GEOGRAPHY
Cities:
Capital--Tehran. Other cities--Isfahan, Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz.
Terrain:
Desert and mountains.
Climate:
Semiarid; subtropical along the Caspian coast.
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf,
between Iraq and Pakistan
Map
references: Middle East
Area:
total
area: 1.648 million sq km land
area: 1.636 million sq km comparative
area: slightly larger than Alaska
Land
boundaries: total 5,440 km, Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35
km, Azerbaijan (north) 432 km, Azerbaijan (northwest) 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: contiguous
zone: 24 nm continental
shelf: natural prolongation exclusive
economic zone: bilateral agreements, or median lines in the
Persian Gulf territorial
sea: 12 nm
International
disputes: Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990
but are still trying to work out written agreements settling outstanding
disputes from their eight-year war concerning border demarcation,
prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over
the Shatt al Arab waterway; Iran occupies two islands in the Persian
Gulf claimed by the
UAE: Tunb as Sughra (Arabic), Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek (Persian)
or Lesser Tunb, and Tunb al Kubra (Arabic), Jazireh-ye Tonb-e
Bozorg (Persian) or Greater Tunb; it jointly administers with
the UAE an island in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE, Abu
Musa (Arabic) or Jazireh-ye Abu Musa (Persian); in 1992 the dispute
over Abu Musa and the Tunb islands became more acute when Iran
unilaterally tried to control the entry of third country nationals
into the UAE portion of Abu Musa island, Tehran subsequently backed
off in the face of significant diplomatic support for the UAE
in the region, but in 1994 it increased its military presence
on the disputed islands; periodic disputes with Afghanistan over
Helmand water rights; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined
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
Natural
resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper,
iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Land
use: arable
land: 8% permanent
crops: 0% meadows
and pastures: 27%
forest
and woodland: 11% other:
54%
Irrigated
land: 57,500 sq km (1989 est.)
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;
inadequate supplies of potable water natural
hazards: periodic droughts, floods; duststorms, sandstorms;
earthquakes along the Western border
international
agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
