Iran is the Asian country with coastlines on both the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. It stretches from the Caspian basin in the north to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman in the south.
Iran's northern shore lies along the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water. Important Iranian ports there include Bandar Anzali and Nowshahr. Far to the south, Iran controls much of the Persian Gulf's northern coastline, including the strategically important port of Bandar Abbas and islands such as Qeshm and Kish.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean. This gives Iran a major position in regional shipping and energy transport. Iran's geography is especially distinctive because the Alborz and Zagros mountain systems separate several of its coastal zones from the interior plateau.
Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan border the Caspian Sea but not the Persian Gulf. Russia borders the Caspian as well, yet has no Persian Gulf coastline. The term “sea” can also mislead: the Caspian is technically an enclosed lake, though its size and history explain its traditional name.