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. 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. The legislature in late 2009 passed President Mahmud
AHMADI-NEJAD's bill to reduce subsidies, particularly on food and
energy. The bill would phase out subsidies - which benefit Iran's
upper and middle classes the most - over three to five years and
replace them with cash payments to Iran's lower classes. However,
the start of the program was delayed repeatedly throughout 2010 over
fears of public reaction to higher prices. This is the most
extensive economic reform since the government implemented gasoline
rationing in 2007. The recovery of world oil prices in the last year
increased Iran's oil export revenue by at least $10 billion over
2009, easing some of the financial impact of the newest round of
international sanctions. Although inflation has fallen substantially
since the mid-2000s, Iran 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."
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$863.5 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
$838.3 billion (2009 est.)
$825.9 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$337.9 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
1.5% (2009 est.)
2.5% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,200 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
$11,000 (2009 est.)
$11,000 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11%
industry: 45.9%
services: 43.1% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
25.7 million
country comparison to the world: 22
note: shortage of skilled labor (2010 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 31%
services: 45% (June 2007)
Unemployment rate:
14.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
10.3% (2008 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: 45
Investment (gross fixed):
27.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Public debt:
16.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
16.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
13.5% (2009 est.)
note: official Iranian estimate
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2009)
NA% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
12% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$50.37 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 45
$48.74 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$167.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
$147.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$132.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
$120.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$63.3 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 51
$49.04 billion (31 December 2008)
$45.57 billion (31 December 2007)
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:
4.3% excluding oil (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Electricity - production:
212.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Electricity - consumption:
206.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Electricity - exports:
6.15 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.06 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
4.172 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Oil - consumption:
1.7 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Oil - exports:
2.21 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
Oil - imports:
162,500 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
Oil - proved reserves:
137.6 billion bbl based on Iranian claims
country comparison to the world: 3
note: Iran has about 10% of world reserves (1 January 2010 est.)
Natural gas - production:
200 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Natural gas - consumption:
140 billion cu m
country comparison to the world: 4
note: excludes injection and flaring (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
4.246 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Natural gas - imports:
5.2 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - proved reserves:
29.61 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Current account balance:
$9.76 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
$1.913 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$78.69 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
$69.04 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts,
carpets
Exports - partners:
China 16.58%, Japan 11.9%, India 10.54%, South Korea 7.54%, Turkey
4.36% (2009)
Imports:
$58.97 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
$58.97 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services
Imports - partners:
UAE 15.14%, China 13.48%, Germany 9.66%, South Korea 7.16%, Italy
5.27%, Russia 4.81%, India 4.12% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$75.06 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
$81.31 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$12.84 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
$12.63 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$16.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
$15.13 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$2.075 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$1.825 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar - 10,308.2 (2010), 9,864.3 (2009),
9,142.8 (2008), 9,407.5 (2007), 9,227.1 (2006)
Communications ::Iran
Telephones - main lines in use:
25.804 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 11
Telephones - mobile cellular:
52.555 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 21
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 fixed-line network greatly;
fixed-line availability has more than doubled to nearly 26 million
lines since 2000; additionally, mobile-cellular service has
increased dramatically serving more than 50 million subscribers in
2009; 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) (2009)
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 networks, a number
of provincial stations, and an external service; most major
international broadcasters transmit to Iran (2009)
Internet country code:
.ir
Internet hosts:
119,947 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 75
Internet users:
8.214 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 35
Transportation ::Iran
Airports:
319 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 24
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 133
over 3,047 m: 42
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 186
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 142
under 914 m: 33 (2010)
Heliports:
19 (2010)
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 (2009)
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: 28
paved: 125,908 km (includes 1,429 km of expressways)
unpaved: 47,019 km (2006)
Waterways:
850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 70
Merchant marine:
total: 74
country comparison to the world: 57
by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 40, chemical tanker 5, container 9,
liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated
cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 78 (Barbados 4, Bolivia 1, Cyprus 10,
Hong Kong 1, Malta 56, Panama 5, Ukraine 1) (2010)
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 (IRIAF), Khatemolanbia Air Defense; Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami,
IRGC): Ground Resistance Forces, Navy, Aerospace Force, Qods Force
(special operations); Law Enforcement Forces (2010)
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: 20,763,890
females age 16-49: 20,157,570 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,844,536
females age 16-49: 17,312,808 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 636,558
female: 604,658 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.5% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 60
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 men, women, and children 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 and Afghan children living
in Iran are trafficked internally for the purpose of forced
marriages, commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude
as beggars or laborers to pay debts, provide income or support drug
addiction of their families; press reports indicate that criminal
organizations play a significant role in human trafficking to and
from Iran, in connection with smuggling of migrants, drugs, and arms
tier rating: Tier 3 - Iran did not provide evidence of law
enforcement activities against trafficking, and credible reports
indicate that Iranian authorities' response is not sufficient to
penalize offenders, protect victims, and eliminate trafficking; some
aspects of Iranian law and policy hinder efforts to combat
trafficking including punishment of victims and legal obstacles to
punishing offenders; Iran has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol
(2009)
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 January 13, 2011
======================================================================
@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 through 2009 and under a
bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security
and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. 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-JAFARI 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
Kirkuk province. Iraq held a national legislative election in March
2010, and after nine months of deadlock the CoR approved the new
government in December.
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:
29,671,605 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.8% (male 5,711,187/female 5,514,794)
15-64 years: 58.2% (male 8,535,550/female 8,303,942)
65 years and over: 3% (male 410,395/female 469,701) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.6 years
male: 20.5 years
female: 20.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.449% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Birth rate:
29.41 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Death rate:
4.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 82
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: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.16 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 64
male: 47.47 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 38.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.25 years
country comparison to the world: 145
male: 68.88 years
female: 71.69 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.76 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
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:
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5%
Religions:
Muslim 97% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages:
Arabic (official), Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Turkoman
(a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.1%
male: 84.1%
female: 64.2% (2000 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 11 years
female: 8 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Iraq
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Jumhuriyat al-Iraq
local short form: Al Iraq
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Baghdad
geographic coordinates: 33 20 N, 44 23 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) and 1 region*; Al
Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah), An
Najaf, Arbil (Erbil), As Sulaymaniyah, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi
Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Kirkuk, Kurdistan Regional Government*,
Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
Independence:
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional
Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi-controlled Government
National holiday:
Republic Day, July 14 (1958); note - the Government of Iraq has yet
to declare an official national holiday but still observes Republic
Day
Constitution:
ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the Constitutional
Review Committee and a possible public referendum)
Legal system:
based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework outlined
in the Iraqi Constitution; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers consists of ministers appointed by the
Presidency Council plus the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by Council of Representatives
(parliament) to serve a four-year term (eligible for a second term)
election results: President Jalal TALABANI reelected on 11 November
2010; parliamentary vote count on second ballot - 195 votes; Nuri
al-MALIKI reselected prime minister
Legislative branch: