Kunduz River
Encyclopedia
The Kunduz River is a tributary of the Amu Darya
in northern Afghanistan
. It rises in the Hindu Kush
, and in its upper reaches is known as the Surkhab River.
range in Bamiyan Province
, some 20km south west of the town of Bamiyan
, where the river is known as the Bamiyan River. It flows east in a deep valley separating the western part of the Hindu Kush on the north from the Koh-i-Baba on the south. After about 50km it bends sharp north, crossing the Hindu Kush range. It then turns east-north-east and enters Baghlan Province. There the river is known as the Surkhab.
It then parallels a northern spur of the Hindu Kush for more than 80 km, receiving many small tributaries on its right bank.
At the town of Doshi it receives the Andarab
, a large tributary flowing from the east. It then flows north towards the Amu Darya, crossing Baghlan and Kunduz Provinces.
At Yakala-ye Zad, 30km past the city of Kunduz
, the river meets its largest tributary, the Khanabad River
, shortly before discharging into the Amu Darya.
and Kunduz Provinces. Its area is estimated at 31,300 square kilometers..
, where the river reaches the Amu Darya plain.
At Pol-e Khomri, annual mean flow was 67.6 m³ per second, from a basin of 17,250 square kilometres.
Amu Darya
The Amu Darya , also called Oxus and Amu River, is a major river in Central Asia. It is formed by the junction of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers...
in northern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. It rises in the Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
, and in its upper reaches is known as the Surkhab River.
Course
The Kunduz rises in the glacier region on the north side of the Koh-i-BabaKoh-i-Baba
The Baba mountain range is a western extension of the Hindu Kush, and the origin of all three of Afghanistan’s major river systems, the Kabul, the Hilmand-Arghandab, and the Hari River. It is crowned by Foladi peak rising 4951 m; 16,244 ft...
range in Bamiyan Province
Bamiyan Province
Bamyan Province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the centre of the country. Its capital is also called Bamyan. The majority of the population are Hazaras, with 16% Sadat, 15% Tajiks, and Pashtuns and Tatars in smaller numbers...
, some 20km south west of the town of Bamiyan
Bamiyan
Bamyan , also spelt Bamiyan and Bamian, at an altitude of about 9,200 feet and with a population of about 61,863, is the largest town in the region of Hazarajat in central Afghanistan and the capital of Bamyan Province. It lies approximately 240 kilometres north-west of Kabul, the national capital...
, where the river is known as the Bamiyan River. It flows east in a deep valley separating the western part of the Hindu Kush on the north from the Koh-i-Baba on the south. After about 50km it bends sharp north, crossing the Hindu Kush range. It then turns east-north-east and enters Baghlan Province. There the river is known as the Surkhab.
It then parallels a northern spur of the Hindu Kush for more than 80 km, receiving many small tributaries on its right bank.
At the town of Doshi it receives the Andarab
Andarab
Andarab is the name of a large stream in Afghanistan and of the valley it empties into.The stream which originates in the Hindu Kush, near Khawak Pass, and flows to the west for about 75 miles before merging into the Surkhab.-Andarab valley:...
, a large tributary flowing from the east. It then flows north towards the Amu Darya, crossing Baghlan and Kunduz Provinces.
At Yakala-ye Zad, 30km past the city of Kunduz
Kunduz
Kunduz also known as Kundûz, Qonduz, Qondûz, Konduz, Kondûz, Kondoz, or Qhunduz is a city in northern Afghanistan, the capital of Kunduz Province. It is linked by highways with Mazari Sharif to the west, Kabul to the south and Tajikistan's border to the north...
, the river meets its largest tributary, the Khanabad River
Khanabad River
The Khanabad River flows in the provinces of Takhar and Kunduz in northern Afghanistan. It is a tributary of the Kunduz River.-Course:The Khanabad rises in the south east of Takhar Province, in the Hindu Kush. It flows north west, and receives a number of glacier-fed tributaries...
, shortly before discharging into the Amu Darya.
Basin
The basin of the Kunduz River covers almost all the province of Baghlan, the western part of Bamiyan Province and two-thirds of TakharTakhar Province
Takhār is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. It is in the north-east of the country. Its capital is Taloqan. Its salt mines are one of Afghanistan's major mineral resources...
and Kunduz Provinces. Its area is estimated at 31,300 square kilometers..
Flow rates
Flow rates of the river were observed for 15 years (1950-1965) at Pol-e KhomriPol-e Khomri
Puli Khumri is a city in northern Afghanistan. It is the capital of Baghlan Province and has a population of 60,000 .Hungary heads a Provincial reconstruction team in the city....
, where the river reaches the Amu Darya plain.
At Pol-e Khomri, annual mean flow was 67.6 m³ per second, from a basin of 17,250 square kilometres.