country comparison to the world: 30
$84.35 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Singapore 24.96%, China 12.52%, Japan 8.92%, Malaysia 5.88%, South
Korea 5.64%, US 4.88%, Thailand 4.45% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$83.58 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
$66.12 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$155.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
$156.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$81.21 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
$72.84 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$33.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
$30.18 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Indonesian rupiah (IDR) per US dollar - 9,169.5 (2010), 10,389.9
(2009), 9,698.9 (2008), 9,143 (2007), 9,159.3 (2006)
Communications ::Indonesia
Telephones - main lines in use:
33.958 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 9
Telephones - mobile cellular:
159.248 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 6
Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic service includes an interisland
microwave system, an HF radio police net, and a domestic satellite
communications system; international service good
domestic: coverage provided by existing network has been expanded by
use of over 200,000 telephone kiosks many located in remote areas;
mobile-cellular subscribership growing rapidly
international: country code - 62; landing point for both the
SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks that provide
links throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Broadcast media:
mixture of about a dozen national television networks - 2 public
broadcasters, the remainder private broadcasters - each with
multiple transmitters; more than 100 local TV stations operating;
widespread use of satellite and cable TV systems; public radio
broadcaster operates 6 national networks as well as regional and
local stations; overall, more than 700 radio stations operating with
more than 650 privately-operated (2008)
Internet country code:
.id
Internet hosts:
1.269 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 39
Internet users:
20 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 22
Transportation ::Indonesia
Airports:
684 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 10
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 171
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 50
914 to 1,523 m: 64
under 914 m: 34 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 513
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 484 (2010)
Heliports:
64 (2010)
Pipelines:
condensate 735 km; condensate/gas 73 km; gas 5,800 km; oil 5,721 km;
oil/gas/water 12 km; refined products 1,370 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 8,529 km
country comparison to the world: 25
narrow gauge: 8,529 km 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 437,759 km
country comparison to the world: 14
paved: 258,744 km
unpaved: 179,015 km (2008)
Waterways:
21,579 km (2011)
country comparison to the world: 5
Merchant marine:
total: 1,244
country comparison to the world: 8
by type: bulk carrier 95, cargo 601, chemical tanker 57, container
112, liquefied gas 17, passenger 47, passenger/cargo 76, petroleum
tanker 214, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 12, specialized
tanker 1, vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned: 61 (China 1, France 1, Greece 1, Japan 7, Malaysia 1,
Norway 4, Singapore 42, South Korea 1, Taiwan 1, US 2)
registered in other countries: 87 (Bahamas 2, Cambodia 2, Hong Kong
8, Liberia 4, Mongolia 2, Panama 14, Singapore 53, unknown 2) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Kotabaru, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang,
Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and
offshore waters in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea as high
risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial
vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while
underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to
ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift
Military ::Indonesia
Military branches:
Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army
(TNI-Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD)), Navy (TNI-Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL);
includes marines, naval air arm), Air Force (TNI-Angkatan Udara
(TNI-AU)), National Air Defense Command (Kommando Pertahanan Udara
Nasional (Kohanudnas)) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military
service; 2-year conscript service obligation, with reserve
obligation to age 45 (officers); Indonesian citizens only (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 65,166,986
females age 16-49: 62,715,534 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 53,624,156
females age 16-49: 52,879,309 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,227,993
female: 2,156,427 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Transnational Issues ::Indonesia
Disputes - international:
Indonesia has a stated foreign policy objective of establishing
stable fixed land and maritime boundaries with all of its neighbors;
some sections of border along Timor-Leste's Oecussi exclave and
maritime boundaries with Timor-Leste remain unresolved; many
refugees from Timor-Leste who left in 2003 still reside in Indonesia
and refuse repatriation; a 1997 treaty between Indonesia and
Australia settled some parts of their maritime boundary but
outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan
islands to Malaysia in 2002 left the sovereignty of Unarang rock and
the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea in
dispute; the ICJ decision has prompted Indonesia to assert claims to
and to establish a presence on its smaller outer islands; Indonesia
and Singapore continue to work on finalization of their 1973
maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of
Indonesia's Batam Island; Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and
illegal migrants create repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea;
maritime delimitation talks continue with Palau; Indonesian groups
challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia has closed
parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional
fishing and placed restrictions on certain catches
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 200,000-350,000 (government offensives against rebels in Aceh;
most IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi Provinces,
and Maluku) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of
methamphetamine and ecstasy
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Iran (Middle East)
Introduction ::Iran
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
13382 designations for proliferation activities and EO 13224
designations for support of terrorism.
Geography ::Iran
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 references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 1,648,195 sq km
country comparison to the world: 18
land: 1,531,595 sq km
water: 116,600 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller 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)
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
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 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
137.5 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 72.88 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
per capita: 1,048 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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
People ::Iran
Population:
76,923,300 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.7% (male 7,394,841/female 7,022,076)
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.)
Median age:
total: 26.3 years
male: 26 years
female: 26.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.253% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Birth rate:
18.52 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
Death rate:
5.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Net migration rate:
-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/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.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.45 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 62
male: 43.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.77 years
country comparison to the world: 146
male: 68.32 years
female: 71.29 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
86,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,300 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 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 risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
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:
Muslim 98% (Shia 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes 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: 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)
Education expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 80
Government ::Iran
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
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June
1989)
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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
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
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; Green
Path movement [Mehdi KARUBI, Mir-Hosein MUSAVI]; 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:
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, 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; green is the color of
Islam and also represents growth, white symbolizes honesty and
peace, red stands for bravery and martyrdom
National anthem:
name: "Soroud-e Melli-e Jomhouri-e Eslami-e Iran" (National Anthem
of the Islamic Republic of Iran)
lyrics/music: multiple authors/Hassan RIAHI