Iran

iran 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

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

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 5,440 km, Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan (north) 432 km, Azerbaijan (northwest) 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

International Disputes

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

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
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

57,500 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

PEOPLE

Population

66,094,264 (July 1996 est.)
64,625,455 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

45% (male 15,166,131; female 14,289,283) (July 1996 est.)
45% (male 14,995,015; female 14,113,933) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

52% (male 17,326,388; female 16,731,470) (July 1996 est.)
51% (male 16,803,943; female 16,237,810) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 1,327,718; female 1,253,274) (July 1996 est.)
4% (male 1,276,885; female 1,197,869) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.21% (1996 est.)
2.29% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

33.67 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
34.85 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

6.61 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
6.85 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-5.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.05 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

52.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
54.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

4.72 children born/woman (1996 est.)
4.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

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

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1994 est.)

Labor Force

15.4 million

By occupation:

Note: Shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

IR

Type

Theocratic republic

Capital

Tehran

Administrative Divisions

24 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Azarbayjan-e Bakhtari (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Khavari (East Azerbaijan), Bakhtaran, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Note: There may be a new province named Ardabil formed from a part of Azarbayjan-e Khavari (East Azerbaijan) which may have been renamed Azarbayjan-e Markazi (Central Azerbaijan); the name Bakhtaran may have been changed to Kermanshahan

Independence

1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

National Holiday

Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

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

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

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

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

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court

Political Parties and Leaders

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

Other Political or Pressure Groups

Groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, and the Islamic Coalition Association; opposition groups include the Liberation Movement of Iran and the Nation of Iran party; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran; the Society for the Defense of Freedom

Member of

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

National Anthem

Flag

Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red is centered in the white band; Allah Alkbar (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

Overview

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

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $323.5 billion (1995 est.); $310 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

-2% (1995 est.)
-2% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$4,700 (1995 est.)
$4,720 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

60% (1995 est.)
35% (1994)

Unemployment Rate

Over 30% (1995 est.)
Over 30% (1994 est.)

Budget

Exports

$16 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$16 billion (c.i.f., FY92/93 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$13 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
$18 billion (c.i.f., FY92/93 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$30 billion (1995 est.)
$30 billion (December 1993)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 4.3% (1994 est.); 4.6% (1993 est.); accounts for 37% of GDP, including petroleum

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 21% of GDP; principal products - wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, caviar; not self-sufficient in food

Illicit Drugs

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

Economic Aid

Note: Aid fell sharply following the 1979 revolution

Currency

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

Exchange Rates

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

Fiscal Year

21 March - 20 March

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Inland Waterways

904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 meters and is in use

Pipelines

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

Ports

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

Merchant Marine

Airports

Heliports

12 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

3.02 million telephones (1992 est.)

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

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

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 15,157,796; males fit for military service 9,010,648; males reach military age (21) annually 632,602 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

According to official Iranian data, Iran in 1994 budgeted 4,377 billion rials and in 1993 spent 2,182 billion rials, including $850 million in hard currency


note: conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using current exchange rates could produce misleading results

History
World Atlas