he only economic activity
is tuna fishing.
Transportation Clipperton Island
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military Clipperton Island
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues Clipperton Island
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Iran
Introduction
Iran
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. Key current issues
affecting the country include the pace of accepting outside modernizing
influences and reconciliation between clerical control of the regime
and popular government participation and widespread demands for reform.
Geography Iran
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 territorial sea: 12
NM continental shelf: natural prolongation exclusive economic zone:
bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf
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:
kuh-e 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% other: 89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 75,620 sq km (1998 est.)
|