Turkmenistan vs. Iran
Geography
| Turkmenistan | Iran | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
| Geographic coordinates | 40 00 N, 60 00 E | 32 00 N, 53 00 E |
| Map references | Asia | Middle East |
| Area | total: 488,100 sq km land: 469,930 sq km water: 18,170 sq km | total: 1,648,195 sq km land: 1,531,595 sq km water: 116,600 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California | almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,158 km border countries (4): Afghanistan 804 km, Iran 1148 km, Kazakhstan 413 km, Uzbekistan 1793 km | total: 5,894 km border countries (7): Afghanistan 921 km, Armenia 44 km, Azerbaijan 689 km, Iraq 1599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1148 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked); note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km) | 2,440 km - note: Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | 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 | subtropical desert | mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast |
| Terrain | flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west | rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya (Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya, the lake has dropped as low as -110 m) -81 m mean elevation: 230 m | highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,625 m lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m mean elevation: 1,305 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt | petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur |
| Land use | agricultural land: 72% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 67.8% (2018 est.) forest: 8.8% (2018 est.) other: 19.2% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 30.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 10.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.1% (2018 est.) forest: 6.8% (2018 est.) other: 63.1% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 19,950 sq km (2012) | 95,530 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes; mudslides; droughts; dust storms; floods | periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues | contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; soil erosion; desertification | 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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - note | landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau | strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport |
| Total renewable water resources | 24.765 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 137.045 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | the most densely populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat | 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 lower population density |
Source: CIA Factbook
