Geography and climate
Kandahar sits where irrigation meets desert: an oasis city on the Arghandab plain, at roughly 31.61° N, 65.71° E and about 1,010 m above sea level.
Landforms and water
The city occupies a broad alluvial plain between low rocky ridges. The Arghandab River, regulated since the 1950s by the Dahla Dam in Shah Wali Kot, feeds an ancient network of canals and karez (underground channels) that make the orchard belt possible. South of the irrigated zone begins the Registan — the "land of sand" — a true dune desert stretching toward the Helmand River and the Pakistani border.
Climate
Kandahar has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). Summers are long and fierce, with July highs commonly above 40 °C; winters are short and mild, with occasional frost but rarely snow in the city. Nearly all of the ~180 mm of annual precipitation falls between December and April. The shoulder seasons — March–April and October–November — are the most comfortable times to be outdoors, and coincide with blossom and pomegranate harvest respectively.
| Coordinates | 31.6133° N, 65.7101° E |
|---|---|
| Elevation | ≈ 1,010 m (3,310 ft) |
| Climate type | Hot desert (BWh) |
| Hottest month | July (average high ≈ 40 °C) |
| Coldest month | January (average low ≈ 0 °C) |
| Annual precipitation | ≈ 180 mm, winter-dominant |
| Main river | Arghandab (tributary of the Helmand) |
Why geography made the city
Kandahar controls the natural corridor between the Iranian plateau and the Indus valley — the reason Highway 1 (the Kabul–Herat ring road) and the trade route to Spin Boldak and Quetta both pass through it, and the reason so many empires fought for it. Read how that shaped its history and economy.