1981 Edition

Area

1,647,240 km2; 14% agricultural, 11% forested, 16% cultivable with adequate irrigation, 51% desert, waste, or urban, 8% migratory grazing and other

About 212,380 km2; negligible amount forested, remainder desert, waste, or urban

287,490 km2; (border with Saudi Arabia undefined); only about 1% arable (of which less than 25% cultivated)

Budget

(FY81) proposed expenditures of $39 billion, actual expenditures likely to be below this level

Coastline

3,180 km, including islands, with 676 km

2,092 km

1,383 km

Fiscal year

21 March-20 March

Land boundaries

5,318 km (including areas belonging to Iran and now occupied by Iraq during continuing border war)

1,384 km

1,802 km

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (fishing 50 nm)

12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)

12 nm (plus 6 nm "necessary supervision zone"); fishing 200 nm, economic 200 nm

Major trade partners

exports — Japan, West Germany, Netherlands, Italy, UK, Spain, France; imports — West Germany, Japan, UK, Italy

Monetary conversion rate

70.5 rials=US$l

Ethnic divisions

63% ethnic Persians, 3% Kurds, 13% other Iranian, 18% Turkic, 3% Arab and other Semitic, 1% other

almost entirely Arab with small groups of Iranians, Baluchis, and Indians

almost all Arabs; a few Indians, Somalis, and Europeans

Labor force

12.0 million, est. (1979); 33% agriculture, 21% manufacturing; shortage of skilled labor substantial

300,000; 49% are non-Omani

Language

Persian, Turkish dialects, Kurdish, Arabic

Arabic

Arabic

Literacy

about 37% of those seven years of age and older (1976 est.)

10%

probably no higher than 10%; Aden 35% (est.)

Nationality

noun — Iranian(s); adjective — Iranian

noun — Omani(s); adjective — Omani

noun — Yemeni(s); adjective — Yemeni

Population

41,203,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 3.1%

948,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 3.1%

2,022,000, excluding the islands of Perim and Kamaran for which no data are available (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.8%

Religion

93% Shia Muslim; 5% Sunni Muslim; 2% Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians and Baha'is

Muslim (Ibadhi and Sunni sects, few Shias)

Muslim

Branches

Ayatollah ol-Ozma Khomeini, the leader of the revolution, provides general guidance for the government, which is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches

Supreme People's Council; Cabinet

Capital

Tehran

Muscat

Aden; Madinat ash Sha'b, administrative capital

Communists

1,000 to 2,000 est. hardcore; 15,000 to 20,000 est. sympathizers

Elections

elections to endorse new constitution were held in late 1979; those to select a president in January 1980 and July and November 1981, and those to select the parliament (two rounds) in March and May 1980; several parliamentary byelections were held in 1980 and 1981 Political parties and leaders: Islamic Republic Party (IRP), Ali Khamenei; Tudeh Party, Nur-ed-Din Kianuri

Government leader

Sultan Qaboos bin SAID (Al Bu Said)

Government leaders

Ayatollah ol-Ozma Ruhollah KHOMEINI, President Ali KHAMENEI (cleric), Prime Minister Mir Hosein MUSAVI-KHAMENEI, Speaker of Islamic Consultative Assembly Ali Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI (cleric)

Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council, YSP Secretary General, and Prime Minister — 'Ali Nasir Muhammad al-HASANI

Legal system

the new constitution codifies Islamic principles of government

based on English common law and Islamic law; no constitution; ultimate appeal to the Sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

based on Islamic law (for personal matters) and English common law (for commercial matters); highest judicial organ, Federal High Court, interprets constitution and determines disputes between states

Member of

Colombo Plan, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OPEC, RCD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO; continued participation in some of these organizations doubtful under the new Islamic constitution

National holiday

Shia Islam religious holidays observed nationwide

18 November

14 October

Official name

Islamic Republic of Iran

Sultanate of Oman

People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

Other political or pressure groups

People's Strugglers (Mojahedin), People's Fedayeen, and Kurdish Democratic Party are armed political groups; other ethnic minorities, local leaders and Islamic Committees enforce their political views through armed militia

outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in South

Political subdivisions

23 provinces, subdivided into districts, subdistricts, counties, and villages

1 province (Dhofar), 9 regions, and numerous districts (wilayats)

6 provinces

Suffrage

universal, age 18 and over

Type

republic

absolute monarchy; independent, with strong residual UK influence

republic; power centered in ruling Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP)

Voting strength

reliable figures not available; IRP and sympathizers dominate the parliament

Agriculture

wheat, barley, rice, sugar beets, cotton, dates, raisins, tea, tobacco, sheep, and goats

Electric power

9,614,600 kW capacity (1980); 16.843 billion kWh produced (1980), 431 kWh per capita

Exports

$11 billion (est., 1981); 97% petroleum; also carpets, fruits, and nuts

GNP

$81.7 billion (1979), $2,170 per capita; 1979 real GNP growth, -24%

Imports

$15 billion (est., 1981); foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, machinery, military supplies

Major industries

crude oil production (1.4 million b/d in 1981) and refining, textiles, cement and other building materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating (steel and copper)

Airfields

178 total, 143 usable; 78 with permanentsurface runways; 17 with runways over 3,659 m, 17 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 69 with runways 1,220-2,439 m DEFENSE FORCES

Civil air

approx. 50 major transport aircraft

Highways

81,800 km total; 36,000 km gravel and crushed stone, 15,000 km improved earth

Inland waterways

904 km, excluding the Caspian Sea, 104 km on the Shatt al Arab

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 20 March 1981, $4.2 billion; 10% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 9,310,000; 5,722,000 fit for military service; about 409,000 reach military age (21) annually

Pipelines

crude oil, 5,900 km; refined products, 3,500 km; natural gas, 3,282 km

Ports

7 major, 6 minor

Railroads

4,601 km total; 4,509 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 92 km 1.676-meter gauge