Map of Iran | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Known as Persia until 1935 Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who according to the constitution is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts - a popularly elected 86-member body of clerics. US-Iranian relations have been strained since a group of 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 that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987 and 1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US UN and EU economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism and its nuclear weapons ambitions. Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000 a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians through the control of unelected institutions prevented reform measures from being enacted and increased repressive measures. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004 conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His controversial reelection in June 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud. The UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions (1696 in July 2006 1737 in December 2006 1747 in March 2007 1803 in March 2008 and 1835 in September 2008) calling for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and comply with its IAEA obligations and responsibilities. Resolutions 1737 1477 and 1803 subject a number of Iranian individuals and entities involved in Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs to sanctions. Additionally several Iranian entities are subject to US sanctions under Executive Order 13,382 designations for proliferation activities and EO 13,224 designations for support of terrorism.


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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 reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 1,648,195 km²
Rank: 18
Land: 1,531,595 km²
Water: 116,600 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries
Total: 5,440 km
Border countries: (8) Afghanistan 936 km; Armenia 35 km; Azerbaijan-proper 432 km; Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km; Iraq 1458 km; Pakistan 909 km; Turkey 499 km; Turkmenistan 992 km

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

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf
Continental shelf: natural prolongation

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
Extremes highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas coal chromium copper iron ore lead manganese zinc sulfur

Land use
Arable land: 9.78%
Permanent crops: 1.29%
Other: 88.93% (2005)

Irrigated land: 76,500 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 137.5 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts floods; dust storms sandstorms; earthquakes

Geography
Note: strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport


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Population: 76,923,300 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 18
Growth rate: 1.253% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 99
Below poverty line: 18% (2007 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Iranian
Adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups: Persian 51% Azeri 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: Muslim 98% (Shia 89% Sunni 9%) other (includes Zoroastrian Jewish Christian and Baha'i) 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.7%
15-64 years: 72.9% (male 24,501,544/female 23,914,172)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,725,828/female 1,870,823) (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 26.3 years
Male: 26 years
Female: 26.5 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.253% (2010 est.)
Rank: 99

Birth rate: 18.52 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 105

Death rate: 5.94 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 167

Net migration rate: -0.04 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 122

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 68% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

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; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification Law of the Sea Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 43.45 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 62
Male: 43.93 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 42.95 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.77 years
Rank: 146
Male: 68.32 years
Female: 71.29 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 147

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 102
People living with hivaids: 86,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 49
Deaths: 4,300 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 47

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever and malaria
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible r

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.8% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 80

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 77%
Male: 83.5%
Female: 70.4% (2002 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 15 years (2008)

Youth unemployment


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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
Former: Persia

Government type: theocratic republic

Capital
Name: Tehran
Geographic coordinates: 35 40 N 51 25 E
Time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins fourth Monday in March; ends fourth Wednesday in September

Administrative divisions: 31 provinces (ostanha singular - ostan); Alborz Ardabil Azarbayjan-e Gharbi (West Azerbaijan) Azarbayjan-e Sharqi (East Azerbaijan) Bushehr Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Esfahan Fars Gilan Golestan Hamadan Hormozgan Ilam Kerman Kermanshah Khorasan-e Jonubi (South Khorasan) Khorasan-e Razavi (Razavi Khorasan) Khorasan-e Shomali (North Khorasan) Khuzestan Kohgiluyeh va Bowyer Ahmad Kordestan Lorestan Markazi Mazandaran Qazvin Qom Semnan Sistan va Baluchestan Tehran Yazd Zanjan

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed); notable earlier dates: ca. 625 B.C. (unification of Iran under the Medes); ca. A.D. 1501 (Iran reunified under the Safavids); 12 December 1925 (modern Iran established under the Pahlavis)

National holiday: Republic Day 1 April (1979)

Constitution: 2-3 December 1979; revised in 1989
Note: the revision in 1989 expanded powers of the presidency and eliminated the prime ministership

Legal system: based on sharia law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI
Head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August 2005); First Vice President Mohammad Reza RAHIMI (since 13 September 2009)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over appointments to the more sensitive ministries
Note: also considered part of the Executive branch of government are three oversight bodies: 1) Assembly of Experts (Majles-Khebregan) a popularly elected body charged with determining the succession of the Supreme Leader reviewing his performance and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency Council or the Council for the Discernment of Expediency (Majma-e-Tashkhis-e-Maslahat-e-Nezam) exerts supervisory authority over the executive judicial and legislative branches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and the Council of Guardians disagree and since 1989 has been used to advise national religious leaders on matters of national policy; in 2005 the Council's powers were expanded to act as a supervisory body for the government; 3) Council of Guardians of the Constitution or Council of Guardians or Guardians Council (Shora-ye Negban-e Qanon-e Asassi) determines whether proposed legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law vets candidates in popular elections for suitability and supervises national elections
Elections: Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term and third nonconsecutive term); election last held on 12 June 2009;(next presidential election slated for June 2013)
Election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD reelected president; percent of vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62.6% Mir-Hosein MUSAVI-Khamenei 33.8% other 3.6%; voter turnout 85% (according to official figures published by the government)

Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami or Majles (290 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 14 March 2008 with a runoff held on 25 April 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - conservatives/Islamists 167 reformers 39 independents 74 religious minorities 5 other 5

Judicial branch: The Supreme Court (Qeveh Qazaieh) and the four-member High Council of the Judiciary have a single head and overlapping responsibilities; together they supervise the enforcement of all laws and establish judicial and legal policies; lower courts include a special clerical court a revolutionary court and a special administrative court

Political parties and leaders: formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iran and most conservatives still prefer to work through political pressure groups rather than parties; often political parties or coalitions are formed prior to elections and disbanded soon thereafter; a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad Front which includes political parties as well as less formal groups and organizations achieved considerable success in elections for the sixth Majles in early 2000; groups in the coalition included the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF) Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran) Solidarity Party Islamic Labor Party Mardom Salari Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO) and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majles elections in early 2004; following his defeat in the 2005 presidential elections former MCS Secretary General and sixth Majles Speaker Mehdi KARUBI formed the National Trust Party; a new conservative group Islamic Iran Developers Coalition (Abadgaran) took a leading position in the new Majles after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004; following the 2004 Majles elections traditional and hardline conservatives have attempted to close ranks under the United Front of Principlists and the Broad Popular Coalition of Principlists; several reformist groups such as the Mujahadin of the Islamic Revolution came together as a reformist coalition in advance of the 2008 Majles elections; the IIPF has repeatedly complained that the overwhelming majority of its candidates have been unfairly disqualified from the 2008 elections

International organization participation: CICA CP D-8 ECO FAO G-15 G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU MIGA NAM OIC OPCW OPEC PCA SAARC (observer) SCO (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR UNMIS UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section Pakistani Embassy 2,209 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington DC 20,007; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4,990; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073
From the us: none; note - the US Interests Section is located in the Embassy of Switzerland No. 39 Shahid Mousavi (Golestan 5th) Pasdaran Ave. Tehran Iran; telephone [98] 21 2,254 2,178/2,256 5,273; FAX [98] 21 2,258 0432

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top) white and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip a symbol of martyrdom) 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; green is the color of Islam and also represents growth white symbolizes honesty and peace red stands for bravery and martyrdom

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Soroud-e Melli-e Jomhouri-e Eslami-e Iran'
Lyricsmusic: multiple authors/Hassan RIAHI
Note: adopted 1990

National heritage


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Economy overview: Iran's economy is marked by an inefficient state sector reliance on the oil sector which provides the majority of government revenues and statist policies which create major distortions throughout the system. Private sector activity is typically limited to small-scale workshops farming and services. Price controls subsidies and other rigidities weigh down the economy undermining the potential for private-sector-led growth. Significant informal market activity flourishes. The legislature in late 2009 passed President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD's bill to reduce subsidies particularly on food and energy. The bill would phase out subsidies - which benefit Iran's upper and middle classes the most - over three to five years and replace them with cash payments to Iran's lower classes. However the start of the program was delayed repeatedly throughout 2010 over fears of public reaction to higher prices. This is the most extensive economic reform since the government implemented gasoline rationing in 2007. The recovery of world oil prices in the last year increased Iran's oil export revenue by at least $10 billion over 2009 easing some of the financial impact of the newest round of international sanctions. Although inflation has fallen substantially since the mid-2000s Iran continues to suffer from double-digit unemployment and underemployment. Underemployment among Iran's educated youth has convinced many to seek jobs overseas resulting in a significant 'brain drain.'

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 19
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 122

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 99
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11%
Industry: 45.9%
Services: 43.1% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat rice other grains sugar beets sugar cane fruits nuts cotton; dairy products wool; caviar

Industries: petroleum petrochemicals fertilizers caustic soda textiles cement and other construction materials food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production) ferrous and non-ferrous metal fabrication armaments

Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% excluding oil (2010 est.)
Rank: 78

Labor force: 25.7 million
Rank: 22
Note: shortage of skilled labor (2010 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 25%
By occupation industry: 31%
By occupation services: 45% (June 2007)

Unemployment rate: 10.3% (2008 est.)
Rank: 146
Note: data are according to the Iranian Government

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 18% (2007 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.6%
Highest 10: 29.6% (2005)

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.5 (2006)
Rank: 45

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 16.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 117

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 13.5% (2009 est.)
Rank: 206
Note: official Iranian estimate

Central bank discount rate:

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 12% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 75

Stock of narrow money: $48.74 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 45

Stock of broad money: $147.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 41

Stock of domestic credit: $120.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 43

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 51

Current account balance: $1.913 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 23

Exports: $69.04 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 37
Commodities: petroleum 80% chemical and petrochemical products fruits and nuts carpets
Partners: China 16.58% Japan 11.9% India 10.54% South Korea 7.54% Turkey 4.36% (2009)

Imports: $58.97 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 43
Commodities: industrial raw materials and intermediate goods capital goods foodstuffs and other consumer goods technical services
Partners: UAE 15.14% China 13.48% Germany 9.66% South Korea 7.16% Italy 5.27% Russia 4.81% India 4.12% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $81.31 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 18

Debt external: $12.63 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 83

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $15.13 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 72

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $1.825 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 67

Exchange rates: Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar - 10,308 (2010) 9,864 (2009) 9,143 (2008) 9,408 (2007) 9,227 (2006)


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Electricity
Production: 212.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 19
Consumption: 206.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 18
Exports: 6.15 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 2.06 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 200 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 3
Consumption: 140 billion m³
Consumption rank: 4
Consumption note: excludes injection and flaring (2008 est.)
Exports: 4.246 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 28
Imports: 5.2 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 31
Proven reserves: 29.61 trillion m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 2

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 25.804 million (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 11
Mobile cellular: 52.555 million (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 21

Telephone system
General assessment: 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: the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the fixed-line network greatly; fixed-line availability has more than doubled to nearly 26 million lines since 2000; additionally mobile-cellular service has increased dramatically serving more than 50 million subscribers in 2009; combined fixed and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons
International: country code - 98; 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; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey Azerbaijan Pakistan Afghanistan Turkmenistan Syria Kuwait Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2009)

Broadcast media: state-run broadcast media with no private independent broadcasters; Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) the state-run TV broadcaster operates 5 nationwide channels a news channel about 30 provincial channels and several international channels; about 20 foreign Persian-language TV stations broadcasting on satellite TV are capable of being seen in Iran; satellite dishes are illegal and while their use had been tolerated authorities began confiscating satellite dishes following the unrest stemming from the 2009 presidential election; IRIB operates 8 nationwide networks a number of provincial stations and an external service; most major international broadcasters transmit to Iran (2009)

Internet
Country code: .ir
Hosts: 119,947 (2010)
Hosts rank: 75
Users: 8.214 million (2009)
Users rank: 35

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 60

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 19 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15 years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscript military service obligation - 18 months; women exempt from military service (2008)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 319 (2010)
Rank: 24
With paved runways total: 133
With paved runways over 3047 m: 42
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 27
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 24
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 34
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 186
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 142
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 33 (2010)

Heliports: 19 (2010)

Pipelines: condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 12 km; gas 19,246 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 7,018 km; refined products 7,936 km (2009)

Railways
Total: 8,442 km
Rank: 26
Broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
Standard gauge: 8,348 km 1.435-m gauge (148 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways
Total: 172,927 km
Rank: 28
Paved: 125,908 km (includes 1429 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 47,019 km (2006)

Waterways: 850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2009)
Rank: 70

Merchant marine
Total: 74
Rank: 57
By type: bulk carrier 11 cargo 40 chemical tanker 5 container 9 liquefied gas 1 passenger/cargo 3 petroleum tanker 1 refrigerated cargo 2 roll on/roll off 2
Foreign owned: 1 (UAE 1)
Registered in other countries: 78 (Barbados 4 Bolivia 1 Cyprus 10 Hong Kong 1 Malta 56 Panama 5 Ukraine 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Assaluyeh Bandar Abbas Bandar-e-Eman Khomeyni


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Disputes international: Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed tributaries to the Helmand River in periods of drought; Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island which are occupied by Iran; Iran stands alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 914,268 (Afghanistan); 54,024 (Iraq) (2007)

Illicit drugs: despite substantial interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border with Afghanistan Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence