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Tabular Data - Geography of Iran
| 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 |
| Map References : |
Middle East |
| 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 : |
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 : |
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: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m |
| Natural Resources : |
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 8.72%
permanent crops: 1.39%
other: 89.89% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
75,620 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes |
| 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; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - Note : |
Strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport. |
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