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 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
Political pressure groups and leaders:
groups that generally support the Islamic Republic: Ansar-e
Hizballah-Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh); Followers of the Line
of the Imam and the Leader; Islamic Engineers Society; Tehran
Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat); active pro-reform student
group: Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); opposition groups:
Baluchistan People's Party (BPP); Freedom Movement of Iran; Marz-e
Por Gohar; National Front; and various ethnic and Monarchist
organizations; armed political groups that have been repressed by
the government: Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI);
Jundallah; Komala; Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO);
People's Fedayeen; People's Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK)
International organization participation:
CP, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, 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, 2209
Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202)
965-4990; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073
Diplomatic representation 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 2254 2178/2256 5273; FAX [98] 21
2258 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
Economy ::Iran
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. Most economic activity is controlled by the state. 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. Corruption and shortages of goods are widespread.
President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD has proposed reforms to Iran's system
of price controls and subsidies, particularly on food and energy.
However, previous government-led efforts at reform - such as fuel
rationing in July 2007 and the imposition of the Value-Added Tax
(VAT) in October 2008 - were met with stiff resistance and violent
protests. High oil prices in recent years allowed Iran to greatly
increase its export earnings and amass nearly $100 billion in
foreign exchange reserves. But with oil prices currently below $40
per barrel, the Iranian government is facing difficulties. Tehran
has formulated a 2009 budget that anticipates lower oil prices. The
government has drawn down the country's Oil Stabilization Fund, and
may be dipping into foreign exchange reserves. Iran continues to
suffer from double-digit unemployment and inflation - inflation
climbed to a 28% annual rate in 2008. Underemployment among Iran's
educated youth has convinced many to seek jobs overseas, resulting
in a significant "brain drain."
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$843.7 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
$792.2 billion (2007 est.)
$734.7 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$335.2 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
7.8% (2007 est.)
5.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,800 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
$12,100 (2007 est.)
$11,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 41.9%
services: 47.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
24.35 million
country comparison to the world: 23
note: shortage of skilled labor (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 31%
services: 45% (June 2007)
Unemployment rate:
12.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
12% (2007 est.)
note: data are according to the Iranian Government
Population below poverty line:
18% (2007 est.)
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)
country comparison to the world: 47
Investment (gross fixed):
26.3% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
Budget:
revenues: $51 billion
expenditures: $103 billion (FY09/10 est.)
Public debt:
19.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
27% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
25.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
17.1% (2007 est.)
note: official Iranian estimate
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 69
12% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$46.13 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$68.71 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$109.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 58
$45.57 billion (31 December 2007)
$37.94 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
4.5% excluding oil (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Electricity - production:
192.6 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Electricity - consumption:
153.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Electricity - exports:
2.52 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.842 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
4.174 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Oil - consumption:
1.755 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Oil - exports:
2.719 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Oil - imports:
212,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Oil - proved reserves:
136.2 billion bbl based on Iranian claims (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Natural gas - production:
116.3 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Natural gas - consumption:
119 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Natural gas - exports:
4.246 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 28
Natural gas - imports:
6.9 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Natural gas - proved reserves:
28.08 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Current account balance:
$20.19 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
$34.08 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$98.42 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
$97.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts,
carpets
Exports - partners:
China 15.3%, Japan 14.3%, India 10.4%, South Korea 6.4%, Turkey
6.4%, Italy 4.5% (2008)
Imports:
$67.25 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
$56.58 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services
Imports - partners:
UAE 19.3%, China 13%, Germany 9.2%, South Korea 7%, Italy 5.1%,
France 4.3%, Russia 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$96.56 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
$82.06 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$21.06 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
$20.68 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$6.954 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$6.054 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$993 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
$903 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar - 9,142.8 (2008 est.), 9,407.5
(2007), 9,227.1 (2006), 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004)
note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime
since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002
Communications ::Iran
Telephones - main lines in use:
24.8 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 12
Telephones - mobile cellular:
43 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 26
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 main line network greatly; main line
availability has more than doubled to nearly 25 million lines since
2000; additionally, mobile service has increased dramatically
serving 43 million subscribers in 2008; 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) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 72, FM 6, shortwave 5 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
29 (plus 450 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.ir
Internet hosts:
45,678 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 85
Internet users:
23 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 17
Transportation ::Iran
Airports:
316 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 24
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 133
over 3,047 m: 40
2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 6 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 183
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 139
under 914 m: 33 (2009)
Heliports:
19 (2009)
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 (2008)
Railways:
total: 8,442 km
country comparison to the world: 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
country comparison to the world: 29
paved: 125,908 km (includes 1,429 km of expressways)
unpaved: 47,019 km (2006)
Waterways:
850 km (on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 70
Merchant marine:
total: 74
country comparison to the world: 60
by type: bulk carrier 18, cargo 34, chemical tanker 4, container 6,
liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated
cargo 2, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 115 (Barbados 2, Bolivia 1, Cyprus
10, Hong Kong 15, Malta 79, Panama 7, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Assaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e-Eman Khomeyni
Military ::Iran
Military branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces,
Navy, Air Force of the Military of the Islamic Republic of Iran
(Niru-ye Hava'i-ye Artesh-e Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran, IRIAF;
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e
Eslami, IRGC): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Qods Force (special
operations), Basij Force (Popular Mobilization Army); Law
Enforcement Forces (2008)
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)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 20,212,275
females age 16-49: 19,638,751 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,658,573
females age 16-49: 17,148,290 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 700,213
female: 664,846 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.5% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 67
Transnational Issues ::Iran
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 (country of origin): 914,268 (Afghanistan); 54,024 (Iraq)
(2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Iran is a source, transit, and destination
country for women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation
and involuntary servitude; Iranian women are trafficked internally
for the purpose of forced prostitution and for forced marriages to
settle debts; Iranian children are trafficked internally and Afghan
children are trafficked into Iran for the purpose of forced
marriages, commercial sexual exploitation, and involuntary servitude
as beggars or laborers
tier rating: Tier 3 - Iran did not provide evidence of law
enforcement activities against trafficking, and credible reports
indicate that Iranian authorities punish victims of trafficking with
beatings, imprisonment, and execution; Iran has not ratified the
2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Iraq (Middle East)
Introduction ::Iraq
Background:
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain
during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League
of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next
dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A
"republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of
strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn.
Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly
eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was
expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of
January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN
Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass
destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification
inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions
over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in
March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces
remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate until 31 December 2008 and
under a bilateral Security Agreement thereafter, helping to provide
security and to support the freely elected government. In October
2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and,
pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of
Representatives (CoR) in December 2005. After the election, Ibrahim
al-JAAFARI was selected as prime minister; he was replaced by Nuri
al-MALIKI in May 2006. The CoR approved most cabinet ministers in
May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional
government in nearly a half century. On 31 January 2009, Iraq held
elections for provincial councils in all provinces except for the
three provinces comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and
at-Ta'mim (Kirkuk) province.
Geography ::Iraq
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 44 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 438,317 sq km
country comparison to the world: 58
land: 437,367 sq km
water: 950 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 3,650 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi
Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km
Coastline:
58 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Climate:
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless
summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish
borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that
melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in
central and southern Iraq
Terrain:
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south
with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and
Turkey
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is neither
Gundah Zhur 3,607 m nor Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use:
arable land: 13.12%
permanent crops: 0.61%
other: 86.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:
35,250 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
96.4 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 42.7 cu km/yr (3%/5%/92%)
per capita: 1,482 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
dust storms; sandstorms; floods
Environment - current issues:
government water control projects have drained most of the inhabited
marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the
feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs,
who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been
displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses
serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate
supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian
Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and
erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the
Persian Gulf
People ::Iraq
Population:
28,945,657 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.8% (male 5,709,688/female 5,531,359)
15-64 years: 58.2% (male 8,529,956/female 8,310,164)
65 years and over: 3% (male 408,266/female 456,224) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.4 years
male: 20.3 years
female: 20.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.507% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
Birth rate:
30.1 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Death rate:
5.03 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 67% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.82 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 60
male: 49.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 37.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.94 years
country comparison to the world: 144
male: 68.6 years
female: 71.34 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.86 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in
this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi
Ethnic groups: