|
Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Middle East,
bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea,
between Iraq and Pakistan |
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Geographic coordinates:
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32 00 N, 53
00 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total:
1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
larger than Alaska |
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Land boundaries:
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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:
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2,440 km;
note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) |
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Maritime claims:
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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:
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mostly arid
or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast |
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Terrain:
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rugged,
mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small,
discontinuous plains along both coasts |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum,
natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc,
sulfur |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 10.17%
permanent crops: 1.16%
other: 88.67% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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75,620 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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periodic
droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western
border and in the northeast |
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Environment - current issues:
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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:
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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:
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strategic
location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital
maritime pathways for crude oil transport |
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Population:
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68,278,826 (July 2003
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
29.3% (male 10,279,588; female 9,727,668)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 22,916,431; female 22,095,124)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,625,113; female 1,634,902)
(2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 22.9
years
male: 22.7 years
female: 23.2 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.08% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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17.23 births/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.54 deaths/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.86 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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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 |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
69.35 years
male: 68.04 years
female: 70.73 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.99 children born/woman
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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20,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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290 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian |
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Ethnic groups:
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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:
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Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni
Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1% |
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Languages:
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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:
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definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.4%
male: 85.6%
female: 73% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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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 |
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Government type:
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theocratic republic
|
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Capital:
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Tehran |
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Administrative divisions:
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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:
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1 April 1979 (Islamic
Republic of Iran proclaimed) |
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National holiday:
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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) |
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Constitution:
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2-3 December 1979;
revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the
prime ministership |
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Legal system:
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the Constitution
codifies Islamic principles of government |
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Suffrage:
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15 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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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
26 August 2001) |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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 |
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International organization participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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:
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none; note - protecting
power in Iran is Switzerland |
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Flag description:
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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:
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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. |
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GDP:
|
purchasing power parity
- $456 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6.5% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity
- $7,000 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 19%
industry: 26%
services: 55% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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40% (2002 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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15.3% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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21 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (1998) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 30%,
industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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16.3% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $29.5
billion
expenditures: $31.6 billion, including capital expenditures of
$NA (2002 est.) |
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Industries:
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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:
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5.5% excluding oil
(2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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124.6 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
97.1%
hydro: 2.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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115.9 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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3.804 million bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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1.277 million bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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94.39 billion bbl (January
2002 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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24.8 trillion cu m (January
2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, rice, other
grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool;
caviar |
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Exports:
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$24.8 billion f.o.b.
(2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum 85%, carpets,
fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals |
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Exports - partners:
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Japan 25%, China 12%,
Italy 10%, South Korea 10%, Greece 5% (2001) |
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Imports:
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$21.8 billion f.o.b.
(2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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industrial raw
materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other
consumer goods, technical services, military supplies |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany 13%, Italy 10%,
France 8%, China 7%, South Korea 7% (2001) |
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Debt - external:
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$8.7 billion (2002 est.)
|
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$408 million (2002 est.)
|
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Currency:
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Iranian rial (IRR) |
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Currency code:
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IRR |
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Exchange rates:
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rials per US dollar
6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56 (2001), 1,764.43 (2000), 1,752.93 (1999),
1,751.86 (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 |
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Fiscal year:
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21 March - 20 March
|
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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6.313 million (1997)
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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265,000 (August 1998)
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 72, FM 5, shortwave
5 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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28 (plus 450 low-power
repeaters) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
|
.ir |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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100 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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1.326 million (2002 est.)
|
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Railways:
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total: 7,201 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,107 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified)
(2002) |
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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 |
|
Pipelines:
|
crude oil 5,900 km;
petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km |
|
Ports and harbors:
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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) 4,190,576 GRT/7,276,700 DWT
ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 34, chemical tanker 4, container
10, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum
tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea
passenger 1 (2002 est.) |
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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:
20,343,063 (2003 est.) |
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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 |
This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003
|
![[Country Flag of Iran]](images/ir-flag.jpeg)
![[Country map of Iran]](images/ir-map.jpg)
