| Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
32 00 N, 53 00 E
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| Map references: |
Middle East
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| Area: |
total:
1.648 million sq km
land:
1.636 million sq km
water:
12,000 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly larger than Alaska
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
5,440 km
border countries:
Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km
|
| Coastline: |
2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
|
| Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
continental shelf:
natural prolongation
exclusive economic zone:
bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf
territorial sea:
12 NM
|
| Climate: |
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
|
| Terrain: |
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point:
Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m
|
| Natural resources: |
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
10%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
27%
forests and woodland:
7%
other:
55% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
94,000 sq km (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast
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| Environment - current issues: |
air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; inadequate supplies of potable water
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| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
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