1996 Edition

Description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) 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

Location

32 00 N, 53 00 E -- Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than Alaska

land area

1.636 million sq km

total area

1.648 million sq km

Climate

mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Coastline

2,440 km

note

Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

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; inadequate supplies of potable water

international agreements

party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

natural hazards

periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along the Western border

Geographic coordinates

32 00 N, 53 00 E

International disputes

Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990 but are still trying to work out written agreements settling outstanding disputes from their eight-year war concerning border demarcation, prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt al-Arab waterway; Iran occupies two islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); it jointly administers with the UAE an island in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran); in 1992 the dispute over Abu Musa and the Tunb islands became more acute when Iran unilaterally tried to control the entry of third country nationals into the UAE portion of Abu Musa island, Tehran subsequently backed off in the face of significant diplomatic support for the UAE in the region, but in 1994 it increased its military presence on the disputed islands; periodic disputes with Afghanistan over Helmand water rights; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined; support to clients in Afghanistan

Irrigated land

57,500 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

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

total

5,440 km

Land use

arable land

8%

forest and woodland

11%

meadows and pastures

27%

other

54%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

natural prolongation

exclusive economic zone

bilateral agreements, or median lines in the Persian Gulf

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Terrain

rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

highest point

Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m

lowest point

Caspian Sea -28 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 15,166,131; female 14,289,283) 15-64 years: 52% (male 17,326,388; female 16,731,470) 65 years and over: 3% (male 1,327,718; female 1,253,274) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

33.67 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

6.61 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate

52.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Baloch 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Life expectancy at birth

female

68.72 years (1996 est.)

male

66.12 years

total population

67.39 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1994 est.)

female

65.8%

male

78.4%

total population

72.1%

Nationality

adjective

Iranian

noun

Iranian(s)

Net migration rate

-5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

66,094,264 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.21% (1996 est.)

Religions

Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.05 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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: 1.06 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

4.72 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

25 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshahan, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Capital

Tehran

Constitution

2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

Data code

IR

Diplomatic representation in US

none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy, headed by Faramarz FATH-NEJAD; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990

Executive branch

supreme leader (rahbar-e moazam) and functional chief of sta: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989) was appointed for life by Council of Experts

cabinet

Council of Ministers was selected by the president with legislative approval

head of government

President Ali Akbar Hashemi-RAFSANJANI (since 3 August 1989) was elected for a four-year term by universal suffrage; First Vice President Hasan Ebrahim HABIBI (since NA August 1989); election last held 11 June 1993 (next to be held NA May 1997); results - Ali Akbar Hashemi-RAFSANJANI was elected with 63% of the vote

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) 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

Independence

1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

International organization participation

CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami)

elections last held 8 March and 19 April 1996 (next to be held NA March 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (270 seats total) number of seats by party NA

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Islamic Republic of Iran

conventional short form

Iran

local long form

Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

local short form

Iran

National holiday

Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

Other political or pressure groups

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, Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran; the Society for the Defense of Freedom

Political parties and leaders

there are at least 76 licensed parties, none are, as yet, openly active; the most important groupings are - Tehran Militant Clergy Association, leader NA; Militant Clerics Association, Mehdi MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar MUSAVI-KHOINIHA; Servants of Reconstruction (G-6), leader NA

Suffrage

15 years of age; universal

Type of government

theocratic republic

US diplomatic representation

none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland

Agriculture

wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

revenues

$NA

Currency

10 Iranian rials (IR) = 1 toman; note - domestic figures are generally referred to in terms of the toman

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $40 million (1993)

Economic 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. Over the past several years, the government has introduced several measures to liberalize the economy and reduce government intervention, but most of these changes have moved slowly or have been reversed because of political opposition. Iran has faced increasingly severe financial difficulties since mid-1992 due to an import surge that began in 1989 and general financial mismanagement. At yearend 1993 the Iranian Government estimated that it owed foreign creditors about $30 billion; an estimated $8 billion of this debt was in arrears. At yearend 1994, Iran rescheduled $12 billion in debt. Earnings from oil exports - which provide 85% of Iran's export revenues - are providing less relief to Iran than usual because of reduced oil prices. Iran's financial situation will remain tight in 1996 because the bulk of payments due under its rescheduling agreements in 1993-94 will be coming due.

Electricity

capacity

19,080,000 kW

consumption per capita

745 kWh (1993)

production

50.8 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Iranian rials (IR) per US$1 - 1,750 (January 1996), 1,747.93 (1995), 1,748.75 (1994), 1,267.77 (1993), 65.55 (1992), 67.51 (1991); black market rate: 4,000 rials per US$1 (December 1995); note - as of May 1995, the "official rate" of 1,750 rials per US$1 is used for imports of essential goods and services and for oil exports, wheras the "official export rate" of 3,000 rials per US$1 is used for non-oil exports and imports not covered by the official rate

Exports

$16 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides, iron, steel

partners

Japan, Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium/Luxembourg, Spain, and Germany

External debt

$30 billion (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $323.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

21%

industry

37%

services

42% (1994 est.)

GDP per capita

$4,700 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-2% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international drug trade; produced 35-70 metric tons in 1993; net opiate importer but also a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe

Imports

$13 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

commodities

machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products

partners

Germany, Japan, Italy, UK, UAE

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (1994 est.)

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

60% (1995 est.)

Labor force

15.4 million

by occupation

agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%

note

shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate

over 30% (1995 est.)

Branches

Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces), Revolutionary Guards (includes Ground, Air, Navy, Qods, and Basij-mobilization-forces), Law Enforcement Forces

Defense expenditures

according to official Iranian data, Iran in 1994 budgeted 4,377 billion rials and in 1993 spent 2,182 billion rials, including $850 million in hard currency; note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using current exchange rates could produce misleading results

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

15,157,796

males fit for military service

9,010,648

males reach military age (21) annually

632,602 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 77, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios

14.3 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic

microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran

international

satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region); HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE

Telephones

3.02 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

28

Televisions

3.9 million (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

212

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

31

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

11

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

17

with paved runways over 3 047 m

30

with paved runways under 914 m

22

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

10

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

88 (1995 est.)

with unpaved runways over 3 047 m

1

Heliports

12 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

42,700 km

total

140,200 km

unpaved

97,500 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 47, cargo 41, chemical tanker 5, combination bulk 2, liquefied gas tanker 1, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 9, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (1995 est.)

total

130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,791,892 GRT/4,891,615 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km

Ports

Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz, Bandar Beheshti, Bandar-e 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e Mah Shahr, Bandar-e Torkeman, Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now Shahr

Railways

broad gauge

96 km 1.676-m gauge

standard gauge

4,997 km 1.432-m gauge (146 km electrified) (1995)

total

5,093 km

Waterways

904 km; 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