Situated in Western Asia, Iran is the second-largest country in the Middle East. It shares land borders with seven nations: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan to the north; Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east; and Iraq and Turkey to the west. Its northern border is completely dominated by the shores of the Caspian Sea, while its southern edge is traced by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Iran's geography is overwhelmingly mountainous, forming a rugged rim around a high central basin. The Zagros Mountains run from the northwest to the southeast, while the Alborz Mountains sweep across the north, hugging the Caspian coast.
The interior of the country is dominated by the Central Plateau, which features two massive, forbidding deserts: the Dasht-e Kavir (Great Salt Desert) and the Dasht-e Lut (Lut Desert). Natural resources are abundant, with Iran holding some of the world's largest proven reserves of crude oil and natural gas, alongside significant deposits of zinc, copper, and iron ore.
