| |
| |
|
|
|
Background: |
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became
an Islamic republic in 1979 after the
ruling shah was forced into exile.
Conservative clerical forces established
a theocratic system of government with
ultimate political authority vested in a
learned religious scholar. A group of
Iranian students seized the US Embassy
in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it
until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88,
Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war
with Iraq over disputed territory. Over
the past decade, popular dissatisfaction
with the government, driven by
demographic changes, restrictive social
policies, and poor economic conditions,
has created a powerful and enduring
pressure for political reform.
|
|
Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman,
the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea,
between Iraq and Pakistan |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
32 00 N, 53 00 E |
|
Map references: |
|
|
Area: |
total: 1.248 million sq km
land: 1.232 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km
|
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly larger than Alaska |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 5,440 km
border countries: Afghanistan 932
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 |
|
Coastline: |
2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the
Caspian Sea (740 km) |
|
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 |
|
Climate: |
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical
along Caspian coast |
|
Terrain: |
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central
basin with deserts, mountains; small,
discontinuous plains along both coasts
|
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand
5,271 m |
|
Natural resources: |
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium,
copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc,
sulfur |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 10.17%
permanent crops: 1.12%
other: 88.27% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land: |
75,220 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards: |
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms,
sandstorms; earthquakes along western
border and in the northeast |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Geography - note: |
strategic location on the Persian Gulf
and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital
maritime pathways for crude oil
transport |
|
Population: |
28,278,822 (July 2003 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 29.3% (male
10,279,588; female 9,727,228)
15-24 years: 25.9% (male
22,912,431; female 22,095,124)
25 years and over: 4.8% (male
1,225,113; female 1,234,902) (2003 est.)
|
|
Median age: |
total: 22.9 years
male: 22.7 years
female: 23.2 years (2002) |
|
Population growth rate: |
1.08% (2003 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
17.23 births/1,000 population (2003
est.) |
|
Death rate: |
5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
|
|
Net migration rate: |
-0.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003
est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female
(2003 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 44.17 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 44.02 deaths/1,000 live
births (2003 est.)
male: 44.31 deaths/1,000 live
births |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 29.35 years
male: 28.04 years
female: 70.73 years (2003 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
less than 0.1% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with
HIV/AIDS: |
20,000 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
290 (2001 est.) |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian
|
|
Ethnic groups: |
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and
Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur
2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
|
|
Religions: |
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%,
Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and
Baha'i 1%
|
|
Languages: |
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic
and Turkic dialects 22%, Kurdish 9%,
Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish
1%, other 2% |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can
read and write
total population: 79.4%
male: 85.2%
female: 73% (2003 est.)
|
|
Country name: |
conventional long form: Islamic
Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local short form: Iran
former: Persia
local long form: Jomhuri-ye
Eslami-ye Iran |
|
Government type: |
theocratic republic |
|
Capital: |
Tehran
|
|
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 |
|
Independence: |
1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran
proclaimed) |
|
National holiday: |
Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
note: additional holidays
celebrated widely in Iran include
Revolution Day, 11 February (1979);
Noruz (New Year's Day), 21 March;
Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August
(1925) |
|
Constitution: |
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to
expand powers of the presidency and
eliminate the prime ministership |
|
Legal system: |
the Constitution codifies Islamic
principles of government |
|
Suffrage: |
15 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state: Supreme Leader
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 June 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; the Supreme Leader
has some control over appointments to
the more sensitive ministries
head of government: President
(Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3
August 1997); First Vice President Dr.
Mohammad Reza AREF-YAZDI (since 22
August 2001) |
|
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
2000 with a runoff held 5 May 2000 (next
to be held February 2004)
election results: percent of vote
- NA%; seats by party - reformers 189,
conservatives 54, independents 42, seats
reserved for religious minorities 5
|
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
a loose pro-reform coalition called the
2nd Khordad front achieved considerable
success at elections to the sixth Majles
in early 2000, and groups in the
coalition include: Islamic Iran
Participation Front (IIPF); Executives
of Construction Party (Kargozaran);
Solidarity Party; Mojahedin of the
Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO);
and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun);
a new apparently conservative group, the
Builders of Islamic Iran, emerged at the
local level in early 2003 |
|
Political pressure groups and
leaders: |
active pro-reform student groups include
the "Organization for Strengthening
Unity"; groups that generally support
the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e
Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the
Line of the Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy
Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic
Coalition Association, and Islamic
Engineers Society; opposition groups
include Freedom Movement of Iran, the
National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and
various Monarchist organizations; 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, and Komala |
|
International organization
participation: |
CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), 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, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO |
|
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) 925-4990 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the
US: |
none; note - protecting power in Iran is
Switzerland |
|
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 |
|
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.
Relatively high oil prices in recent
years have enabled Iran to amass some
$15 billion in foreign exchange
reserves, but have not solved Iran's
structural economic problems, including
high unemployment and inflation. |
|
GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $452 billion
(2002 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
2.5% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2002
est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 19%
industry: 22%
services: 55% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
40% (2002 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by
percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
15.3% (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
21 million
note: shortage of skilled labor
(1998) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services
45% (2001 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
12.3% (2003 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $29.5 billion
expenditures: $31.2 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA
(2002 est.) |
|
Industries: |
petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles,
cement and other construction materials,
food processing (particularly sugar
refining and vegetable oil production),
metal fabricating, armaments |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
5.5% excluding oil (2001 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
124.2 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 97.1%
hydro: 2.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
115.9 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production: |
3.804 million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
1.277 million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001) |
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
94.39 billion bbl (January 2002 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
24.8 trillion cu m (January 2002 est.)
|
|
Agriculture - products: |
wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets,
fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products,
wool; caviar |
|
Exports: |
$24.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits and nuts,
iron and steel, chemicals
|
|
Exports - partners: |
Japan 25%, China 12%, Italy 10%, South
Korea 10%, Greece 5% (2001) |
|
Imports: |
$21.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
industrial raw materials and
intermediate goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs and other consumer goods,
technical services, military supplies
|
|
Imports - partners: |
Germany 13%, Italy 10%, France 8%, China
7%, South Korea 7% (2001) |
|
Debt - external: |
$8.7 billion (2002 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$408 million (2002 est.) |
|
Currency: |
Iranian rial (IRR) |
|
Currency code: |
IRR
|
|
Exchange rates: |
rials per US dollar 2,902.92 (2002),
1,753.52 (2001), 1,724.43 (2000),
1,752.93 (1999), 1,751.82 (1998)
note: 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 |
|
Fiscal year: |
21 March - 20 March |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
2.313 million (1997) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
225,000 (August 1998) |
|
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 |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
|
|
Internet country code: |
.ir
|
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
100 (2002) |
|
Internet users: |
1.322 million (2002 est.) |
|
Railways: |
total: 7,201 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.272-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,107 km 1.435-m
gauge (142 km electrified) (2002)
|
|
Highways: |
total: 140,200 km
paved: 49,440 km (including 470
km of expressways)
unpaved: 90,720 km (1998 est.)
|
|
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 |
|
Pipelines: |
crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products
3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km |
|
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 |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 139 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) 4,190,572 GRT/7,272,700 DWT
ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 34,
chemical tanker 4, container 10,
liquefied gas 1, multi-functional
large-load carrier 2, petroleum tanker
30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll
off 9, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)
|
|
Airports: |
309 (2002) |
|
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
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 187
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
under 914 m: 39 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 138 |
|
Heliports: |
13 (2002) |
|
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 |
|
Military manpower - military age: |
21 years of age (2003 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 20,343,023 (2003
est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military
service: |
males age 15-49: 12,094,551 (2003
est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching
military age annually: |
males: 870,711 (2003 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar
figure: |
$9.7 billion (FY00) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of
GDP: |
3.1% (FY00) |
|
Disputes - international: |
Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting
flow of dammed waters on Helmand River
tributaries in response to prolonged
drought in region; thousands of Afghan
refugees still reside in Iran; despite
restored diplomatic relations in 1990,
disputes with Iraq over maritime and
land boundaries, navigation channel, and
other issues from eight-year war
persist; UAE engage direct talks and
Arab League support to resolve disputes
over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands
and Abu Musa Island; Iran insists on
division of the Caspian Sea into five
equal sectors, while other littoral
states have generally agreed to
equidistant seabed boundaries - Iran has
threatened Azerbaijanian hydrocarbon
exploration in disputed waters |
|
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 2 million drug users in the
country |
|
|
|
|
