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

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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.)