Armenia vs. Iran
Geography
| Armenia | Iran | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southwestern Asia, between Turkey (to the west) and Azerbaijan; note - Armenia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
| Geographic coordinates | 40 00 N, 45 00 E | 32 00 N, 53 00 E |
| Map references | Asia | Middle East |
| Area | total: 29,743 sq km land: 28,203 sq km water: 1,540 sq km | total: 1,648,195 sq km land: 1,531,595 sq km water: 116,600 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,570 km border countries (4): Azerbaijan 996 km, Georgia 219 km, Iran 44 km, Turkey 311 km | total: 5,894 km border countries (7): Afghanistan 921 km, Armenia 44 km, Azerbaijan 689 km, Iraq 1599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1148 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 2,440 km - note: Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf continental shelf: natural prolongation |
| Climate | highland continental, hot summers, cold winters | mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast |
| Terrain | Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley | rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m lowest point: Debed River 400 m mean elevation: 1,792 m | highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,625 m lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m mean elevation: 1,305 m |
| Natural resources | small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite | petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur |
| Land use | agricultural land: 59.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 15.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 42% (2018 est.) forest: 9.1% (2018 est.) other: 31.2% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 30.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 10.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.1% (2018 est.) forest: 6.8% (2018 est.) other: 63.1% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 2,740 sq km (2012) | 95,530 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts | periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes |
| Environment - current issues | soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; deforestation; pollution of Hrazdan and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically active zone | 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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - note | landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range | strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport |
| Total renewable water resources | 7.769 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 137.045 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the capital of Yerevan is home to more than five times as many people as Gyumri, the second largest city in the country | population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west, reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country, around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, have a much lower population density |
Source: CIA Factbook
