Iran

Islamic Republic of IranJomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

theocratic republic

Iran as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 110 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalTehran

Position32 00 N, 53 00 E

Area1.648 million sq km

LocationMiddle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Populationas each edition published it

65.62 million July 2000 est. · 55.65m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.83% 2000 est. · 3.49% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 22.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

69.66 years 2000 est. · 65.26 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.2 children per woman 2000 est. · 6.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

30.02 deaths per 1,000 live births 2000 est. · 91 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$5,300 1999 est. · $1,500 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1% 1999 est. · 6% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces subsequently crushed westernizing liberal elements. Militant Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq over disputed territory. The key current issue is how rapidly the country should open up to the modernizing influences of the outside world.

Geography

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

17 fields

Land use(1993 est.)

arable land 10%permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 27%forests and woodland 7%other 55% (1993 est.)irrigated 94,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

1.648million sq km

land: 1.636 million sq kmwater: 12,000 sq kmslightly larger than Alaska

Coastline

2,440km

note: Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: natural prolongationexclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements, or median lines in the Persian Gulfterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

5,440km

border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km

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

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:: Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m

Natural resources

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

Natural hazards

periodic droughts, floods;
dust storms, sandstorms;
earthquakes along western border and in the northeast

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;
inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

People

15 fields

Population

65,619,636

(July 2000 est.)growth rate: 0.83% (2000 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)

Birth

18.29Death

5.45Net migration

-4.55

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2000 est.)69.66

68.34 · 71.05

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1994 est.)72.1%

78.4% · 65.8%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

Persian 51%Azeri 24%Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%Kurd 7%Arab 3%Lur 2%Baloch 2%Turkmen 2%other 1%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 34% (male 11,542,446; female 11,035,705)
15-64 years:: 61% (male 20,151,083; female 19,879,432)
65 years and over:: 5% (male 1,592,753; female 1,418,217) (2000 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

30.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.2 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Iranian(s)
adjective:: Iranian

Religions

Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Languages

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

Government

Theocratic republic; Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989); President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3 August 1997)

19 fields

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

Data code

Government type

theocratic republic

Capital

Tehran

Administrative divisions

28 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan);
Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshahan, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qom, Qazvin, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

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

chief of state:: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)
head of government:: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3 August 1997); First Vice President Hasan Ebrahim HABIBI (since NA August 1989)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval
elections:: leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts;
president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA May 2001)
election results:: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani elected president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 69%

Legislative branch

unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats, note - changed from 270 seats with the 18 February 2000 election; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:: last held 18 February-NA April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results:: percent of vote - NA;
seats - NA;
note - reformers received 70% of the vote (170 seats), the conservatives received 30% (45 seats), and independents (10 seats);
65 seats were up for runoff election in April 2000

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

since President KHATAMI's election in May 1997, several political parties have been licensed;
Executives of Construction;
Followers of the Imam's Line and the Leader (conservative);
Islamic Coalition Association [Habibollah ASQAR-OLADI];
Islamic Iran Solidarity Party;
Islamic Partnership Front;
Militant Clerics Association [Ayatollah Mahdavi KANI];
Second Khordad Front (pro-reform);
Tehran Militant Clergy Association [Secretary General Ayatollah Mohammad EMAMI-KASHANI]

Political pressure groups and leaders

active student groups include the pro-reform "Organization for Strengthening Unity" and "the Union of Islamic Student Societies';
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,
- Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
;
the Society for the Defense of Freedom

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

none;
note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy, headed by Faramarz FATH-NEJAD;
address:
- Iranian Interests Section,
- Pakistani Embassy,
- 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
- Washington,
- DC 20007
;
telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990

Diplomatic representation from the US

none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland

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;
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

Economy

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.

31 fields

Real growth rate

(1999 est.)industrial production growth: 5.7% (FY95/96 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

30%

(1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

25%

(1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

53%

(1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 21%industry 34%services 45% (1997 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$34.6 billionExpenditures

$34.9 billion

expenditures including capital expenditures of $11.8 billion (FY96/97)

Electricity

fossil fuel 92.33%hydro 7.67%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

95.31 billion (1998)Electricity consumption

88.638 billion (1998)

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. President KHATAMI has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue diversification of Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made little progress toward that goal.

The strong oil market in 1996 helped ease financial pressures on Iran and allowed for Tehran's timely debt service payments. Iran's financial situation tightened in 1997 and deteriorated further in 1998 because of lower oil prices. The subsequent zoom in oil prices in 1999 afforded Iran fiscal breathing room but does not solve Iran's structural economic problems.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $347.6 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,300 (1999 est.)

Labor force

15.4 million note: shortage of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 33%, industry 25%, services 42% (1997 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture - products

wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton;
dairy products, wool;
caviar

Exports

$12.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum 80%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides, iron, steel

Exports - partners

Japan, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, South Korea

Imports

$13.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products

Imports - partners

Germany, Italy, Japan, UAE, UK, Belgium

Debt - external

$21.9 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$116.5 million (1995)

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 - 1,754.90 (January 2000), 1,725.93 (1999), 1,751.86 (1998), 1,752.92 (1997), 1,750.76 (1996), 1,747.93 (1995);
black market rate: 7,000 rials per US$1 (December 1998);
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, whereas 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

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

265,000

(August 1998)

Internet users

(1999)

Fixed lines

7 million

(1998 est.)

Telephone system

inadequate but 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:: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially;
many villages have been brought into the net;
the number of main lines in the urban systems have approximately doubled;
and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served;
moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
international:: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan;
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;
satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat;
Internet service available but limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture

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)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

123

under 914 m

Paved 112Unpaved 176

Networkskm

Highways

140,200Railways

5,600Waterways

904

Highways: paved: 49,440 km (including 470 km of expressways) · unpaved: 90,760 km (1998 est.) · Railways: broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge · standard gauge: 5,506 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (1998) · Waterways: ; 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

Railways

5,600 km

broad gauge:: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge:: 5,506 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (1998)

Highways

total:: 140,200 km
paved:: 49,440 km (including 470 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 90,760 km (1998 est.)

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

Pipelines

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

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

Merchant marine

total:: 138 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,517,751 GRT/6,208,230 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 45, cargo 36, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1, container 7, liquified gas 1, multi-functional large load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 26, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off 9, short-sea passenger 1 (1999 est.)

Airports

288 (1999 est.)

Heliports

11 (1999 est.)

Military

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.9%

(FY98/99)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

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);
Iran 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) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island;
the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions;
Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan

Illicit drugs

despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe;
domestic consumption of narcotics remains a persistent problem and Iranian press reports estimate that there are at least 1.2 million drug users in the country [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Central Intelligence Agency. “Iran.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/iran/2000.

How to cite ← 1999 edition 2001 edition →