Geography & environment — Iran
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Iran: Middle East
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Middle East
- Geographic Coordinates
32 00 N, 53 00 E
- Total Area
636,368 Square Miles 1,648,195 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
591,349 Square Miles 1,531,595 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
45,019 Square Miles 116,600 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
3,380 Miles 5,440 Kilometers
- 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
1,516 Miles 2,440 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
- rugged, mountainous rim
- high, central basin with deserts, mountains
- small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
- Highest Point
5,671 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
- Lowest Point
-28 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
Caspian Sea -28 m
- Natural Resources
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
- Irrigated Land
33,591 Square Miles 87,000 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC)
- Daylight saving time
does not observe daylight savings time
Climate
- 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
- Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
- Total Area
636,368 Square Miles 1,648,195 Square Kilometers
- 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
Environment
- 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
wetland losses from drought
soil degradation (salination)
inadequate supplies of potable water
water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste
urbanization
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation