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In general, information available as of 1 January, 2004 was used in the preparation of The World Factbook. This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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| Introduction | Iran | Top of Page
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 have floundered as conservative politicians have prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased repressive measures, and consolidated their control over the government.
| Geography | Iran | Top of Page
Location: | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates: | 32 00 N, 53 00 E
Map references: | Middle East
Area: | total: 1.648 million sq km land: 1.636 million sq km water: 12,000 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries: | 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
Coastline: | 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf continental shelf: natural prolongation
Climate: | mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Terrain: | rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
Natural resources: | petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Land use: | arable land: 8.72% permanent crops: 1.39% other: 89.89% (2001)
Irrigated land: | 75,620 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
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
Geography - note: | strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
| People | Iran | Top of Page
Population: | 69,018,924 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 28% (male 9,935,527; female 9,411,647) 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 23,608,621; female 22,744,128) 65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,645,246; female 1,673,755) (2004 est.)
Median age: | total: 23.5 years male: 23.3 years female: 23.7 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate: | 1.07% (2004 est.)
Birth rate: | 17.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate: | 5.53 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate: | -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio: | 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: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 42.86 deaths/1,000 live births male: 43.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 69.66 years male: 68.31 years female: 71.07 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 20,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 290 (2001 est.)
Nationality: | noun: Iranian(s) adjective: Iranian
Ethnic groups: | Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Religions: | Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%
Languages: | Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.4% male: 85.6% female: 73% (2003 est.)
| Government | Iran | Top of Page
Country name: | conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran conventional short form: Iran local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran local short form: Iran former: Persia
Government type: | theocratic republic
Capital: | Tehran
Administrative divisions: | 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, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Independence: | 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
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)
Constitution: | 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
Legal system: | the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Suffrage: | 15 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989) head of government: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3 August 1997); First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-Yazdi (since 26 August 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over appointments to the more sensitive ministries 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%
Legislative branch: | 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 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004 (next to be held February 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43, religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court
Political parties and leaders: | formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in the Islamic Republic 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 is expected to participate in the seventh Majles elections in early 2004; a new apparently conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, took a leading position in the new Majles afte 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 Organization for Strengthening Unity; 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
International organization participation: | CP, ECO, FAO, 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, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
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
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
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 | Top of Page
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 KHATAMI 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 some $22 billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. In December 2003 a major earthquake devastated the city of Bam in southeastern Iran, killing more than 30,000 people.
GDP: | purchasing power parity - $478.2 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 6.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 12.5% industry: 41.2% services: 46.2% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 28.6% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line: | 40% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 16.4% (2003 est.)
Labor force: | 22.32 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 15.7% (2002 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $40.38 billion expenditures: $40.29 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (2003 est.)
Public debt: | 28.2% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products: | wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Industries: | petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments
Industrial production growth rate: | 3% excluding oil (2003 est.)
Electricity - production: | 124.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 115.9 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: | 3.804 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 1.277 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | 2.2 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: | NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: | 94.39 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production: | 61.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 65.59 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 110 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 4.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 24.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance: | $3.935 billion (2003)
Exports: | $29.88 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities: | petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets
Exports - partners: | Japan 21.8%, China 9.7%, Italy 6.3%, Taiwan 5.5%, Turkey 5.4%, South Korea 5.4% (2003)
Imports: | $25.26 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities: | industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies
Imports - partners: | Germany 11%, France 8.6%, China 8.4%, Italy 8.1%, UAE 7.9%, South Korea 6.5%, Russia 4.8%, Japan 4.1% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: | $25.13 billion (2003)
Debt - external: | $10.96 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $408 million (2002 est.)
Currency: | Iranian rial (IRR)
Currency code: | IRR
Exchange rates: | rials per US dollar - 8,193.89 (2003), 6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56 (2001), 1,764.43 (2000), 1,752.93 (1999) note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002.
Fiscal year: | 21 March - 20 March
| Communications | Iran | Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use: | 14,571,100 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 3,376,500 (2003)
Telephone system: | 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: 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
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: | 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code: | .ir
Internet hosts: | 5,269 (2004)
Internet users: | 4.3 million (2003)
| Transportation | Iran | Top of Page
Railways: | total: 7,203 km broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge standard gauge: 7,109 km 1.435-m gauge (189 km electrified) (2003)
Highways: | total: 167,157 km paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways) unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)
Waterways: | 850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) (2004)
Pipelines: | condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: | 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: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,715,242 GRT/8,240,069 DWT by type: bulk 40, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, container 7, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large load carrier 5, petroleum tanker 33, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1 registered in other countries: 10 (2004 est.)
Airports: | 303 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 127 over 3,047 m: 39 2,438 to 3,047 m: 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 32 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 178 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 129 under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)
Heliports: | 13 (2003 est.)
| Military | Iran | Top of Page
Military branches: | Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Command), Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods Force [special operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization Army]), Law Enforcement Forces
Military manpower - military 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)
Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 20,937,348 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 12,434,810 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 912,569 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $4.3 billion (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 3.3% (2003 est.)
| Transnational Issues | Iran | Top of Page
Disputes - international: | Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on Helmand River tributaries in periods of drought; thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran; creation of a maritime boundary with Iraq remains in hiatus until full sovereignty is restored in Iraq; Iran and UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island; Iran stands alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 1,223,823 (Afghanistan), 124,014 (Iraq) (2004)
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; lax anti-money-laundering regulations
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005