|
Home
Missions
Ministries
Bible
Institute & School
Contact
Us
Careers,
Opportunities in Ministry
|
Background:
|
 Known as
Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative
clerical forces established a theocratic system of government
with ultimate political authority vested in a learned
religious scholar. 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 over disputed territory. Over the past decade,
popular dissatisfaction with the government, driven by
demographic changes, restrictive social policies, and poor
economic conditions, has been pressuring for political reform. |
|
Location:
|
Middle East,
bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian
Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
|
Map references:
|
Middle
East |
|
Area:
|
total:
1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly larger
than Alaska |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total:
5,440 km
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 |
|
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 |
|
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:
|
arable land:
10.17%
permanent crops: 1.16%
other: 88.67% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
75,620 sq km
(1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
periodic
droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes |
|
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 |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic
location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are
vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport |
|
Population:
|
69,018,924 (July
2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
28% (male 9,935,527; female 9,411,647)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 23,608,621; female 22,744,128)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,645,246; female
1,673,755) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
23.5 years
male: 23.3 years
female: 23.7 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.07% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
17.1 births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
5.53 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
42.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 43.01 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 69.66 years
male: 68.31 years
female: 71.07 years (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
less than 0.1%
(2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
20,000 (2001
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
290 (2001 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Persian 51%,
Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur
2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% |
|
Religions:
|
Shi'a Muslim
89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and
Baha'i 2% |
|
Languages:
|
Persian and
Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish
9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% |
|
Literacy:
|
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.4%
male: 85.6%
female: 73% (2003 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local short form: Iran
former: Persia
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran |
|
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, Kermanshah,
Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan,
Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va
Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan |
|
Independence:
|
1 April 1979
(Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) |
|
National holiday:
|
Republic Day, 1
April (1979)
note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran
include Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's
Day), 21 March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925) |
|
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 |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of
state: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI
(since 4 June 1989)
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 8 June
2001 (next to be held June 2005)
election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani
reelected president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad
KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control
over appointments to the more sensitive ministries
head of government: President (Ali) Mohammad
KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3 August 1997); First Vice President
Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-Yazdi (since 26 August 2001) |
|
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 2000 with a runoff
held 5 May 2000 (next to be held February 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party
- reformers 189, conservatives 54, independents 42, seats
reserved for religious minorities 5 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
formal political
parties are a relatively new phenomenon in the Islamic
Republic and most conservatives still prefer to work through
political pressure groups rather than parties; a loose
pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad front, which
includes political parties as well as less formal pressure
groups and organizations, achieved considerable success at
elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000; groups in the
coalition include: 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 is expected to participate
in the seventh Majles elections in early 2004; a new
apparently conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran,
emerged at the local level in early 2003 |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
political
pressure groups conduct most of Iran's political activities;
groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include
Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of the
Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic
Coalition Association (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers
Society; active pro-reform student groups include the
Organization for Strengthening Unity; opposition groups
include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National Front, Marz-e
Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchist organizations;
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, and Komala |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
none; note - Iran
has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; 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 |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Iran's economy is
marked by a bloated, inefficient state sector, over reliance
on the oil sector, and statist policies that create major
distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled
by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale
- workshops, farming, and services. President KHATAMI has
continued to follow the market reform plans of former
President RAFSANJANI, with limited progress. Relatively high
oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass some $22
billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not eased
economic hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. In
December 2003 a major earthquake devastated the city of Bam in
southeastern Iran, killing more than 30,000 people. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $477.8 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
6% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $7,000 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
19%
industry: 26%
services: 55% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
40% (2002 est.) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
18% (2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
20 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 30%,
industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
15.7% (2002 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$41.2 billion
expenditures: $43.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of $7.6 billion (2003 est.) |
|
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:
|
5.5% excluding
oil (2001 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
124.6 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
97.1%
hydro: 2.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
115.9 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
3.804 million
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
1.277 million
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
61.5 billion cu m
(2001 st.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
65.59 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
wheat, rice,
other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy
products, wool; caviar |
|
Exports:
|
$29.88 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
petroleum 80%,
chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Japan 20.1%,
China 9.9%, Italy 7.6%, South Korea 5.7% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$25.26 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
industrial raw
materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs
and other consumer goods, technical services, military
supplies |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Germany 17.1%,
Switzerland 9.3%, UAE 9.1%, France 5.9%, Italy 5.8%, South
Korea 4.8%, China 4.7%, Russia 4.3% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$10.2 billion
(2003 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$408 million
(2002 est.) |
|
Currency:
|
Iranian rial (IRR) |
|
Currency code:
|
IRR |
|
Exchange rates:
|
rials per US
dollar - 8,193.89 (2003), 6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56 (2001),
1,764.43 (2000), 1,752.93 (1999)
note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange
rate regime since unifying multiple exchange rates in March
2002. |
|
Fiscal year:
|
21 March - 20
March |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
12,200,200 (2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
2.187 million
(2002) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: 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 has
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: country code - 98; 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 |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 72, FM 5,
shortwave 5 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
28 (plus 450
low-power repeaters) (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.ir |
|
Internet hosts:
|
3,491 (2002) |
|
Internet users:
|
3.168 million
(2002) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
7,201 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,107 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km
electrified) (2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
167,157 km
paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways)
unpaved: 73,048 km (1998) |
|
Waterways:
|
904 km
note: 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:
|
condensate/gas
212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,256
km; refined products 7,808 km (2003) |
|
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: 134
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,715,242 GRT/8,240,069 DWT
by type: bulk 40, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3,
container 7, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large load
carrier 5, petroleum tanker 33, roll on/roll off 8,
short-sea/passenger 1
registered in other countries: 10 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports:
|
303 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 125
over 3,047 m: 39
2,438 to 3,047 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 31
under 914 m: 4 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 178
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
under 914 m: 39 (2003 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 129 |
|
Heliports:
|
13 (2003 est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Islamic Republic
of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air
Force and Air Defense Command), Iranian Revolutionary Guards
Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods
Force [special operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization
Army]), Law Enforcement Forces |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
21 years of age
(2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age
15-49: 20,937,348 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males age
15-49: 12,434,810 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
912,569 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$4.3 billion
(2003 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
3.3% (2003 est.) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
Iran protests
Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on Helmand River
tributaries in periods of drought; thousands of Afghan
refugees still reside in Iran; creation of a maritime boundary
with Iraq remains in hiatus until full sovereignty is restored
in Iraq; Iran and UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab
League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of
Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island; Iran stands alone among
littoral states in insisting upon a division of the Caspian
Sea into five equal sectors |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
despite
substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe;
domestic narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem
and according to official Iranian statistics there are at
least 2 million drug users in the country; lax
anti-money-laundering regulations |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
|