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Communications

Airports [time series]

214 total, 188 usable; 81 with permanent-surface runways; 16 with runways over 3,659 m; 16 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 71 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

48 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

140,072 km total; 42,694 km paved surfaces; 46,866 km gravel and crushed stone; 49,440 km improved earth; 1,200 km (est.) rural road network

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

904 km; the Shatt-al-Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980 because of Iran-Iraq war

Merchant marine [time series]

134 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,466,395 GRT/8,329,760 DWT; includes 38 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 32 oil tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 47 bulk, 2 combination bulk, 1 liquefied gas

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Bandar Beheshti, Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e Shahid Raja, Khorramshahr (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war)

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

4,850 km total; 4,760 km 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km 1.676-meter gauge; 480 km under construction from Bafq to Bandar Abbas, rail construction from Bafq to Sirjan has been completed and is operational

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 77 AM, 3 FM, 28 TV; satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF radio and radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Islamic Republic of Iran Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, and Revolutionary Guard Corps (includes Basij militia and own ground, air, and naval forces); Law Enforcement Forces

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $13 billion, 14-15% of GNP (1991 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 13,267,810; 7,895,591 fit for military service; 552,408 reach military age (21) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

principal products - wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, caviar; not self-sufficient in food

Budget [time series]

revenues $63 billion; expenditures $80 billion, including capital expenditures of $23 billion (FY90 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Iranian rial (plural - rials); 1 Iranian rial (IR) = 100 dinars; note - domestic figures are generally referred to in terms of the toman (plural - tomans), which equals 10 rials

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.675 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $976 million; note - aid fell sharply following the 1979 revolution

Electricity [time series]

14,579,000 kW capacity; 40,000 million kWh produced, 740 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Iranian rials (IR) per US$1 - 65.515 (January 1992), 67.505 (1991), 68.096 (1990), 72.015 (1989), 68.683 (1988), 71.460 (1987); note - black-market rate 1,400 (January 1991)

Exports [time series]

$17.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: petroleum 90%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides partners: Japan, Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium/Luxembourg, Spain, and Germany

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$10 billion (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

21 March - 20 March

GNP [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $90 billion, per capita $1,500; real growth rate 10% (FY91 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international drug trade

Imports [time series]

$15.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products partners: Germany, Japan, Italy, UK, France

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other building materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating (steel and copper)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

18% (FY91 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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. After a decade of economic decline, Iran's GNP grew roughly 4% in FY90 and 10% in FY91. An oil windfall in 1990 combined with a substantial increase in imports contributed to Iran's recent economic growth. Iran has also begun implementing a number of economic reforms to reduce government intervention (including subsidies) and has allocated substantial resources to development projects in the hope of stimulating the economy. Nevertheless, lower oil revenues in 1991 - oil accounts for more than 90% of export revenues and provides roughly 65% of the financing for the five-year economic development plan - and dramatic increases in external debt are threatening development plans and could prompt Iran to cut imports, thus limiting economic growth in the medium term.

Unemployment rate [time series]

30% (1989)

Geography

Climate [time series]

mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Coastline [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Alaska

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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: Tunb as Sughra (Arabic), Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek (Persian) or Lesser Tunb, and Tunb al Kubra (Arabic), Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg (Persian) or Greater Tunb; it jointly administers with the UAE an island in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE, Abu Musa (Arabic) or Jazireh-ye Abu Musa (Persian)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

deforestation; overgrazing; desertification

Area (Land area) [time series]

1,636,000 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 27%; forest and woodland 11%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%

Maritime claims [time series]

Continental shelf: not specific Exclusive fishing zone: 50 nm in the Sea of Oman; continental shelf limit, continental shelf boundaries, or median lines in the Persian Gulf Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

1,648,000 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Tehran

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

1,000 to 2,000 est. hardcore; 15,000 to 20,000 est. sympathizers; crackdown in 1983 crippled the party; trials of captured leaders began in late 1983

Constitution [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

none; protecting power in the US is Pakistan - Iranian Interests Section, 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200 US: protecting power in Iran is Switzerland

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held July 1989 (next to be held April 1993); results - Ali Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI was elected with only token opposition Islamic Consultative Assembly: last held 8 April 1992 (next to be held April 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (270 seats total) number of seats by party NA

Executive branch [time series]

cleric (faqih), president, Council of Ministers

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

1 April 1979, Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Cleric and functional Chief of State: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali HOSEINI-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989) Head of Government: President Ali Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI (since 3 August 1989)

Legal system [time series]

the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government

Legislative branch [time series]

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

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Islamic Republic of Iran

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Hizballah, Hojjatiyeh Society, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Kurdish Democratic Party; the Society for the Defense of Freedom

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

there are at least 18 licensed parties; the three most important are - Tehran Militant Clergy Association, Mohammad Reza MAHDAVI-KANI; Militant Clerics Association, Mehdi MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar MUSAVI-KHOINIHA; Fedaiyin Islam Organization, Sadeq KHALKHALI

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 15

Government type (Type) [time series]

theocratic republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

44 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 25%, Kurd 9%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Lur 2%, Baloch 1%, Arab 1%, other 3%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

64 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

15,400,000; agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%; shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

64 years male, 66 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

54% (male 64%, female 43%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Iranian(s); adjective - Iranian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

none

Population [time series]

61,183,138 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Shi`a Muslim 95%, Sunni Muslim 4%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.5 children born/woman (1992)