Country Information - Iran

Islamic Republic of Iran

Chief of State: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1989)

President: Mohammad Khatami (1997)

Area: 636,293 sq mi (1,648,000 sq km)

Population (2005 est.): 68,017,860 (growth rate: 0.9%); birth rate: 16.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 41.6/1000; life expectancy: 70.0; density per sq mi: 107

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Teheran, 11,224,800 (metro. area), 7,893,700 (city proper)

Other large cities: Mashad, 2,061,100; Isfahan, 1,378,600; Tabriz, 1,213,400

Monetary unit: Rial

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

Ethnicity/race: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions: Islam 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%); Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%

Literacy rate: 79% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $516.7 billion; per capita $7,700. Real growth rate: 6.3%. Inflation: 15.5%. Unemployment: 11.2%. Arable land: 9%. Agriculture: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar. Labor force: 23 million; note: shortage of skilled labor; agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.). Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur. Exports: $29.88 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals. Imports: $25.26 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies. Major trading partners: Japan, China, UAE, Italy, South Korea, South Africa, Germany, France, Russia.

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 6.313 million (1997); mobile cellular: 265,000 (Aug. 1998). Radio broadcast stations: AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998). Radios: 17 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997). Televisions: 4.61 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 100 (2002). Internet users: 1.326 million (2002 est.).

Transportation: Railways: 7,201 km (2002). Highways: total: 167,157 km; paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways); unpaved: 73,048 km (1998). Waterways: 904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use. 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. Airports: 309 (2002).

International disputes: Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on Helmand River tributaries in response to prolonged drought in region; thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran; despite restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iraq over maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other issues from eight-year war persist; UAE engage direct talks and Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island; Iran insists on division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors, while other littoral states have generally agreed to equidistant seabed boundaries - Iran has threatened Azerbaijanian hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters.