n
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, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea,
Marine Life Conservation

@Iran:People

Population: 65,619,636 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 11,542,446; female 11,035,705)
15-64 years: 61% (male 20,151,083; female 19,879,432)
65 years and over: 5% (male 1,592,753; female 1,418,217) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.83% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 18.29 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 5.45 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 30.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.66 years
male: 68.34 years
female: 71.05 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.2 children b