| Geography | Iran |
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
Geographic coordinates:
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32 00 N, 53 00 E |
Map references:
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Middle East |
Area:
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total: 1,648,195 sq km
land: 1,531,595 sq km
water: 116,600 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Alaska |
Land boundaries:
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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:
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2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf
continental shelf: natural prolongation |
Climate:
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mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast |
Terrain:
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rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m |
Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur |
Land use:
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arable land: 9.78%
permanent crops: 1.29%
other: 88.93% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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89,930 sq km (2008) |
Total renewable water resources:
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137.5 cu km (1997) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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1,766 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 72.88 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
per capita: 1,048 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes |
Environment - current issues:
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air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation |
Geography - note:
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strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport |
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