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From SMCCDI: daneshjoo.org About Iran Geography Brief
Description
With a size equal to three times of France -- larger than Alaska+North Carolina, it's land is bordered by several countries: Nachitchevan Azari enclave, Armenia, the so-called republic of Azarbaijan, Russia and Turkmenistan to the north, Turkey and Iraq to the west and Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east. Iran's southern coast extends from the head of the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean extending its sovereignty over territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles.
Iran has unmatched and diverse geographical reliefs with a lowest point of -28 m in the Caspian Sea and a highest point of 5,671 m as the Damavand Peak located in the Alborz chain. From northern and western high mountain peacks to green northern coasts and south-eastern desert areas, it offers an unmatched sight seeing. Located at one of the most strategic areas of the World, its land and water sizes are of a total of 1,684,184 square km (Land: 1,636 million sq. km and Water: 12,000 sq. km).
The Damavand Peak There are a few major rivers in the country; however, the only one that is navigable is the Karun, which shallow- draft boats can negotiate from Khorramshahr to Ahvaz, a distance of about 180 kilometers. Several other permanent rivers and streams also drain into the Persian Gulf, while a number of small rivers that originate in the northwestern Zagros or Alborz drain into the Caspian Sea. On the Central Plateau, numerous rivers, most of which have dry beds for the greater part of the year, form from snow melting in the mountains during the spring and flow through permanent channels, draining eventually into salt lakes that also tend to dry up during the summer months. There is a permanent salt lake, Lake Urmia (the traditional name meaning "sacred water" - also cited as Lake Urumiyeh and Lake Rezaiyeh – after Reza Shah, the first Pahlavi Monarch), in the northwest, whose brine content is too high to support fish or most other forms of aquatic life. There are also several connected salt lakes along the Iran-Afghanistan border in the province of Baluchestan va Sistan. Territorial Conflicts
Iran's territory has always been subject of attacks and temptations by many people from Bedouin Arabs, Macedonians, to Turks and Russians. But nevertheless, such attempts against Iran's territorial integrity have always failed due to the national feelings of Iranians regardless of their ethnicity (see also the History section and the Maritime bouandries in the "Persian Gulf" and the case of the islands).
1) Problems created by Bedouin Arabs
Most Arab states gained their independences and were created in mid 1950s following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, at the issue of WWI. While Iran was and stayed independent, these countries were placed, by the former SDN (replaced by UN), under British and French mandates in order to get ready for independence after WWII.
Despite their young ages, compared to Iran which has over 2500 years of written history as one of the World's oldest countries, some of these newly formed countries have always tried to falsify the history of the region in order to create a self legitimacy. Such falsification along with the support of certain European sources and governments have been to the point of falsifying the well and established known name of the "Persian Gulf" to a so-called "Arabian Gulf" or "Gulf". These controversial policies have commenced since the fall of the former Iranian government and the start of the diminution of the Iranian power in the region which was "highly' respected till 1979 by both Arabs and the mercantilist Europeans. Main issues for Iran have taken root, mainly, from Iraq and the UAE parts which have annexing views on part of Iranian territories. - Iraq:
The Iraqi Bathists leaders attacked the Iranian land in 1980 by targeting two main objectives. Stopping the progression of the Islamist ideology but especially hankering to get hold of the oil rich province of Khoozestan populated by some multi-lingual (Arab-speaking) Iranians.
Iraqi leaders were thinking of a welcoming embrace, but the same Arab-speaking Iranians who were declared by Saddam Hussein as his supporters were those who defended the Iranian borders despite the lack of an organized army victim of revolutionary purges and execution. The result was the retreat of the Iraqi army after two years of occupying some of the Iranian cities and the continuation of another six years of war on its soil. - United Arab Emirates:
Baseless claims are being actually made, since few years ago, by the UAE which is looking to use the fragile and isolated position of the current Iranian diplomacy in order to take over the 3 historic Iranian islands of Abu Moussa and the Greater and Lesser Tumbs.
UAE was known as the "Pirate coasts" during the long rule of the Ottoman Empire on this territory. This young country was formed, in 1971 and following the departure of the British troops from the Persian Gulf region, by the unification of seven little sheikhdoms which are mainly of the size of small or medium cities. (see "Maritime Boundaries in the Persian Gulf and the case of its islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa")
- Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar:
Iran shares some Oil and Gas reserves with these three countries which are using the fragile position of Iran in order to exploit unlawfully these reserves with help of US and European companies.
2) Problems created by Pan-Turks and Russians Iran and its territory have always been subject of attacks and temptation from Turks and Russians. Such policies continued through the transformation of Russia into Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (USSR) including many Turkish ethnics.
It is to note that the western side of the Caspian sea was originally populated by peoples of Aryan descent who were invaded by the Turks coming from the East who established themselves in this western region. Nevertheless, this region remained part of the former Iranian Empire till it was lost in early 1800s to the Russians.
Since then, problems have risen at several occasions and are affecting the Iran of today. Two major problems are on the sovereignty over the Caspian sea and the desperate and chance less tries of pan-Turkists to detach the Azarbaijan province from Iran. - Caspian Sea:
Caspian sea is very rich in natural resources and especially in Oil & gas.
Problems have risen since the split of the former Soviet Union which resulted in the creation of five countries sharing the Caspian's coasts instead of the former two which were Iran and USSR. Iran shared on a half/half basis the Caspian Sea, located in its north, with the former Soviet Union.
Such right was officially recognized by the Soviet Union in 3 different treaties dating 1921, 1940 and 1972.
Unfortunately and due to the ill policies of the Islamic regime, resulting in its diplomatic isolation and fragility, such rights have not been respected by the newly formed independent republics created following the split of the Soviet Union which are looking to take over majors part of the Iranians 50% share instead of looking to share the 50% recognized to the defunct Soviet Union.
-Azarbaidjan and Kurdestan provinces:
The defunct Soviet Union made a desperate try, at the issue of the WWII, to split the two Iranian provinces of Azarbaidjan and Kurdestan.
Two independent republics were proclaimed in these two areas placed under the military control of the Soviet regime. These two illegitimate entities were overthrown by the local population as soon as the Soviet tanks had to leave Iran due to the pressures by the UN Security Council, the then US administration and the late President Harry Truman.
Some Iranian born individuals carrying the nostalgia of the Stalin times or sharing a desperate dream of pan Turkish or pan kurdist are trying, today, to portray that these two republics were overthrown solely due to actions of the Iranian army. The reality is that the local population had already overthrown these regimes before the arrival of the Iranian troops.
Iranian Azaris and Iranian Kurds have shown their national feelings and deep attachments to Iran at several occasions, such as, the 1906 Constitutional Revolution and the national Defense against the Iraqi invaders.
3) Other issues
Other territorial and resources issues have risen after the fall
of the former Iranian government and the increasing diminution of Iranian power in the region.
- Pakistan:
The Islamic regime has given, illegally, some rights on the shared Gulf of Gwater to the Pakistan in an effort to obtain support from this country.
- Afghanistan:
Afghanistan which was mainly part of Iran has started the non observance of the treaties made on the water of the Hirmand river taking source in this country but vital to Iran.
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