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Background: |
Known as Persia until 1935,
Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was
forced into exile. |
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Location: |
Middle
East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian
Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
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Geographic coordinates: |
32 00 N,
53 00 E |
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Map references: |
Middle
East |
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Area: |
total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million
sq km
water: 12,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly
larger than Alaska |
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Land boundaries: |
total: 5,440 km
border countries: Afghanistan
936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km,
Turkmenistan 992 km |
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Coastline: |
2,440 km;
note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) |
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Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: natural prolongation
exclusive
economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the
Persian Gulf |
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Climate: |
mostly
arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast |
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Terrain: |
rugged,
mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small,
discontinuous plains along both coasts |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e
Damavand 5,671 m |
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Natural resources: |
petroleum,
natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese,
zinc, sulfur |
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Land use: |
arable
land: 10.17%
permanent crops: 1.16%
other:
88.67% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land: |
75,620 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
periodic
droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western
border and in the northeast |
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Environment - current issues: |
air
pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions,
refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf;
wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination);
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw
sewage and industrial waste; urbanization |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
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Geography - note: |
strategic
location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital
maritime pathways for crude oil transport |
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Population: |
66,622,704
(July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14
years: 31.6% (male 10,753,218; female 10,273,015)
15-64
years: 63.7% (male 21,383,542; female 21,096,307)
65
years and over: 4.7% (male 1,633,016; female 1,483,606) (2002
est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
0.77%
(2002 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
17.54
births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate: |
5.39
deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-4.46
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
28.07
deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 70.25 years
female: 71.69 years (2002
est.)
male: 68.87 years |
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Total fertility rate: |
2.01
children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
less than
0.01% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA
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Nationality: |
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian
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Ethnic groups: |
Persian
51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%,
Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% |
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Religions: |
Shi'a
Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and
Baha'i 1% |
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Languages: |
Persian
and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish
9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 72.1%
male: 78.4%
female: 65.8% (1994 est.) |
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Country name: |
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local short
form: Iran
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
former: Persia |
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Government type: |
theocratic
republic |
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Capital: |
Tehran
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Administrative divisions: |
28
provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi,
Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan,
Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah,
Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan,
Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan,
Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan |
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Independence: |
1 April
1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) |
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National holiday: |
Republic
Day, 1 April (1979) |
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Constitution: |
2-3
December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and
eliminate the prime ministership |
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Legal system: |
the
Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government |
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Suffrage: |
15 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch: |
chief
of state: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali
Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)
elections: leader of
the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by the Assembly of
Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 8 June 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani
reelected president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad
KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
cabinet: Council of Ministers
selected by the president with legislative approval
head of
government: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3
August 1997); First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-YAZDI
(since 26 August 2001) |
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Legislative branch: |
unicameral
Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290
seats, note - changed from 270 seats with the 18 February 2000
election; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 18 February-NA April 2000 (next to
be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%;
seats by party - reformers 170, conservatives 45, and independents
10, 65 seats up for runoff; note - election on 5 May 2000 (reformers
52, conservatives 10, independents 3) |
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme
Court |
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Political parties and leaders: |
the
following organizations appeared to have achieved considerable
success at elections to the sixth Majlis in early 2000: Assembly of
the Followers of the Imam's Line, Freethinkers' Front, Islamic Iran
Participation Front, Moderation and Development Party, Servants of
Construction Party, Society of Self-sacrificing Devotees |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
active
student groups include the pro-reform "Organization for
Strengthening Unity" and "the Union of Islamic Student Societies';
groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e
Hizballah, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students
Following the Line of the Imam, and the Islamic Coalition
Association; opposition groups include the Liberation Movement of
Iran and the Nation of Iran party; armed political groups that have
been almost completely repressed by the government include
Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic
Party of Iranian Kurdistan; the Society for the Defense of Freedom
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International organization participation: |
CCC, CP,
ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none; note
- Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address:
Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none; note
- protecting power in Iran is Switzerland |
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Flag description: |
three
equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national
emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of
a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the white
band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated
11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along
the top edge of the red band |
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Economy - overview: |
Iran's
economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and
other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale
private trading and service ventures. President KHATAMI has
continued to follow the market reform plans of former President
RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue diversification of
Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made little progress
toward that goal. The strong oil market in 1996 helped ease
financial pressures on Iran and allowed for Tehran's timely debt
service payments. Iran's financial situation tightened in 1997 and
deteriorated further in 1998 because of lower oil prices. Subsequent
rises in oil prices have afforded Iran fiscal breathing room but do
not solve Iran's structural economic problems, including the
encouragement of foreign investment and the containment of
inflation. |
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GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $456 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
5% (2002
est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $7,000 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 19%
industry: 26%
services: 55% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
53% (1996
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
17.3%
(2002 est.) |
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Labor force: |
18 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (1998) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)
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Unemployment rate: |
14% (1999
est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $24 billion
expenditures: $22
billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries: |
petroleum,
petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials,
food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil
production), metal fabricating, armaments |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
5.5%
excluding oil (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
120.33
billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil
fuel: 94%
hydro: 6%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption: |
111.907
billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh
(2000) |
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh
(2000) |
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Agriculture - products: |
wheat,
rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy
products, wool; caviar |
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Exports: |
$24
billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
petroleum
85%, carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals |
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Exports - partners: |
Japan
20.5%, Italy 7%, UAE 5.9%, France 4.7%, China 4.1% (1999) |
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Imports: |
$19.6
billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
industrial
raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and
other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies |
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Imports - partners: |
Germany
11%, Italy 8.3%, China 6.1%, Japan 5.3%, UAE 5% (1999) |
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Debt - external: |
$8.2
billion (2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$129
million (1995) (2000 est.) |
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Currency: |
Iranian
rial (IRR) |
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Currency code: |
IRR
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Exchange rates: |
from 1997
to 2001, Iran had a multi-exchange-rate system; one of these rates,
the official floating exchange rate, by which most essential goods
were imported, averaged 1,750 rials per US dollar; in March 2002,
the multi-exchange-rate system was converged into one rate at about
7,900 rials per US dollar |
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Fiscal year: |
21 March -
20 March |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
6.313
million (1997) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
265,000
(August 1998) |
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Telephone system: |
general
assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and
expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the
telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in
the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many
villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in
the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile
cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level
of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of
digital switches
international: HF radio and microwave
radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine
fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the
Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from
Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with
expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9
Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat; Internet service available but limited to
electronic mail to promote Iranian culture |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 72, FM
5, shortwave 5 (1998) |
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Radios: |
17 million
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
28 (plus
450 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
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Televisions: |
4.61
million (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.ir
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
8 (2000)
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Internet users: |
420,000
(2002) |
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Railways: |
total: 6,130 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m
gauge
standard gauge: 6,036 km 1.435-m gauge (187 km
electrified)
note: broad-gauge track is employed at the
borders with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan which have broad-gauge rail
systems; 41 km of the standard-gauge, electrified track is in
suburban service at Tehran (2001) |
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Highways: |
total: 140,200 km
paved: 49,440 km (including
470 km of expressways)
unpaved: 90,760 km (1998 est.)
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Waterways: |
904 km
note: the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime
traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in
use |
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Pipelines: |
crude oil
5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km |
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Ports and harbors: |
Abadan
(largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz, Bandar
'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni, Bandar-e
Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman, Chabahar (Bandar
Beheshti), Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye Sirri,
Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now Shahr
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Merchant marine: |
total: 147 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,136,971
GRT/7,166,703 DWT
ships by type: bulk 48, cargo 36,
chemical tanker 4, container 10, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional
large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 2,
roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.) |
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Airports: |
322 (2001)
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 122
over 3,047 m: 39
2,438 to
3,047 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914
m: 4 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 27 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 187
under 914 m: 39 (2002)
over
3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
914 to 1,523
m: 138
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 |
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Heliports: |
13 (2002)
|
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Military branches: |
Islamic
Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air
Force and Air Defense Command), Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods [special
operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization Army] forces), Law
Enforcement Forces |
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Military manpower - military age: |
21 years
of age (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability: |
males
age 15-49: 18,868,571 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military
service: |
males
age 15-49: 11,192,731 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age
annually: |
males: 823,041 (2002 est.)
|
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$9.7
billion (FY00) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
3.1%
(FY00) |
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Disputes - international: |
despite
restored diplomatic relations in 1990, Iran lacks maritime boundary
with Iraq and disputes land boundary, navigation channels, and other
issues from eight-year war; UAE seeks United Arab League and other
international support against Iran's occupation of Greater Tunb
Island (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e
Bozorg in Persian by Iran) and Lesser Tunb Island (called Tunb as
Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by
Iran) and attempts to occupy completely a jointly administered
island in the Persian Gulf (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and
Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran); Iran insists on division of
Caspian Sea into five equal sectors while Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Russia, and Turkmenistan have generally agreed upon equidistant
seabed boundaries; Iran threatens to conduct oil exploration in
Azerbaijani-claimed waters, while interdicting Azerbaijani
activities |
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Illicit drugs: |
despite
substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment
point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic narcotics
consumption remains a persistent problem and Iranian press reports
estimate at least 1.8 million drug users in the country
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