Sulaiman Mountains

The Sulaiman Mountains (Pashto: د كسي غرونه; Balochi/Urdu/Persian: کوه سليمان), or the Kesai Mountains are a major feature of southeastern Afghanistan (Zabul, most of Loya Paktia and northeastern Kandahar province), South Waziristan, and most of northern Balochistan province of Pakistan. They are one of the bordering ranges between the Iranian Plateau and the South Asia. Bordering the Sulaiman Range to the north are the arid highlands of the Hindu Kush Range, with more than 50 percent of the lands there lying above 2,000 m (6,500 feet). The Sulaiman Range, and the high plateau to the west and southwest of it, helps form a natural barrier against the humid winds that blow from the Indian Ocean, creating arid conditions across Southern Afghanistan to the north. In contrast, the relatively flat and low-lying Indus River Delta is situated due east and south of the Sulaiman Mountains. This lush delta is prone to heavy flooding and is mostly uncultivated wilderness.

Rivers that flow from the Sulaiman mountain system include the Dori River and the Gomal River.

There are very few plants on the southern slope. In the central part, there are wild olives, pistachios and orchards of apples and cherries, as well as wild almonds and junipers. There are junipers and alpines. Ziarat District is a tourist attraction, famous for its large juniper forests.