Islamic Republic of Iran

Map & Geography

Location: 32 00 N. 53 00 E -- Middle East. Iran is situated in south-western Asia and borders three CIS states (the republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan), as well as the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkey and Iraq to the west, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south and Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east.

Flag

Description: 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: ALLAHO 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, totally 22 times to show 22nd of Bahman, the day of victory of the Islamic Revolution.

Area

Total area: 1.648 million sq. km
Land area: 1.636 million sq. km

Land boundaries

Border countries:
Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km,
Azerbaijan-proper 432 km,
Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan enclave 179 km,
Iraq 1,458 km,
Pakistan 909 km,
Turkey 499 km,
Turkmenistan 992 km.
Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Coastline: 2,440 km
Total: 5,440 km

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

Climate

Iran's climate is mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along the 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: Petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Land use

Arable land: 8 percent
Permanent crops: 0 percent
Meadows and pastures: 27 percent
Forest and woodland: 11 percent
Other: 54 percent
Irrigated land: 57,500 sq. km (1989 est.)

Environment

International agreements: Party to Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; Biodiversity, Climate Change, Decertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

People

Population: 60.1 million, including 36.8 million in urban areas and 23.3 million in rural areas (1996 estimate)
Population density: 38 persons per square kilometer (1998)
Active population: 17.3 million (1998 estimate)
Employed population: 15 million (1998 estimate)

Age structure

0-14 years: 45 percent (male 15,166,131; female 14,289,283)
15-64 years: 52 percent (male 17,326,388; female 16,731,470)
65 years and over: 3 percent (male 1,327,718; female 1,253,274) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.21 percent (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 19.5 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Refugees and Immigrants: 1,963,780 (1999)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/ female
15-64 years: 1.104 male(s)/ female
All ages: 1.05 male(s)/ female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 52.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Health

Children mortality under 5 years rates (per 1000): 37.3 (1997)
Life expectancy: 69.5 (1997)
Doctors (per 100,000): 107.9 (1997)
Aids Rate (per 100,000): 0.30 (1997)

Religions

Shia Muslim 89 percent,
Sunni Muslim 10 percent,
Zoroastrian, Jewish and Christian 1 percent.

Languages: Persian

Literacy:
(6-14 years): 94.55 percent (Sept. 1997)
(15 and over):72.91 percent (Sept. 1997)
Urban areas: 96.88 percent
Rural areas: 91.37 percent
Male: 81.9 percent (nationwide) (1997)
Female: 67.0 percent (nationwide) (1997)

Government

Name of country : Islamic Republic of Iran (Jomhuriy-e Islamiy-e Iran)
Capital: Tehran
Administrative divisions:
28 provinces (ostanha, singular: ostan);
Ardebil, Azarbaijan-e Gharbi, Azarbaijan-e Sharqi,
Boushehr, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, Fars, Golestan,
Gilan, Hamedan, Hormozgan,
Isfahan, Ilam, Kerman,
Kermanshahan, Khorassan, Khouzestan,
Kohkilouyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kurdestan, Lorestan,
Markazi (Central), Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom,
Semnan, Sistan va Balouchestan, Tehran, Yazd.

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 premiership Parliament (Majlis-e Shora-ye-Islami) and the Council of Guardians of the Constitution. Under the provisions of the Constitution all legislations must first be approved by the Majlis and then be ratified by the Council of Guardians. They are signed into laws by the president. Two more legislative bodies were created in 1988 by (the late IRI leader) Ayatollah Khomeini. They were the Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) and the Council of Policy Making for Reconstruction.
Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis-e Shora-ye-Islami): Elections last held 18 February 2000

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation:
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, WTO

Economy

Average GDP Growth Rate: 3.8 percent (1995-1998)
GDP (current prices): 327,596 billion rials (1998)
Per Capita Income (current prices): 4,375 thousand rials (1998)
Gross National Savings /GNP: 26.1 percent (1998)
Net External Assets of the Banking System: 676 billion rials (Sep. 1999)
Banking System Facilities: 228,480 billion rials (Sep. 1999)
Liquidity (M2): 183,247 billion rials (Sep. 1999)
Trade Balance: 2,465 million dollars (Apr. - Sep. 1999)
Motor vehicles (cars) production: 206,000 set (1998)
Steel production: 6,000,000 ton (1998)
Oil export (barrel per day): 2,333,000 (1998)

Quantitative Targets in Second Five Year Development Plan (SFYDP) (1995-1999)

Average growth rate (percent)

Real GDP growth 5.1

Oil 1.6

Agriculture 4.3

Industry and mining 5.9

Services 3.1

Real gross domestic investment 6.2

Real private consumption 4.0

Real government consumption expenditure -0.9

Rate of inflation 12.4

Liquidity 12.5

Imports 4.3

Oil exports 3.4

Non-oil exports 8.4

Inflation rate (annual average): 26.9 percent (1995-1998)
Exports: $13,118 billion (1998)
Commodities: petroleum 75.73 percent
Carpets, Fruits, Nuts, Hides, Iron, Steel Imports (fob): $14,286 million (1998)
Fiscal year: 21 March - 20 March

Electricity:
Capacity: 26,600,000 kw
Production: 97,862 billion kwh (1998)
consumption per capita: 1604 kwh (1998)

Agriculture: Wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool, caviar

Economic aid:
Recipient: ODA, $40 million (1993)
Currency: 10 Iranian rials (IR) = 1 toman; domestic figures are generally referred to in terms of the toman

Transportation

Railways:
Total: 7,199 km
Free ways: total: 713 km (1997)
Highways: Total: 165,724 km (1997)
Paved: 94,162 km (1997)
Unpaved: 71,562 km (1997)

Waterways: 904 km; the Arvand River (Shatt al Arab) is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m 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 the 1980-88 war with Iraq), Ahwaz, Boushehr, Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bandar-e Boushehr, Bandar-e Khomeini, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkeman, Jazireh-ye Kharg, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now Shahr

Merchant marine

Total: 130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,791,892 GRT/4,891,615 DWT
Ships by type: Bulk 47, cargo 41, chemical tanker 5, combination bulk 2, liquefied gas tanker 1, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 9, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (1995 est.)

Airports:

Total: 41 (1998)

Communications

Telephones: 8.150 million (Dec. 1999)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 77, FM 6 (1996)
Radios (per 1000 families): 720 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 32 (1996)
Color T.V. receiver (per 1000 families): 399 (1998)
Black and white T.V. receiver (per 100 inhabitants): 40 (1998)
News Paper circulation (per 100 inhabitants): 40 (1999)

Defense

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),

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	Average growth rate (percent)
Real GDP growth	5.1
Oil	1.6
Agriculture	4.3
Industry and mining	5.9
Services	3.1
Real gross domestic investment	6.2
Real private consumption	4.0
Real government consumption expenditure	-0.9
Rate of inflation	12.4
Liquidity	12.5
Imports	4.3
Oil exports	3.4
Non-oil exports	8.4