Health Situation and Trend in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Iran is the largest country in the Middle East. It is bound by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, Iraq to the west, Turkey to the North West, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. Iran covers an area of 1,648,000 square kilometers. The midyear population estimate (2000) is 64,528 60% of which is living in urban areas. The country is divided into provinces (at present: 28), which are further sub-divided into districts (at present: 278). There are more than 60,000 villages scattered throughout the country.