Geography of Iran

Location:\nSouthwest Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan.\n

Geographic coordinates:\n32 00 N, 53 00 E\n

Map references:\nMiddle East\n

Area:\n
total:\n1.648 million km²\n
land:\n1.636 million km²\n
water:\n12,000 km²\n

Land boundaries:\n
total:\n5,440 km\n
border countries:\nAfghanistan 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\n

Coastline:\n2,440 km\n
note:\nIran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)\n

Maritime claims:\n
contiguous zone:\n24 nautical miles\n
continental shelf:\nnatural prolongation\n
exclusive economic zone:\nbilateral agreements, or median lines in the Persian Gulf\n
territorial sea:\n12 nautical miles\n

Climate:\nmostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast Iran has a variable climate. In the northwest areas, winters get very cold with lots of heavy snowfall. In December and January, the temperature is below 0ºC. In spring and fall, the temperature is mild, and can sometimes get fairly hot. In summer time, it is hot and dry. It can get up to 40ºC. People cannot go outside from around 12:00 – 15-16:00 in the summers, because it gets too hot, and people will faint, or pass out. \n

Terrain:\nrugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts\n

Elevation extremes:\n
lowest point:\nCaspian Sea -28 m\n
highest point:\nQolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m\n

Natural resources:\npetroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur\n
arable land:\n10%\n
permanent crops:\n1%\n
permanent pastures:\n27%\n
forests and woodland:\n7%\n
other:\n55% (1993 est.)\n

Irrigated land:\n94,000 km² (1993 est.)\n

Natural hazards:\nperiodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast\n

Environment - current issues:\nair 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\n

Environment - international agreements:\n
party to:\nBiodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands\n
signed, but not ratified:\nEnvironmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

See also : Iran, List of mountains in Iran