Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan.

Coordinates: 32 00 N, 53 00 E

Map Reference: Middle East

Area: Total: 1,648,195 sq km (Country Comparison: 18);
Land: 1,531,595 sq km;
Water: 116,600 sq km

Area - Comparative: Slightly Smaller 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: 9.78%;
Permanent Crops: 1.29%;
Other: 88.93% (2005)

Irrigated Land: 89,930 sq km (2003)

Total Renewable Water Sources: 137.5 cu km (1997)

Freshwater Withdrawal (Domestic/Industrial/Agricultural): Total: 72.88 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%);
Per Capita: 1,048 cu m/yr (2000)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;
Signed (Not Ratified): Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Geography-Noted: strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport