Situated in southwestern Asia, Iran covers an area of 1,648,000 sq km (636,296 sq mi) and extends about 2,250 km (1,398 mi) SE – NW and 1,400 km (870 mi) NE – SW . Comparatively, the area occupied by Iran is slightly larger than the state of Alaska. Iran is bounded on the N by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea, on the E by Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the S by the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, on the W by Iraq, and on the NW by Turkey, with a total land boundary length of 5,440 km (3,380 mi). The coastline is 2,440 km (1,516 mi). The shoreline on the Caspian Sea is 740 km (460 mi). Iran's territory includes several islands in the Persian Gulf.
Iran's capital city, Tehran, is located in the northwestern part of the country.