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Compare Bahrain (2001) - Iran (2001)

Compare Bahrain (2001) z Iran (2001)

 Bahrain (2001)Iran (2001)
 BahrainIran
Administrative divisions 12 municipalities (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah

note:
all municipalities administered from Manama
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
Age structure 0-14 years:
29.6% (male 96,697; female 94,330)

15-64 years:
67.43% (male 257,360; female 177,839)

65 years and over:
2.97% (male 9,721; female 9,414) (2001 est.)
0-14 years:
32.97% (male 11,150,053; female 10,654,884)

15-64 years:
62.38% (male 20,765,001; female 20,488,672)

65 years and over:
4.65% (male 1,617,045; female 1,453,310) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Airports 3 (2000 est.) 317 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
2

over 3,047 m:
2 (2000 est.)
total:
117

over 3,047 m:
38

2,438 to 3,047 m:
23

1,524 to 2,437 m:
25

914 to 1,523 m:
24

under 914 m:
7 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total:
200

over 3,047 m:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
13

914 to 1,523 m:
122

under 914 m:
60 (2000 est.)
Area total:
620 sq km

land:
620 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total:
1.648 million sq km

land:
1.636 million sq km

water:
12,000 sq km
Area - comparative 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than Alaska
Background Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Possessing minimal oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining, and has transformed itself into an international banking center. The new amir is pushing economic and political reforms, and has worked to improve relations with the Shi'a community. In 2001, the International Court of Justice awarded the Hawar Islands, long disputed with Qatar, to Bahrain. Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces subsequently crushed westernizing liberal elements. Militant 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. The key current issue is how rapidly the country should open up to the modernizing influences of the outside world.
Birth rate 20.07 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues:
$1.8 billion

expenditures:
$2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues:
$27 billion

expenditures:
$27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
Capital Manama Tehran
Climate arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Coastline 161 km 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Constitution adopted late December 2000 (new constitution calls for a partially elected legislature, a constitutional monarchy, and an independent judiciary) 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
Country name conventional long form:
State of Bahrain

conventional short form:
Bahrain

local long form:
Dawlat al Bahrayn

local short form:
Al Bahrayn

former:
Dilmun
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
Currency Bahraini dinar (BHD) Iranian rial (IRR)
Death rate 3.92 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $2.7 billion (2000) $7.5 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Johnny YOUNG

embassy:
#979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 321, Zinj District, Manama

mailing address:
American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama

telephone:
[973] 273-300

FAX:
[973] 272-594
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant)

chancery:
3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 342-0741

FAX:
[1] (202) 362-2192

consulate(s) general:
New York
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
Disputes - international in March of 2001, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the Hawar Islands to Bahrain and also adjusted Bahrain's maritime boundary with Qatar Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990 but are still trying to work out written agreements settling outstanding disputes from their eight-year war concerning border demarcation, prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway; Iran occupies two islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); Iran jointly administers with the UAE an island in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island; the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan
Economic aid - recipient $48.4 million (1995) $116.5 million (1995)
Economy - overview In Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Bahrain is dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil revenue granted as aid. A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures. President KHATAMI has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue diversification of Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made little progress toward that goal. The strong oil market in 1996 helped ease financial pressures on Iran and allowed for Tehran's timely debt service payments. Iran's financial situation tightened in 1997 and deteriorated further in 1998 because of lower oil prices. The subsequent zoom in oil prices in 1999-2000 afforded Iran fiscal breathing room but does not solve Iran's structural economic problems, including the encouragement of foreign investment.
Electricity - consumption 5.752 billion kWh (1999) 95.84 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 6.185 billion kWh (1999) 103.054 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel:
93.16%

hydro:
6.84%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point:
Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
lowest point:
Caspian Sea -28 m

highest point:
Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m
Environment - current issues desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8% Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Exchange rates Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.3760 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) Iranian rials per US dollar - 1,754.71 (January 2001), 1,764.43 (2000), 1,725.93 (1999), 1,751.86 (1998), 1,752.92 (1997), 1,750.76 (1996)

note:
Iran has three officially recognized exchange rates; the averages for 1999 are as follows: the official floating rate of 1,750 rials per US dollar, the "export" rate of 3,000 rials per US dollar, and the variable Tehran Stock Exchange rate, which averages 7,863 rials per US dollar; the market rate averages 8,615 rials per US dollar
Executive branch chief of state:
Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)

head of government:
Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since NA 1971)

cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the monarch

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
chief of state:
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)

head of government:
President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3 August 1997); First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-YAZDI (since NA August 2001)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval

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 NA 2005)

election results:
(Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani reelected president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
Exports $5.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $25 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products 61%, aluminum 7% petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals
Exports - partners India 14%, Saudi Arabia 5%, US 5%, UAE 5%, Japan 4%, South Korea 4% (1999) Japan, Italy, UAE, South Korea, France, China
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $10.1 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $413 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
1%

industry:
46%

services:
53% (1996 est.)
agriculture:
24%

industry:
28%

services:
48% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $15,900 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2000 est.) 3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 26 00 N, 50 33 E 32 00 N, 53 00 E
Geography - note close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean -
Heliports 1 (2000 est.) 11 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
3,164 km

paved:
2,433 km

unpaved:
731 km

note:
there is a paved causeway connecting Bahrain to Saudi Arabia (1997)
total:
140,200 km

paved:
49,440 km (including 470 km of expressways)

unpaved:
90,760 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs - despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic consumption of narcotics remains a persistent problem and Iranian press reports estimate that there are at least 1.2 million drug users in the country
Imports $4.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $15 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities nonoil 59%, crude oil 41% industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies
Imports - partners France 20%, US 14%, UK 8%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Japan 5% (1999) Germany, South Korea, Italy, UAE, France, Japan
Independence 15 August 1971 (from UK) 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2000 est.) 4.4% (nonoil) (1999)
Industries petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments
Infant mortality rate 19.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 29.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2000 est.) 16% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 8 (2000)
Irrigated land 10 sq km (1993 est.) 94,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch High Civil Appeals Court Supreme Court
Labor force 295,000 (1998 est.)

note:
44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
17.3 million

note:
shortage of skilled labor (1998)
Labor force - by occupation industry, commerce, and service 79%, government 20%, agriculture 1% (1997 est.) agriculture 33%, industry 25%, services 42% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 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
Land use arable land:
1%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
6%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
92% (1993 est.)
arable land:
10%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
27%

forests and woodland:
7%

other:
55% (1993 est.)
Languages Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Legal system based on Islamic law and English common law the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet; appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992; the National Action Charter created a bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum of 14 February 2001 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-NA April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - reformers 170, conservatives 45, and independents 10; 65 seats were up for runoff election on 5 May 2000 (reformers 52, conservatives 10, independents 3)
Life expectancy at birth total population:
73.2 years

male:
70.81 years

female:
75.67 years (2001 est.)
total population:
69.95 years

male:
68.61 years

female:
71.37 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
85.2%

male:
89.1%

female:
79.4% (1995 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
72.1%

male:
78.4%

female:
65.8% (1994 est.)
Location Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Map references Middle East Middle East
Maritime claims contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
extending to boundaries to be determined

territorial sea:
12 NM
contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
natural prolongation

exclusive economic zone:
bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine total:
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 175,609 GRT/207,652 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 2, cargo 3, container 2 (2000 est.)
total:
152 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,097,977 GRT/7,131,688 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 49, cargo 38, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1, container 10, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 1

note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 1 (2000 est.)
Military branches Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Police Force Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces), Revolutionary Guards (includes Ground, Air, Navy, Qods, and Basij-mobilization-forces), Law Enforcement Forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure $318 million (FY99) $5.787 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 5.2% (FY99) 2.9% (FY98/99)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
222,141 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
18,319,328 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
121,833 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
10,872,407 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 15 years of age 21 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
5,926 (2001 est.)
males:
823,040 (2001 est.)
National holiday National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of independence from British protection Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Nationality noun:
Bahraini(s)

adjective:
Bahraini
noun:
Iranian(s)

adjective:
Iranian
Natural hazards periodic droughts; dust storms periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast
Natural resources oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Net migration rate 1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -4.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km
Political parties and leaders political parties prohibited the following organizations appeared to have achieved considerable success at elections to the sixth Majlis in early 2000: Assembly of the Followers of the Imam's Line, Freethinkers' Front, Islamic Iran Participation Front, Moderation and Development Party, Servants of Construction Party, Society of Self-sacrificing Devotees
Political pressure groups and leaders Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically 1994-97, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active active student groups include the pro-reform "Organization for Strengthening Unity" and "the Union of Islamic Student Societies'; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, and the Islamic Coalition Association; opposition groups include the Liberation Movement of Iran and the Nation of Iran party; 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; the Society for the Defense of Freedom
Population 645,361

note:
includes 228,424 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
66,128,965 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 53% (1996 est.)
Population growth rate 1.73% (2001 est.) 0.72% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah 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
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios 338,000 (1997) 17 million (1997)
Railways 0 km total:
5,600 km

broad gauge:
94 km 1.676-m gauge

standard gauge:
5,506 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified)

note:
broad gauge track is employed at the borders with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan which have broad-gauge rail systems (2001)
Religions Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30% Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.45 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
1.03 male(s)/female

total population:
1.29 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
1.11 male(s)/female

total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage none 15 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
modern system

domestic:
modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones

international:
tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)
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:
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; Internet service available but limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture
Telephones - main lines in use 152,000 (1997) 6.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 58,543 (1997) 265,000 (August 1998)
Television broadcast stations 4 (1997) 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Total fertility rate 2.79 children born/woman (2001 est.) 2.02 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 15% (1998 est.) 14% (1999 est.)
Waterways none 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
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