Fascinating: The Nature in Afghanistan

Because of Afghanistan’s political problems, the natural treasures of this beautiful country are often forgotten.

Afghanistan is very mountainous; about 50% of the land is above 2000 meters. The main mountain chain, called the Hindukush system, runs through the middle of the country in a southwest-northeast direction. These mountains are mostly bare and rocky with a few trees and small bushes. The Himalayas are partly in Afghanistan.

In addition to its mountains, the country has many rivers, lakes and deserts. The streams from the mountains run into the major rivers.

Farming is possible only on 15 percent of the land in Afghanistan. Only the farms in the river valleys and the few places where underground fresh water for irrigation are successful. In addition, the constant unrest and wars over the last years have left some of the land unusable because of neglect and the planting of explosive land mines. Sheep and goat grazing make up the remaining agricultural land use. Only about 4.5 percent of the country is forested. Much of the forests were cut for firewood used for cooking and heating.

The sparse plant life in Afghanistan is diverse. Trees that grow in the mountains are evergreens, oaks, poplars, wild hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios. The northern plains have no trees and are very dry. The plains in the south-west are deserts. Although theses regions are very dry, there are plants that are able to grow there on very little water: camel thorn, locoweed, spiny restharrow, mimosa, and wormwood, a variety of sagebrush. More than 100 species of wild mammals live in Afghanistan; many are almost extinct: the goitered gazelle, leopard, snow leopard, markor goat, and Bactrian deer. In addition to the common wild animals such as bears, wolves and foxes, there are also marco Polo sheep, ibex, mongooses and wild boar. Small animals include hedgehogs, shrews, hares, bats, and other rodents. More than 380 species of bird are found in Afghanistan and more than 200 species use Afghan lands and lakes as breeding grounds. Flamingo and other water birds, such as duck, breed in the lake areas. Partridges are common, but bird hunting is popular, primarily as a food source, and many species, including some endangered species, are dying out.