2015 Edition

Background

Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts - a popularly elected 86-member body of clerics. US-Iranian relations became strained when a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostages until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. During the period 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. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US, UN, and EU economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism and concerns over possible military dimensions of its nuclear program. Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians, supported by the Supreme Leader, unelected institutions of authority like the Council of Guardians, and the security services reversed and blocked reform measures while increasing security repression. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004, conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions, which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His controversial reelection in June 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud. These protests were quickly suppressed, and the political opposition that arose as a consequence of AHMADI-NEJAD's election was repressed. Deteriorating economic conditions due primarily to government mismanagement and international sanctions prompted at least two major economically based protests in July and October 2012, but Iran's internal security situation remained stable. President AHMADI-NEJAD's independent streak angered regime establishment figures, including the Supreme Leader, leading to conservative opposition to his agenda for the last year of his presidency, and an alienation of his political supporters. In June 2013 Iranians elected a moderate conservative cleric, Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI to the presidency. He is a long-time senior member in the regime, but has made promises of reforming society and Iran's foreign policy. The UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions calling for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and comply with its IAEA obligations and responsibilities, but in November 2013 the five permanent members, plus Germany, (P5+1) signed a joint plan with Iran to provide the country with incremental relief from international pressure for positive steps toward transparency of their nuclear program.

Area

land

1,531,595 sq km

total

1,648,195 sq km

water

116,600 sq km

Area - comparative

almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska

Climate

mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Coastline

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

Elevation extremes

highest point

Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

lowest point

Caspian Sea -28 m

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

1,306 cu m/yr (2004)

total

93.3 cu km/yr (7%/1%/92%)

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

Irrigated land

87,000 sq km (2009)

Land boundaries

border countries (7)

Afghanistan 921 km, Armenia 44 km, Azerbaijan 689 km, Iraq 1,599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1,148 km

total

5,894 km

Land use

arable land 10.8%; permanent crops 1.2%; permanent pasture 18.1%

agricultural land

30.1%

forest

6.8%

other

63.1% (2011 est.)

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 hazards

periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

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

Total renewable water resources

137 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

23.69% (male 9,937,715/female 9,449,716)

15-24 years

17.58% (male 7,386,826/female 6,998,188)

25-54 years

46.87% (male 19,534,794/female 18,817,480)

55-64 years

6.58% (male 2,650,049/female 2,731,997)

65 years and over

5.28% (male 1,990,961/female 2,326,544) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

17.99 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

77.4% (2010/11)

Death rate

5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.1%

potential support ratio

14.1% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

40.2%

youth dependency ratio

33.1%

Drinking water source

urban: 97.7% of population

rural: 92.1% of population

total: 96.2% of population

urban: 2.3% of population

rural: 7.9% of population

total: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.7% of GDP (2013)

Ethnic groups

Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen and Turkic tribes

Health expenditures

6.7% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.14% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,100 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

74,400 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

37.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

38.58 deaths/1,000 live births

total

38.04 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Persian (official), Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, Arabic, other

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.82 years (2015 est.)

male

69.56 years

total population

71.15 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82.5% (2015 est.)

male

91.2%

total population

86.8%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

note

highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)

vectorborne diseases

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Major urban areas - population

TEHRAN (capital) 8.432 million; Mashhad 3.014 million; Esfahan 1.88 million; Karaj 1.807 million; Shiraz 1.661 million; Tabriz 1.572 million (2015)

Median age

female

29.1 years (2015 est.)

male

28.6 years

total

28.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Iranian

noun

Iranian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.9% (2014)

Physicians density

0.89 physicians/1,000 population (2005)

Population

81,824,270 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.2% (2015 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official) 99.4% (Shia 90-95%, Sunni 5-10%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian) 0.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 92.8% of population

rural: 82.3% of population

total: 90% of population

urban: 7.2% of population

rural: 17.7% of population

total: 10% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2012)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.06 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.86 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

33.9% (2008 est.)

male

20.2%

total

23%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.07% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

73.4% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

31 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Alborz, Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Sharqi (East Azerbaijan), Bushehr, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Jonubi (South Khorasan), Khorasan-e Razavi (Razavi Khorasan), Khorasan-e Shomali (North Khorasan), Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Bowyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins fourth Tuesday in March; ends fourth Thursday in September

geographic coordinates

35 42 N, 51 25 E

name

Tehran

time difference

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

Constitution

previous 1906; latest adopted 24 October 1979, effective 3 December 1979; amended 1989 (2013)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

none; note - the US Interests Section is located in the Embassy of Switzerland No. 39 Shahid Mousavi (Golestan 5th), Pasdaran Ave., Tehran, Iran; telephone [98] 21 2254 2178/2256 5273; FAX [98] 21 2258 0432

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

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries

chief of state

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

election results

Hasan Fereidun RUHANI elected president; percent of vote - Hasan Fereidun RUHANI 50.7%, Mohammad Baqer QALIBAF 16.5%, Saeed JALILI 11.4%, Mohsen REZAI 10.6%, Ali Akber VELAYATI 6.2%, other 4.6%

elections/appointments

supreme leader appointed for life by Assembly of Experts; president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term and an additional nonconsecutive term); election last held on 14 June 2013 (next to be held in June 2017)

head of government

President Hasan Fereidun RUHANI (since 3 August 2013); First Vice President Eshaq JAHANGIRI (since 5 August 2013)

note

3 oversight bodies are also considered part of the executive branch of government

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; green is the color of Islam and also represents growth, white symbolizes honesty and peace, red stands for bravery and martyrdom

Government type

theocratic republic

Independence

1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed); notable earlier dates: ca. 550 B.C. (Achaemenid (Persian) Empire established); A.D. 1501 (Iran reunified under the Safavid Dynasty); 12 December 1925 (modern Iran established under the PAHLAVI Dynasty)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SAARC (observer), SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of a president and NA judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court president appointed by the head of the Supreme Judicial Council in consultation with judges of the Supreme Court; president appointed for a 5-year term; other judge appointments and tenure NA

subordinate courts

Penal Courts I and II; Islamic Revolutionary Courts; Courts of Peace; Special Clerical Court (functions outside the judicial system and handles cases involving clerics); military courts

Legal system

religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles (290 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by two-round vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

elections

last held on 2 March 2012 (first round); second round held on 4 May 2012; (next to be held on 26 February 2016)

National anthem

lyrics/music

multiple authors/Hassan RIAHI

name

"Soroud-e Melli-ye Jomhouri-ye Eslami-ye Iran" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran)

note

adopted 1990

National holiday

Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: green, white, red

Political parties and leaders

note

formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iran and most conservatives still prefer to work through political pressure groups rather than parties; often political parties or coalitions are formed prior to elections and disbanded soon thereafter; a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad Front, which includes political parties as well as less formal groups and organizations, achieved considerable success in elections for the sixth Majles in early 2000; groups in the coalition included the 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 (MCS; Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majles elections in early 2004 but boycotted them after 80 incumbent reformists were disqualified; following his defeat in the 2005 presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General and sixth Majles Speaker Mehdi KARUBI formed the National Trust Party; a new conservative group, Islamic Iran Developers Coalition (Abadgaran), took a leading position in the new Majles after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004; ahead of the 2008 Majles elections, traditional and hardline conservatives attempted to close ranks under the United Front of Principlists and the Broad Popular Coalition of Principlists; several reformist groups, such as the MIRO and the IIPF, also came together as a reformist coalition in advance of the 2008 Majles elections; the IIPF has repeatedly complained that the overwhelming majority of its candidates were unfairly disqualified from the 2008 elections

Political pressure groups and leaders

Ansar-e Hizballah

Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader

Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh)

Islamic Engineers Society

Tehran Militant Clergy Association or MCA (Ruhaniyat)

Office of Strengthening Unity or OSU

Freedom Movement of Iran

Green Path movement [Mehdi KARUBI, Mir-Hosein MUSAVI]

Marz-e Por Gohar

National Front

various ethnic and monarchist organizations

Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan or KDPI

Harekat-e Ansar-e Iran (splinter faction of Jundallah)

Jaysh l-Adl (formerly known as Jundallah)

Komala

Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization or MEK (MKO)

People's Fedayeen

People's Free Life Party of Kurdistan or PJAK

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$63.25 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$60.46 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

11.3% (31 December 2014 est.)

11% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

$15.41 billion (2014 est.)

$27.97 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$10.17 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$10.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.5 (2006)

Economy - overview

Iran's economy is marked by statist policies, inefficiencies, and reliance on oil and gas exports, but Iran also possesses significant agricultural, industrial, and service sectors. The Iranian government directly owns and operates hundreds of state-owned enterprises and indirectly controls many companies affiliated with the country's security forces. Distortions - including inflation, price controls, subsidies, and a banking system holding billions of dollars of non-performing loans - weigh down the economy, undermining the potential for private-sector-led growth. Private sector activity includes small-scale workshops, farming, some manufacturing, and services, in addition to medium-scale construction, cement production, mining, and metalworking. Significant informal market activity flourishes and corruption is widespread. Fiscal and monetary constraints, following the expansion of international sanctions in 2012 on Iran's Central Bank and oil exports, significantly reduced Iran's oil revenue, forced government spending cuts, and sparked a sharp currency depreciation. Iran’s economy contracted for the first time in two decades during both 2012 and 2013, and grew only slightly 2014. Iran continues to suffer from high unemployment and underemployment. Lack of job opportunities has prompted many educated Iranian youth to seek employment overseas, resulting in a significant "brain drain." In June 2013, the election of President Hasan RUHANI generated widespread public expectations of economic improvement and greater international engagement. In connection with ongoing international negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program the limited sanctions relief for Iran provided under the Joint Plan of Action of November 2013, helped to forestall the decline in the economy in 2014.

Exchange rates

Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar -

25,780.2 (2014 est.)

18,414.4 (2013 est.)

12,175.5 (2012 est.)

10,616.3 (2011 est.)

10,254.18 (2010 est.)

Exports

$95.71 billion (2014 est.)

$93.02 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

China 29%, India 11.9%, Turkey 10.4%, Japan 6.5%, South Korea 4.8% (2014)

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

23.8%

government consumption

11.2%

household consumption

52.9%

imports of goods and services

-17.1%

investment in fixed capital

28.1%

investment in inventories

1.1%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

9.1%

industry

40.7%

services

50.3% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$17,100 (2014 est.)

$16,600 (2013 est.)

$16,900 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2014 est.)

-1.9% (2013 est.)

-6.6% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$404.1 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.334 trillion (2014 est.)

$1.296 trillion (2013 est.)

$1.321 trillion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

35.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

39.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

40.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.6% (2005)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

$61.25 billion (2014 est.)

$60.05 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

industrial supplies, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services

Imports - partners

UAE 30.6%, China 25.5%, Algeria 8.3%, India 4.6%, South Korea 4.4%, Turkey 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

2.4% (2014 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15.8% (2014 est.)

39.3% (2013 est.)

note

official Iranian estimate

Labor force

28.4 million

note

shortage of skilled labor (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

16.3%

industry

35.1%

services

48.6% (2013 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$172 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$140.8 billion (31 December 2012)

$107.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Population below poverty line

18.7% (2007 est.)

Public debt

11.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

11% of GDP (2013 est.)

note

includes publicly guaranteed debt

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$110 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$108 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$67.42 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$62.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$4.045 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.725 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$43.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$40.36 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$45.21 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$42.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$26.39 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$26.54 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.2% (2014 est.)

10.4% (2013 est.)

note

data are according to the Iranian Government

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

603.6 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

1.322 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

3.113 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

157.3 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

185.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

8.668 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

86.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

13.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

3.656 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

65.31 million kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

225.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

162.2 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

9.4 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

5 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

166.6 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

33.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1.87 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

330,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

180,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

1.718 million bbl/day (2011 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run broadcast media with no private, independent broadcasters; Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state-run TV broadcaster, operates 5 nationwide channels, a news channel, about 30 provincial channels, and several international channels; about 20 foreign Persian-language TV stations broadcasting on satellite TV are capable of being seen in Iran; satellite dishes are illegal and, while their use had been tolerated, authorities began confiscating satellite dishes following the unrest stemming from the 2009 presidential election; IRIB operates 8 nationwide radio networks, a number of provincial stations, and an external service; most major international broadcasters transmit to Iran (2009)

Internet country code

.ir

Internet users

percent of population

28.3% (2014 est.)

total

22.9 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 72, FM 10, shortwave 21 (2010)

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 fixed-line network greatly; fixed line availability has more than doubled to more than 27 million lines since 2000; additionally, mobile-cellular service has increased dramatically serving roughly 56 million subscribers in 2011; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons

general assessment

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; 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; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

38 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

30.59 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

85 (2014 est.)

total

68.9 million

Television broadcast stations

29 (plus 450 repeaters) (1997)

Airports

319 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

26

2,438 to 3,047 m

29

914 to 1,523 m

36

over 3,047 m

42

total

140

under 914 m

7 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

32 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

9

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

135

over 3,047 m

1

total

179

Heliports

26 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 8, cargo 51, chemical tanker 3, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2

foreign-owned

2 (UAE 2)

registered in other countries

71 (Barbados 5, Cyprus 10, Hong Kong 3, Malta 48, Panama 5) (2010)

total

76

Pipelines

condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 973 km; gas 20,794 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,625 km; refined products 7,937 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Bandar Abbas (2,752,460)

major seaport(s)

Bandar-e Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas

river port(s)

Bandar Emam Khomeyni (Shatt al-Arab)

Railways

broad gauge

94 km 1.676-m gauge

standard gauge

8,389.5 km 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified) (2014)

total

8,483.5 km

Roadways

paved

160,366 km (includes 1,948 km of expressways)

total

198,866 km

unpaved

38,500 km (2010)

Waterways

850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2012)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

22,628,341 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

23,619,215

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

19,417,275 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

20,149,222

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

677,372 (2010 est.)

male

715,111

Military branches

Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (IRIAF), Khatemolanbia Air Defense Headquarters; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Resistance Forces, Navy, Aerospace Force, Quds Force (special operations); Law Enforcement Forces (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15 years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscript military service obligation is 18 months; women exempt from military service (2012)

Disputes - international

Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during 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; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey

Illicit drugs

despite substantial interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border with Afghanistan, Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world, and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; regularly enforces the death penalty for drug offences; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

2.4 million (1 million registered, 1.4 million undocumented) (Afghanistan); 32,000 (Iraq) (2014)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Iran is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Iranian women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in Iran, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf, and Europe; Iranian children are forced, sometimes by their parents or crime networks, to beg, to work in sweatshops, or to be prostitutes in Iran and abroad; Azerbaijani and, reportedly, Uzbek women and children are also sexually exploited in Iran; Pakistani migrant workers are sometimes subjected to forced labor, including debt bondage; criminal organizations play a large role in human trafficking in Iran

tier rating

Tier 3 – Iran does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not share information on its anti-trafficking efforts making it difficult to assess the country’s human trafficking problem or the government’s attempts to curb it; Iranian law does not prohibit all forms of human trafficking; existing laws against human trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage reportedly remain unenforced because of a lack of political will and widespread political corruption; Iran has no apparent protection services or rehabilitation programs for victims and has reportedly punished sex trafficking victims for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked (2014)