Home > Indian History > Geography of India > Kabul River
Kabul River
The Kabul River is a tributary of Indus River and rises in the Sanglakh Range in Afghanistan.

Share this Article:

Kabul, Indian RiverThe Kabul River emerges in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan. More specifically, this river is the main river in the eastern part of Afghanistan. It is also known as the Kabal River.

History of Kabul River
Kabul River finds its mention in the Arrian`s, the Campaigns of Alexander. This river was earlier known as Kubha, which is a Sanskrit word. This Sanskrit word was later changed to Kabul. This river is also mentioned in the Rig Veda, the earliest scripture of Hinduism, under the name of Kubha. Many other rivers of Afghanistan are also mentioned in the Rig Veda. Al-Biruni called this river "the River of Ghorwand". The Kabul River later gave its name to the region and later to the settlement of Kabul.

Geography of Kabul River
Globally, Kabul River can be pinpointed at coordinates 35 degrees 55 minutes 0 seconds north and 72 degrees 13 minutes 56 seconds east. The Kabul has a length of about 700-kilometre (430 mi) and the basin of about 66,000 square kilometres (25,483 sq mi). This river is a little more than a trickle for most of the year, but swells in summer due to melting snows in the Hindu Kush Range. On the north side of the Kabul River, Buddhist caves have been carved into a set of cliffs.

Course of Kabul River
Kabul River starts its journey from an elevation of about 2,400 m (7,874 ft). Its source is the Hindu Kush Mountains, whereas its mouth is the Indus River, located in Attock. This river passes through the cities of Kabul and Jalalabad in Afghanistan before flowing into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of the Durand Line border crossing at Torkham. The Unai Pass separates this river from the watershed of the Helmand.

Tributaries of Kabul River
Kabul River has tributaries on its left and right. Panjshir River, Kunar River, Alingar River and Swat River are its left tributaries, whereas Logar River and Bara River are it"s tributaries on the right. The Kunar River is the largest tributary of the Kabul River. The Kunar River starts it"s journey in the north glaciated Hindu Kush Mountains of Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It flows downstream from Mastuj to its confluence with the Lutkho River, which is located north of Chitral. It flows south into the upper Kunar Valley of Afghanistan and then joins the Pech River, at the confluence in Asadabad (also known as Chaga Sarai). It then flows towards the Kabul River, just to the east of the city of Jalalabad in Afghanistan and amalgamates with it. It then continues as the Kabul River. This is due to the political and historical significance of the name, Kabul.

Dams of Kabul River
Several dams are surmounted on the Kabul River. They are the Naghlu, Surobi, Darunta and Warsak dams. The first three are located in Kabul and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan. Warsak dam is located in Pakistan. More specifically, this dam is located approximately 20 km northwest of the city of Peshawar.

Related Articles:
Indian Rivers
Himalayan Rivers
Indus River
Coastal Rivers
Deccan Rivers
Narmada River


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Geography of India


Geography of Uttar Pradesh
The fourth largest State in India UP is located in the Northern part of India whose area is 2,36,286 sq Kms.
Geography of Maharashtra
Covering an area of 308,000 sq. km, Maharashtra, the third largest state in India.
Geography of Kerala
Geography of Kerala includes plains, hills, valleys and coasts. With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats in the east and networked by several rivers, Kerala enjoys diverse geographical features.
Geography of West Bengal
The geography of West Bengal is unique with high peaks of the Himalayan range in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the south and the remaining region is covered with both plains and plateaus.
Geography of Jharkhand
Geography of Jharkhand is comprised of the rich mineral resources and the highly agricultural prospect in this state.
Geography of Sikkim
Geography of Sikkim is characterised by a vast array of magnificent hillock that extends from one corner of the state to the other.
Geography of Meghalaya
The suitable climate, highland plateaus, rivers and the flora and fauna together forms the geography of Meghalaya.
Geography of Mizoram
Mizoram is surrounded by hills, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and lakes. The hills range from 1000 meters to 2000 meters. Rivers, lakes and waterfalls also play major role in forming the land of Mizoram.
Geography of Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is encompassed by valleys. Some of the dominant valleys of the state are Kashmir Valley, Tawi Valley, Chenab Valley, Poonch Valley, Sind Valley and Lidder Valley etc. Jhelum River is the only major Himalayan River which flows through the Kashmir valley. Indus, Tawi, Ravi and Chenab Rivers are the major ones flowing through the region.
Geography of Daman and Diu
Daman and Diu is situated on the west coast of India and are the smallest union territories of India.
Geography of Goa
Geography of Goa occupies a prime location along the Konkan coastal belt on the western coast of India. The state is bordered by Maharashtra in the north and Karnataka in the south. The Western Ghats in the east contribute to the flora and fauna of Goa.
Geography of Arunachal Pradesh
Geography of Arunachal Pradesh reveals that it is a hilly tract nestled in the foot of Himalayas.
Geography of Kutch
Geography of Kutch District is covering an area of 45,612 km. Kutch District is the largest district in the state of Gujarat.
Geography of Ladakh
Geography of Ladakh mainly comprises the huge Karakoram Range with long stretch of cold desert which mark the region separately from the rest of the states of Indian subcontinent. Surrounded with the mountain ranges from all corners this small region separates Indian subcontinent from rest of the Asian continent.
Geography of Rajasthan
Geography of Rajasthan defines the dry topography with arid climate of the western mountain region.
Geography of Tamil Nadu
The Indian state of Tamil Nadu is located in the Northern hemisphere in the hot zone.