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: 1,648,195 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 1,531,595 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 116,600 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 18

Area - comparative:
almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska
Area comparison map: almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 5,894 km
border countries (7): Afghanistan 921 km, Armenia 44 km, Azerbaijan 689 km, Iraq 1,599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1,148 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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:
mean elevation: 1,305 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
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:
agricultural land: 30.1% arable land 10.8%; permanent crops 1.2%; permanent pasture 18.1%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 6.8%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 63.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
95,530 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west, reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country, around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, have a much smaller population density

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, 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