2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

30 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-e Janubi, Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-e Shemali, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,204,785/female 8,731,429) 15-64 years: 69% (male 24,133,919/female 23,245,255) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,653,827/female 1,719,218) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

321 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

41 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 31

total

129

under 914 m

6 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 140

total

192

under 914 m

43 (2006)

Area

land

1.636 million sq km

total

1.648 million sq km

water

12,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Alaska

Background

Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority nominally vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have been strained since 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 that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement. Following the elections of a reformist president and Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction floundered as conservative politicians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased repressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers. Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August 2005 inauguration of a conservative stalwart as president, completed the reconsolidation of conservative power in Iran's government. Geography Iran

Birth rate

17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$100.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (2006 est.)

revenues

$104.6 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

35 40 N, 51 26 E

name

Tehran

time difference

UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Coastline

2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

Constitution

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

Country name

conventional long form

Islamic Republic of Iran

conventional short form

Iran

former

Persia

local long form

Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

local short form

Iran

Currency (code)

Iranian rial (IRR)

Currency code

IRR

Current account balance

$13.13 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$14.8 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland

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; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073

Disputes - international

Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed tributaries to the Helmand River in periods of drought; Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by Iran; Iran stands alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors

Distribution of family income - Gini index

43 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$408 million (2002 est.)

Economy - overview

Iran's economy is marked by a bloated, inefficient state sector, over reliance on the oil sector, and statist policies that create major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale - workshops, farming, and services. President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI, with limited progress. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass nearly $60 billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. The proportion of the economy devoted to the development of weapons of mass destruction remains a contentious issue with leading Western nations.

Electricity - consumption

145.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

1.837 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

2.17 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

155.7 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

97.1%

hydro

2.9%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

lowest point

Caspian Sea -28 m

Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC)

Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Qods Force (special operations), and Basij Force (Popular Mobilization Army); Law Enforcement Forces (2006)

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

rials per US dollar - 9,246.94 (2006), 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003), 6,907 (2002), note, Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over appointments to the more sensitive ministries

chief of state

Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)

election results

Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%

elections

Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 17 June 2005 with a two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held in 2009)

head of government

President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August 2005); First Vice President Parviz DAVUDI (since 11 September 2005)

note

also considered part of the Executive branch of government are

three oversight bodies

1) Assembly of Experts, a popularly elected body of 86 religious scholars constitutionally charged with determining the succession of the Supreme Leader, reviewing his performance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency Council or Council for the Discernment of Expediency is a policy advisory and implementation board consisting of permanent and temporary members representing all major government factions, some of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader; the Council exerts supervisory authority over the executive, judicial, and legislative branches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and the Council of Guardians disagree; 3) Council of Guardians or Council of Guardians of the Constitution is a 12-member board of clerics and jurists serving six-year terms that determines whether proposed legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law; the Council also vets candidates for suitability and supervises national elections

Exports

$63.18 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets

Exports - partners

Japan 16.9%, China 11.2%, Italy 5.9%, South Korea 5.8%, Turkey 5.7%, Netherlands 4.6%, France 4.4%, South Africa 4.1%, Taiwan 4.1% (2005)

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March Communications Iran

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 Iran

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

11.2%

industry

41.7%

services

47.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$8,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$194.8 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$610.4 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

32 00 N, 53 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport People Iran

Government type

theocratic republic

Heliports

15 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

800 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

31,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

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 according to official Iranian statistics there are at least 2 million drug users in the country; lacks anti-money-laundering laws This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$45.48 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies

Imports - partners

Germany 13.9%, UAE 8.4%, China 8.3%, Italy 7.1%, France 6.3%, South Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.9% (2005)

Independence

1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% excluding oil (2006 est.)

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, fertilizers, caustic soda, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), ferrous and non-ferrous metal fabrication, armaments

Infant mortality rate

female

40.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

40.49 deaths/1,000 live births

total

40.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15.8% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ABEDA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Internet country code

.ir

Internet hosts

5,242 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

100 (2002)

Internet users

7.5 million (2005) Transportation Iran

Investment (gross fixed)

30% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

76,500 sq km (2003)

Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh)

Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (Niruye Havayi Jomhuriye Islamiye Iran; includes air defense); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e

Judicial branch

Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court

Labor force

24.36 million

note

shortage of skilled labor (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

30%

industry

25%

services

45% (2001 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

9.78%

other

88.93% (2005)

permanent crops

1.29%

Languages

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

Legal system

the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government

Legislative branch

unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats - formerly 270 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats by party - conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43, religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for

elections

last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004 (by-elections next to be held in December 2006; general election to be held in February 2008)

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.74 years (2006 est.)

male

68.86 years

total population

70.26 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

73% (2003 est.) Government Iran

male

85.6%

total population

79.4%

Location

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

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

17,541,037 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

18,319,545

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

15,005,597 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

15,665,725

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

808,044 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

862,056

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

Median age

female

25 years (2006 est.)

male

24.6 years

total

24.8 years

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 39, cargo 45, chemical tanker 4, container 12, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 30, roll on/roll off 3

foreign-owned

1 (UAE 1)

registered in other countries

22 (Bolivia 1, Cyprus 2, Malta 14, Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

total

141 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,086,702 GRT/8,878,829 DWT

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$4.3 billion (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.3% (2003 est.) Transnational Issues Iran

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited extensively during the Iran-Iraq War; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

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); and various Islamic observances that change in accordance with the lunar-based hejira calendar

Nationality

adjective

Iranian

noun

Iranian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

85.54 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

3.56 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

5.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

83.9 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

26.62 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Natural hazards

periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

1.51 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

3.979 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

132.5 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Pipelines

condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 397 km; gas 17,099 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,521 km; refined products 7,808 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iran and most conservatives still prefer to work through political pressure groups rather than parties; a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad Front, which includes political parties as well as less formal pressure groups and organizations, achieved considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000;

groups in the coalition include

Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran), Solidarity Party, Islamic Labor Party, Mardom Salari, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO), and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majles elections in early 2004; following his defeat in the 2005 presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General Mehdi KARRUBI formed the National Trust Party; a new apparently conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, took a leading position in the new Majles after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders

political pressure groups conduct most of Iran's political activities; 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 Party (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers Society; active pro-reform student groups include the Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchist organizations; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala

Population

68,688,433 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

40% (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

1.1% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Assaluyeh, Bushehr Military Iran

Public debt

25.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios

17 million (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

94 km 1.676-m gauge

standard gauge

7,162 km 1.435-m gauge (186 km electrified) (2005)

total

7,256 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

662,355 (Afghanistan), 54,000 (Iraq) (2006)

Religions

Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$58.46 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

120,782 km (including 878 km of expressways)

total

179,388 km

unpaved

58,606 km (2003)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female

Suffrage

15 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state owned telecom company have improved and expanded the main line network greatly; main line availability has more than doubled to 19 million lines since 1995; additionally, mobile service has increased dramatically serving some 8.5 million subscribers in 2005

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

international

country code - 98; 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

Telephones - main lines in use

18.986 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

8.5 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

4.61 million (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Iran is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude; according to foreign observers, women and girls are trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, the Persian Gulf, and Europe for sexual exploitation, while boys from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are trafficked through Iran en route to Persian Gulf states where they are ultimately forced to work as camel jockeys, beggars, or laborers; Afghan women and girls are trafficked to the country for forced marriages and sexual exploitation; women and children are also trafficked internally for the purposes of forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and involuntary servitude

tier rating

Tier 3 - Iran is downgraded to Tier 3 after persistent, credible reports of Iranian authorities punishing victims of trafficking with beatings, imprisonment, and execution

Unemployment rate

11.2% (2004 est.)

Waterways

850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006)