# Library

ABOUT REFERENCES APPENDICES FAQs CONTACT

Middle East :: Iran

- ## Introduction :: IRAN

- 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.

- ## Geography :: IRAN

- 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: 1,648,195 sq km
  land: 1,531,595 sq km
  water: 116,600 sq km
  country comparison to the world: 18
  Area - comparative:
  almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska
  Area comparison map:
  Land boundaries:
  total: 5,894 km
  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
  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:
  agricultural land: 30.1%
  arable land 10.8%; permanent crops 1.2%; permanent pasture 18.1%
  forest: 6.8%
  other: 63.1% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  87,000 sq km (2009)
  Total renewable water resources:
  137 cu km (2011)
  Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
  total: 93.3 cu km/yr (7%/1%/92%)
  per capita: 1,306 cu m/yr (2004)
  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, 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
  Geography - note:
  strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

- ## People and Society :: IRAN

- Nationality:
  noun: Iranian(s)
  adjective: Iranian
  Ethnic groups:
  Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen and Turkic tribes
  Languages:
  Persian (official), Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, Arabic, other
  Religions:
  Muslim (official) 99.4% (Shia 90-95%, Sunni 5-10%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian) 0.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2011 est.)
  Population:
  81,824,270 (July 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 19
  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.)
  population pyramid:
  Dependency ratios:
  total dependency ratio: 40.2%
  youth dependency ratio: 33.1%
  elderly dependency ratio: 7.1%
  potential support ratio: 14.1% (2015 est.)
  Median age:
  total: 28.8 years
  male: 28.6 years
  female: 29.1 years (2015 est.)
  Population growth rate:
  1.2% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 101
  Birth rate:
  17.99 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 105
  Death rate:
  5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 168
  Net migration rate:
  -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 114
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 73.4% of total population (2015)
  rate of urbanization: 2.07% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
  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)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  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
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
  Infant mortality rate:
  total: 38.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 38.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 37.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 54
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.15 years
  male: 69.56 years
  female: 72.82 years (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 149
  Total fertility rate:
  1.83 children born/woman (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 148
  Contraceptive prevalence rate:
  77.4% (2010/11)
  Health expenditures:
  6.7% of GDP (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 86
  Physicians density:
  0.89 physicians/1,000 population (2005)
  Hospital bed density:
  0.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)
  Drinking water source:
  improved:
  urban: 97.7% of population
  rural: 92.1% of population
  total: 96.2% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 2.3% of population
  rural: 7.9% of population
  total: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)
  Sanitation facility access:
  improved:
  urban: 92.8% of population
  rural: 82.3% of population
  total: 90% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 7.2% of population
  rural: 17.7% of population
  total: 10% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.14% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 108
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  74,400 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 50
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  4,100 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 36
  Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
  vectorborne diseases: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
  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)
  Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
  24.9% (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 99
  Education expenditures:
  3.7% of GDP (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 119
  Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.8%
  male: 91.2%
  female: 82.5% (2015 est.)
  School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
  total: 15 years
  male: 15 years
  female: 15 years (2012)
  Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
  total: 23%
  male: 20.2%
  female: 33.9% (2008 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 44

- ## Government :: IRAN

- 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:
  name: Tehran
  geographic coordinates: 35 42 N, 51 25 E
  time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins fourth Tuesday in March; ends fourth Thursday in September
  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
  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)
  National holiday:
  Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
  Constitution:
  previous 1906; latest adopted 24 October 1979, effective 3 December 1979; amended 1989 (2013)
  Legal system:
  religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law
  International law organization participation:
  has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
  Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
  Executive branch:
  chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)
  head of government: President Hasan Fereidun RUHANI (since 3 August 2013); First Vice President Eshaq JAHANGIRI (since 5 August 2013)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries
  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)
  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%
  note: 3 oversight bodies are also considered part of the executive branch of government
  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
  elections: last held on 2 March 2012 (first round); second round held on 4 May 2012; (next to be held on 26 February 2016)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
  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
  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:
  groups that generally support the Islamic Republic:
  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)
  active pro-reform student group:
  Office of Strengthening Unity or OSU
  opposition groups:
  Freedom Movement of Iran
  Green Path movement [Mehdi KARUBI, Mir-Hosein MUSAVI]
  Marz-e Por Gohar
  National Front
  various ethnic and monarchist organizations
  armed political groups repressed by the government:
  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
  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)
  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 - 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
  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
  National symbol(s):
  lion; national colors: green, white, red
  National anthem:
  name: "Soroud-e Melli-ye Jomhouri-ye Eslami-ye Iran" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran)
  lyrics/music: multiple authors/Hassan RIAHI
  note: adopted 1990

- ## Economy :: IRAN

- 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.
  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
  country comparison to the world: 19
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $404.1 billion (2014 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  3% (2014 est.)
  -1.9% (2013 est.)
  -6.6% (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 164
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $17,100 (2014 est.)
  $16,600 (2013 est.)
  $16,900 (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 96
  Gross national saving:
  35.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
  39.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
  40.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 6
  GDP - composition, by end use:
  household consumption: 52.9%
  government consumption: 11.2%
  investment in fixed capital: 28.1%
  investment in inventories: 1.1%
  exports of goods and services: 23.8%
  imports of goods and services: -17.1%
  (2014 est.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 9.1%
  industry: 40.7%
  services: 50.3% (2014 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, sugarcane, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
  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
  Industrial production growth rate:
  2.4% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 118
  Labor force:
  28.4 million
  note: shortage of skilled labor (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 21
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 16.3%
  industry: 35.1%
  services: 48.6% (2013 est.)
  Unemployment rate:
  11.2% (2014 est.)
  10.4% (2013 est.)
  note: data are according to the Iranian Government
  country comparison to the world: 115
  Population below poverty line:
  18.7% (2007 est.)
  Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.6%
  highest 10%: 29.6% (2005)
  Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  44.5 (2006)
  country comparison to the world: 45
  Budget:
  revenues: $60.46 billion
  expenditures: $63.25 billion (2014 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues:
  15% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 193
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  -0.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 55
  Public debt:
  11.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
  11% of GDP (2013 est.)
  note: includes publicly guaranteed debt
  country comparison to the world: 150
  Fiscal year:
  21 March - 20 March
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  15.8% (2014 est.)
  39.3% (2013 est.)
  note: official Iranian estimate
  country comparison to the world: 218
  Central bank discount rate:
  NA%
  Commercial bank prime lending rate:
  11.3% (31 December 2014 est.)
  11% (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 72
  Stock of narrow money:
  $26.39 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $26.54 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 65
  Stock of broad money:
  $67.42 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $62.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 62
  Stock of domestic credit:
  $45.21 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $42.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 64
  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.)
  country comparison to the world: 36
  Current account balance:
  $15.41 billion (2014 est.)
  $27.97 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 16
  Exports:
  $95.71 billion (2014 est.)
  $93.02 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 41
  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)
  Imports:
  $61.25 billion (2014 est.)
  $60.05 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 49
  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)
  Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $110 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $108 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 22
  Debt - external:
  $10.17 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $10.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 104
  Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
  $43.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $40.36 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 58
  Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
  $4.045 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $3.725 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 66
  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.)

- ## Energy :: IRAN

- Electricity - production:
  225.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 21
  Electricity - consumption:
  185.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 21
  Electricity - exports:
  8.668 billion kWh (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 24
  Electricity - imports:
  3.656 billion kWh (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 45
  Electricity - installed generating capacity:
  65.31 million kW (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 14
  Electricity - from fossil fuels:
  86.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 85
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
  0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 110
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
  13.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 107
  Electricity - from other renewable sources:
  0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 98
  Crude oil - production:
  3.113 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 6
  Crude oil - exports:
  1.322 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 13
  Crude oil - imports:
  0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 202
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  157.3 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 4
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  1.718 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 12
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  1.87 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 13
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  330,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 21
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  180,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 28
  Natural gas - production:
  166.6 billion cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 3
  Natural gas - consumption:
  162.2 billion cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 4
  Natural gas - exports:
  9.4 billion cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 21
  Natural gas - imports:
  5 billion cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 32
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  33.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 2
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
  603.6 million Mt (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 9

- ## Communications :: IRAN

- Telephones - fixed lines:
  total subscriptions: 30.59 million
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 10
  Telephones - mobile cellular:
  total: 68.9 million
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 85 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 22
  Telephone system:
  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
  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
  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)
  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)
  Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 72, FM 10, shortwave 21 (2010)
  Television broadcast stations:
  29 (plus 450 repeaters) (1997)
  Internet country code:
  .ir
  Internet users:
  total: 22.9 million
  percent of population: 28.3% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 26

- ## Transportation :: IRAN

- Airports:
  319 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 22
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 140
  over 3,047 m: 42
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
  914 to 1,523 m: 36
  under 914 m: 7 (2013)
  Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 179
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
  914 to 1,523 m: 135
  under 914 m:
  32 (2013)
  Heliports:
  26 (2013)
  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)
  Railways:
  total: 8,483.5 km
  broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
  standard gauge: 8,389.5 km 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified) (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 24
  Roadways:
  total: 198,866 km
  paved: 160,366 km (includes 1,948 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 38,500 km (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 26
  Waterways:
  850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2012)
  country comparison to the world: 69
  Merchant marine:
  total: 76
  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)
  country comparison to the world: 60
  Ports and terminals:
  major seaport(s): Bandar-e Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas
  river port(s): Bandar Emam Khomeyni (Shatt al-Arab)
  container port(s) (TEUs): Bandar Abbas (2,752,460)

- ## Military :: IRAN

- 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)
  Manpower available for military service:
  males age 16-49: 23,619,215
  females age 16-49: 22,628,341 (2010 est.)
  Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 16-49: 20,149,222
  females age 16-49: 19,417,275 (2010 est.)
  Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
  male: 715,111
  female: 677,372 (2010 est.)

- ## Transnational Issues :: IRAN

- 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
  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)
  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

GO TOP