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@Iran

Iran Introduction

Background: Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic
republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile.
Conservative clerical forces subsequently crushed westernizing
liberal elements. Militant Iranian students seized the US Embassy in
Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During
1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq over
disputed territory. The key current issue is how rapidly the country
should open up to the modernizing influences of the outside world.

Iran Geography

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 million sq km

land: 1.636 million sq km

water: 12,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries: total: 5,440 km

border countries: Afghanistan 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

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

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: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m

highest point: Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper,
iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Land use: arable land: 10%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 27%

forests and woodland: 7%

other: 55% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 94,000 sq km (1993 est.)

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

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

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,