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 embassy personnel hostages 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 and 1929 in June 2010) calling for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and comply with its IAEA obligations and responsibilities. Resolutions 1737 1747 1803 and 1929 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 13,224 designation for support of terrorism and Executive Order 13,382 designation for proliferation activities. In mid-February 2011 opposition activists conducted the largest antiregime rallies since December 2009 spurred by the success of uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Protester turnout probably was at most tens of thousands and security forces were deployed to disperse protesters. Additional protests in March 2011 failed to elicit significant participation largely because of the robust security response although discontent still smolders. Deteriorating economic conditions due primarily to government mismanagement and international sanctions prompted at least two major economically-based protests in July and October 2012.

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N 53 00 E

Area
Rank: 18
Comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska

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

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

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

Irrigated land: 89,930 km² (2003)

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

Population: 78,868,711 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 18
Growth rate: 1.247% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 94
Below poverty line: 18.7% (2007 est.)

Ethnic groups: Persian 61% Azeri 16% Kurd 10% Lur 6% Baloch 2% Arab 2% Turkmen and Turkic tribes 2% other 1%

Languages: Persian (official) 53% Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects 18% Kurdish 10% Gilaki and Mazandarani 7% Luri 6% Balochi 2% Arabic 2% other 2%

Religions: Muslim (official) 98% (Shia 89% Sunni 9%) other (includes Zoroastrian Jewish Christian and Baha'i) 2%

Population growth rate: 1.247% (2012 est.)
Rank: 94

Birth rate: 18.52 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 104

Death rate: 5.94 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 166

Net migration rate: -0.11 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 121

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

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 57

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 147

Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 148

Physicians density: 0.89 physicians/1000 population (2005)

Hospital bed density: 1.38 beds/1000 population (2006)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 97
People living with hivaids: 92,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 43
Deaths: 6,400 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 33

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 14.2% (2005)
Rank: 41

Education expenditures: 4.7% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 71

Government type: theocratic republic

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

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 1989

Legal system: religious legal system based on sharia law

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles (290 seats; members elected by popular vote from single and multimember districts to serve four-year terms)

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

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

Economy overview: Iran's economy is marked by statist policies and an inefficient state sector which create major distortions throughout the system and reliance on oil which provides the majority of government revenues. Price controls subsidies and other rigidities weigh down the economy undermining the potential for private-sector-led growth. Private sector activity is typically limited to small-scale workshops farming and services. Significant informal market activity flourishes and corruption is widespread. Tehran since the early 1990s has recognized the need to reduce these inefficiencies and in December 2010 the legislature passed President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD's Targeted Subsidies Law (TSL) to reduce state subsidies on food and energy. This was the most extensive economic reform since the government implemented gasoline rationing in 2007. Over a five-year period the bill will phase out subsidies that previously cost Tehran $60-$100 billion annually and mostly benefited Iran's upper and middle classes. Cash payouts of $45 per person to more than 90% of Iranian households mitigated initial widespread resistance to the TSL program though popular acceptance remains vulnerable to rising inflation. A rise in world oil prices in 2011 increased Iran's oil export revenue by roughly $28 billion over 2010 easing some of the financial impact of international sanctions. However expansionary fiscal and monetary policies government mismanagement the sanctions and a depreciating currency are fueling inflation and GDP growth remains stagnant. Iran also 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: 18

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 197

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 97

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

Industrial production growth rate: -2.7% (2011 est.) (2011 est.)
Rank: 157

Labor force: 27.05 million
Rank: 24

Unemployment rate: 15.3% (2011 est.)
Rank: 149

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.5 (2006)
Rank: 44

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 156

Taxes and other revenues: 13.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 199

Public debt: 18.2% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 127

Fiscal year: 21 March - 20 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 20.6% (2011 est.)
Rank: 219

Central bank discount rate: NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 12.5% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 66

Stock of narrow money: $54.88 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 46

Stock of broad money: $183.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 41

Stock of domestic credit: $138.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 49

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 44

Current account balance: $26.19 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 175

Exports: $109.5 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 53
Commodities: petroleum 80% chemical and petrochemical products fruits and nuts carpets
Partners: China 21.4% Japan 9.1% Turkey 8.8% India 8.1% South Korea 8% Italy 5.3% (2011)

Imports: $74.41 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 47
Commodities: industrial supplies capital goods foodstuffs and other consumer goods technical services
Partners: UAE 30.9% China 17.4% South Korea 7.1% Germany 4.8% Turkey 4.2% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $109.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 28

Debt external: $17.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 97

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $23.61 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 65

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $2.531 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 67

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 213.7 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 19
Consumption: 173.1 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 21
Exports: 6.154 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 27
Imports: 2.068 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 48
Installed generating capacity: 56.17 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 17
Generation sources fossil fuels: 86.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 84
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 110
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 13.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 108
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 93

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 4.231 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 5
Crude oil exports: 2.295 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 5
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 201
Crude oil proven reserves: 151.2 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 5

Refined petroleum
Products production: 1.801 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 14
Products consumption: 1.694 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 15
Products exports: 246,500 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 26
Products imports: 187,200 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 28

Natural gas
Production: 146.1 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 6
Consumption: 144.6 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 5
Exports: 8.42 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 25
Imports: 6.85 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 31
Proven reserves: 33.07 trillion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 3

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 560.3 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 9

Telephones
Main lines in use: 27.767 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 12
Mobile cellular: 56.043 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 22

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
Hosts: 197,804 (2012)
Hosts rank: 72
Users: 8.214 million (2009)
Users rank: 35

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

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)

Airports: 324 (2012)
Rank: 23

Heliports: 21 (2012)

Pipelines: condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 12 km; gas 20,155 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 7,123 km; refined products 7,937 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 25

Roadways
Rank: 28

Waterways: 850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2012)
Rank: 70

Merchant marine
Rank: 60

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

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

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