Statistical information Iran 2016

Iran in the World

Iran - Introduction 2016

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 led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI 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 became strained when a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostages until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. During the period 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. 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 concerns over possible military dimensions of its nuclear program. 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 supported by the Supreme Leader unelected institutions of authority like the Council of Guardians and the security services reversed and blocked reform measures while increasing security repression.
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. These protests were quickly suppressed and the political opposition that arose as a consequence of AHMADI-NEJAD's election was repressed. Deteriorating economic conditions due primarily to government mismanagement and international sanctions prompted at least two major economically based protests in July and October 2012 but Iran's internal security situation remained stable. President AHMADI-NEJAD's independent streak angered regime establishment figures including the Supreme Leader leading to conservative opposition to his agenda for the last year of his presidency and an alienation of his political supporters. In June 2013 Iranians elected a moderate conservative cleric Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI to the presidency. He is a longtime senior member in the regime but has made promises of reforming society and Iran's foreign policy. The UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions calling for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and comply with its IAEA obligations and responsibilities and in July 2015 Iran and the five permanent members plus Germany (P5+1) signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iran - Geography 2016

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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
Land: 1,531,595 km²
Water: 116,600 km²
Rank: 18
Comparative: almost 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries
Total: 5,894 km
Border countries: (7) Afghanistan 921 km; Armenia 44 km; Azerbaijan 689 km; Iraq 1599 km; Pakistan 959 km; Turkey 534 km; Turkmenistan 1148 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
Mean elevation: 1305 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m: highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

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

Land use

Land use
Agricultural land: 30.1%

arable land: 10.8%
permanent crops: 1.2%
permanent pasture: 18.1%

Forest: 6.8%
Other: 63.1%

Irrigated land: 95,530 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Iran - People 2016

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Population
Distribution: population is concentrated in the north northwest and west reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut have a much smaller population density: 82,801,633 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 17
Growth rate: 1.18% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 99
Below poverty line: 18.7% (2007 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Iranian
Adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups: Persian Azeri Kurd Lur Baloch Arab Turkmen and Turkic tribes

Languages: Persian (official) Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects Kurdish Gilaki and Mazandarani Luri Balochi Arabic other

Religions: Muslim (official) 99.4% (Shia 90-95% Sunni 5-10%) other (includes Zoroastrian Jewish and Christian) 0.3% unspecified 0.4% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.65%
15-24 years: 16.57%
25-54 years: 47.59%
55-64 years: 6.79%
65 years and over: 5.4% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 40.2%
Youth dependency ratio: 33.1%
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.1%
Potential support ratio: 14.1%

Median age
Total: 29.4 years
Male: 29.1 years
Female: 29.7 years
Rank: 122

Population growth rate: 1.18% (2016 est.)
Rank: 99

Birth rate: 17.8 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 103

Death rate: 5.9 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 168

Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 107

Population distribution: population is concentrated in the north northwest and west reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut have a much smaller population density

Urbanization
Urban population: 73.4% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.07% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: TEHRAN (capital) 8.432 million; Mashhad 3.014 million; Esfahan 1.88 million; Karaj 1.807 million; Shiraz 1.661 million; Tabriz 1.572 million (2015)

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
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male/female
Total population: 1.03 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 37.1 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 37.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 36.5 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 53

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.4 years
Male: 69.8 years
Female: 73.1 years
Rank: 150

Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 147

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 77.4% (2010/11)

Drinking water source:

urban: 97.7% of population
rural: 92.1% of population
total: 96.2% of population
urban: 2.3% of population
rural: 7.9% of population
total: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.89 physicians/1000 population (2005)

Hospital bed density: 0.1 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

urban: 92.8% of population
rural: 82.3% of population
total: 90% of population
urban: 7.2% of population
rural: 17.7% of population
total: 10% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.14% (2015 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 108
People living with hivaids: 73,200 (2015 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 50
Deaths: 4,000 (2015 est.)
Deaths rank: 36

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 24.9% (2014)
Rank: 99

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 3% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 119

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 86.8%
Male: 91.2%
Female: 82.5%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 15 years

Youth unemployment

Iran - Government 2016

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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
Etymology: name derives from the Avestan term 'aryanam' meaning 'Land of the noble [ones]'

Government type: theocratic republic

Capital
Name: Tehran
Geographic coordinates: 35 42 N 51 25 E
Time difference: UTC+3.5
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins fourth Tuesday in March; ends fourth Thursday 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. 550 B.C. (Achaemenid (Persian) Empire established); A.D. 1501 (Iran reunified under the Safavid Dynasty); 12 December 1925 (modern Iran established under the PAHLAVI Dynasty)

National holiday: Republic Day 1 April (1979)

Constitution: previous 1906; latest adopted 24 October 1979 effective 3 December 1979; amended 1989 (2016)

Legal system: religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Iran
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI
Head of government: President Hasan Fereidun RUHANI ; First Vice President Eshaq JAHANGIRI (since 5 August 2013)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the supreme leader has some control over appointments to several ministries
Electionsappointments: supreme leader appointed for life by Assembly of Experts; president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term ; election last held on 14 June 2013 (next to be held in June 2017)
Election results: Hasan Fereidun RUHANI elected president; percent of vote - Hasan Fereidun RUHANI Moderation and Development Party) 50.7% Mohammad Baqer QALIBAF 50.7% Mohammad Baqer QALIBAF (Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran) 16.5% Saeed JALILI (Front of Islamic Revolution Stability) 11.4% Mohsen REZAI (Conservative) 10.6% Ali Akber VELAYATI (Islamic Coalition Party) 6.2% other 4.6%
Note: 3 oversight bodies are also considered part of the executive branch of government

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles ; note - all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Guardian Council a 12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles
Elections: first round held on 26 February 2016 with second round for 68 remaining seats held on 29 April 2016;
Election results: percent of vote by party - List of Hope 41.7% Principalists Grand Coalition 28.6% People's Voice Coalition 3.8% religious minorities 1.7% other 1.7% independent 22.4%; seats by party - List of Hope 121 Principalists Grand Coalition 83 People's Voice Coalition 11 religious minorities 5 other 5 independent 65

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the head of the High Judicial Council a 5-member body to include the Supreme Court chief justice the prosecutor general and 3 clergy in consultation with judges of the Supreme Court; president appointed for a 5-year term; other judges appointed by the HJC; judge tenure NA
Subordinate courts: Penal Courts I and II; Islamic Revolutionary Courts; Courts of Peace; Special Clerical Court ; military courts

Political parties and leaders:

List of Hope or People's Voice Coalition [Ali MOTAHARI]
Pervasive Coalition of Reformists: The Second Step [Ali SOUFI chairman] (includes Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front National Trust Party Union of Islamic Iran People Party Moderation and Development Party Followers of Walayat [Ali LARIJANI])
Principalists Grand Coalition [Alireza ZAKANI] (includes Combatant Clergy Association and Islamic Coalition Party Society of Devotees and Pathseekers of the Islamic Revolution Front of Islamic Revolution Stability)
Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran [Hssein GHORBANZADEH]

International organization participation: CICA CP D-8 ECO FAO G-15 G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) 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 UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) 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: lion; national colors: green white red

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

National heritage

Iran - Economy 2016

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Economy overview:

Iran's economy is marked by statist policies inefficiencies and reliance on oil and gas exports but Iran also possesses significant agricultural industrial and service sectors. The Iranian government directly owns and operates hundreds of state-owned enterprises and indirectly controls many companies affiliated with the country's security forces. Distortions - including inflation price controls subsidies and a banking system holding billions of dollars of non-performing loans - weigh down the economy undermining the potential for private-sector-led growth.
Private sector activity includes small-scale workshops farming some manufacturing and services in addition to medium-scale construction cement production mining and metalworking. Significant informal market activity flourishes and corruption is widespread.
Fiscal and monetary constraints following the expansion of international sanctions in 2012 on Iran's Central Bank and oil exports significantly reduced Iran's oil revenue forced government spending cuts and sparked a sharp currency depreciation. Iran’s economy contracted for the first time in two decades during both 2012 and 2013 but growth resumed in 2014. Iran continues to suffer from high unemployment and underemployment. Lack of job opportunities has prompted many educated Iranian youth to seek employment overseas resulting in a significant 'brain drain.'
In June 2013 the election of President Hasan RUHANI generated widespread public expectations of economic improvement and greater international engagement. Almost two years into his term RUHANI has achieved some success including reining in inflation and in July of 2015 securing the promise of sanctions relief for Iran by signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the P5+1. The JCPOA which severely limits Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for unfreezing Iranian assets and reopening Iran to international trade should bolster foreign direct investment increase trade and stimulate growth. In spite of RUHANI’s efforts Iran’s growth was tepid in 2015 and significant economic improvement resulting from sanctions relief will take months or years to materialize.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$1.371 trillion (2015 est.)
$1.371 trillion (2014 est.)
$1.314 trillion (2013 est.)

Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 19

Real gdp growth rate:

0% (2015 est.)
4.3% (2014 est.)
-1.9% (2013 est.)

Rank: 188

Real gdp per capita:

$17,300 (2015 est.)
$17,500 (2014 est.)
$17,000 (2013 est.)

Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 95

Gross national saving:

36% of GDP (2015 est.)
37.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
40.2% of GDP (2013 est.)

Rank: 25

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 52.4%
Government consumption: 10.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 27%
Investment in inventories: 6.6%
Exports of goods and services: 19.2%
Imports of goods and services: -15.8%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.2%
Industry: 38.8%
Services: 51.9%

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.7% (2015 est.)
Rank: 80

Labor force: 29.07 million
Note: shortage of skilled labor
Rank: 24
By occupation agriculture: 16.3%
By occupation industry: 35.1%
By occupation services: 48.6%

Labor force

Unemployment rate:

10.5% (2015 est.)
10.3% (2014 est.)

Note: data are according to the Iranian Government
Rank: 120

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 18.7% (2007 est.)

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.5 (2006)
Rank: 46

Budget
Revenues: $61.95 billion
Expenditures: $68.72 billion
Surplus or deficit: -1.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 76

Taxes and other revenues: 16% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 189

Public debt:

11.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
10.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Note: includes publicly guaranteed debt
Rank: 166

Revenue

Fiscal year: 21 March - 20 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:

13.7% (2015 est.)
17.2% (2014 est.)

Note: official Iranian estimate
Rank: 214

Central bank discount rate: NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

14.2% (31 December 2015 est.)
14% (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 46

Stock of narrow money:

$38.44 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$42.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 56

Stock of broad money:

$282.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$273.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 35

Stock of domestic credit:

$47.04 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$44.83 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 65

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$172 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$140.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$107.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Rank: 42

Current account balance:

$1.394 billion (2015 est.)
$15.89 billion (2014 est.)

Rank: 26

Exports:

$64.6 billion (2015 est.)
$86.47 billion (2014 est.)

Rank: 42
Commodities: petroleum 80% chemical and petrochemical products fruits and nuts carpets cement ore
Partners: China 22.2% India 9.9% Turkey 8.4% Japan 4.5% (2015)

Imports:

$52.42 billion (2015 est.)
$65.08 billion (2014 est.)

Rank: 48
Commodities: industrial supplies capital goods foodstuffs and other consumer goods technical services
Partners: UAE 39.6% China 22.4% South Korea 4.7% Turkey 4.6% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$110 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$109 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 22

Debt external:

$5.348 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$5.495 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 126

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:

$43.05 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$43.05 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 60

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:

$4.097 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$4.096 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 72

Exchange rates:

Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar -
29,012 (2015 est.)
25,942 (2014 est.)
25,912 (2013 est.)
12,176 (2012 est.)
10,616 (2011 est.)

Iran - Energy 2016

Iran - Communication 2016

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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 30,418,973
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37
Fixed lines rank: 10
Mobile cellular total: 74.219 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 91
Mobile cellular rank: 22

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: heavy investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country
International: country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe ; 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) (2015)

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 radio networks a number of provincial stations and an external service; most major international broadcasters transmit to Iran (2009)

Internet
Country code: .ir
Users total: 36.07 million
Users percent of population: 44.1%
Users rank: 26

Broadband fixed subscriptions

Iran - Military 2016

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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 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 is 18 months; women exempt from military service (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups

Iran - Transportation 2016

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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 15
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 228
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 15,003,958
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 107,184,869 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: EP (2016)

Airports: 319 (2013)
Rank: 22
With paved runways total: 140
With paved runways over 3047 m: 42
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 29
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 26
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 36
With paved runways under 914 m: 7
With unpaved runways total: 179
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 135
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 32

Heliports: 26 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 973 km; gas 20,794 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,625 km; refined products 7,937 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 8,484 km
Broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
Standard gauge: 8,390 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 24

Roadways
Total: 198,866 km
Paved: 160,366 km
Unpaved: 38,500 km
Rank: 26

Waterways: 850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2012)
Rank: 69

Merchant marine
Total: 76
By type: bulk carrier 8 cargo 51 chemical tanker 3 container 4 liquefied gas 1 passenger/cargo 3 petroleum tanker 2 refrigerated cargo 2 roll on/roll off 2
Foreign owned: 2
Registered in other countries: 71 (2010)
Rank: 60

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Bandar-e Asaluyeh Bandar Abbas Bandar Emam
Container port: Bandar Abbas (2,752,460)

Iran - Transnational issues 2016

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Disputes international: Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during 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; Azerbaijan Kazakhstan and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 2.5 - 3.0 (1 million registered 1.5 - 2.0 million undocumented) (Afghanistan); 28,268 (Iraq) (2015)

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; regularly enforces the death penalty for drug offences; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence