Statistical information Iran 1999

Iran in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: 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 reference:
Middle EastAreaTotal: 1.648 million km²
Land: 1.636 million km²
Water: 12,000 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundariesTotal: 5,440 km
Border countries: (8) 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 kmCoastline: 2,440 km
Note: Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Maritime claimsContiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: natural prolongation
Exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements, or median lines in the Persian Gulf
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
Extremes highest point: Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Land useArable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 27%
Forests and woodland: 7%
Other: 55% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 94,000 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast
Geographytop of pagePopulation: 65,179,752 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 1.07% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: 53% (1996 est.)
NationalityNoun: Iranian(s)
Adjective: Iranian
Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 36% (male 11,963,438; female 11,447,191)
15-64 years: 60% (male 19,549,935; female 19,276,784)
65 years and over: 4% (male 1,561,877; female 1,380,527) (1999 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.07% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 20.71 births/1000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.39 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt 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: 1.13 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 29.73 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 69.76 years
Male: 68.43 years
Female: 71.16 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 72.1%
Male: 78.4%
Female: 65.8% (1994 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
Conventional short form: Iran
Local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
Local short form: Iran
Government type: theocratic republic
Capital: Tehran
Administrative divisions: 25 provinces (ostanha, singular_ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshahan, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Note: there may be three new provinces named Golestan, Qom, and Qazvin
Dependent areasIndependence: 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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 15 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief 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 (270 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 8 March and 19 April 1996 (next to be held NA March 2000)
Election results: percent of vote_NA; seats_NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational 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 representationIn the us: none; note_Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy, headed by Fariborz JAHANSUZAN; address:Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2,209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007; telephone:[1] (202) 965-4,990
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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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. In the early 1990s, Iran experienced a financial crisis and was forced to reschedule $15 billion in debt. 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. As a result Iran has begun to cut imports and fall into arrears on its debt payments.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: -2.1% (1998 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $5,000 (1998 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%
Agriculture products: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments
Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (FY95/96 est.)
Labor force: 15.4 million
Note: shortage of skilled labor
By occupation agriculture: 33%
By occupation manufacturing: 21% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: more than 30% (January 1998 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line: 53% (1996 est.)
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $34.6 billion
Expenditures: $34.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.8 billion (FY96/97)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 21 March_20 March
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $12.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Commodities: petroleum 80%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides, iron, steel
Partners: Japan, Italy, Greece, France, Spain, South Korea
Imports: $13.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Commodities: machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products
Partners: Germany, Italy, Japan, UAE, UK, Belgium
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $21.9 billion (1996 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Iranian rials (IR) per US$1_1,754.63 (January 1999), 1,751.86 (1998), 1,752.92 (1997), 1,750.76 (1996), 1,747.93 (1995), 1,748.75 (1994; 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
top of pageElectricityProduction: 79.5 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 90.57%
Production by source hydro: 9.43%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 79.5 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaIran - Communication 1999
top of pageTelephones: 8,991,797 (1997 est.)
Telephone systemDomestic: 25 regional telecommunications authorities created in 1996; these authorities are responsible for implementing paging services and cellular systems; microwave radio relay extends throughout the country with the system centered in Tehran; system is moving toward digitization and direct-dial capability; 255 long-distance circuits (1999 est.); 366 telephone exchanges (1995 est.); 204,400 microwave channels (1996 est.); 230,000 cellular telephone subscribers (1997 est.); 3,930 pager subscribers (1995 est.)
International: 13,985 international circuits (1999 est.) with a plan to reach 14,000 by March 1999; satellite earth stations_9 Intelsat (with 50 terminals) and 4 Inmarsat; 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; four Internet service providers as of 1997 with the number increasing (service limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $5.787 billion (FY98/99)
Percent of gdp: 2.9% (FY98/99)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsIran - Transportation 1999
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 288 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 110
With paved runways over 3047 m: 38
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 18
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 25
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 23
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 178
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 126
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 32 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 11 (1998 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km
RailwaysTotal: 7,286 km
Broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
Standard gauge: 7,192 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (1996 est.)
RoadwaysWaterways: 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
Merchant marineTotal: 132 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,238,293 GRT/5,658,259 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 46, cargo 35, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 1, multifunction large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 10, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 est.)
Ports and terminalsIran - Transnational issues 1999
top of pageDisputes 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; 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)_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
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit 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