The Islamic Republic of Iran is a large country in the Middle East, between the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea. It is bordered by Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan's Naxcivan enclave, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the northwest, Turkmenistan to the northeast, and Afghanistan and Pakistan to the southeast.

Iran covers a total area of about 1.65 million km2. The cultivable area is estimated at about 51 million ha, which is approximately 31% of the nation. In 1993 about 18.5 million ha, or 36% of the cultivable area, were considered usable for agriculture, while 14.4 million ha were actually cultivated. Of this area, 12.8 million ha consisted of annual crops and 1.6 million ha of permanent crops. About 70% of Iran’s landholders possess less than 5.5 ha (of which on average 2.13 ha are irrigated and 3.25 ha are rain fed).The total population is about 67.3 million (1995), of which 41% is rural.

Iran's economy heavily relies on the oil sector. Most economic activity is controlled by the state. Private sector activity typically consists of small-scale workshops, farming, and services.

Area:
total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km

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: 9.78%
permanent crops: 1.29%
other: 88.93% (2005)

Irrigated land:
76,500 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

Current environmental 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