 km2
Land Area 652,230.00 km2
Water Area N/A
Population 38,041,754
Major Cities
  1. Kabul (4,588,666)
  2. Herat (695,043)
  3. Mazar-e Sharif (624,500)
  4. Kandahar (542,565)
Currency Afghanis (AFA)
GDP $19.10 Billion
GDP Per Capita $502.12

This page was last updated on March 7, 2023

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