| 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 land: 1,531,595 sq km water: 116,600 sq km |
| Area - comparative | 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 1599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1148 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 | highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,625 m lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m mean elevation: 1,305 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur |
| Land use | 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 | 95,530 sq km (2012) |
| Total renewable water resources | 137.045 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Natural hazards | periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes |
| Geography - note | strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
