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Compare Guatemala (2001) - Iran (2004)

Compare Guatemala (2001) z Iran (2004)

 Guatemala (2001)Iran (2004)
 GuatemalaIran
Administrative divisions 22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa 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:
42.11% (male 2,789,189; female 2,674,747)

15-64 years:
54.25% (male 3,518,209; female 3,519,851)

65 years and over:
3.64% (male 220,640; female 251,725) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 28% (male 9,935,527; female 9,411,647)


15-64 years: 67.2% (male 23,608,621; female 22,744,128)


65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,645,246; female 1,673,755) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Airports 477 (2000 est.) 303 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
11

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
5

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
total: 127


over 3,047 m: 39


2,438 to 3,047 m: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 26


914 to 1,523 m: 32


under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
466

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
9

914 to 1,523 m:
124

under 914 m:
332 (2000 est.)
total: 178


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 129


under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)
Area total:
108,890 sq km

land:
108,430 sq km

water:
460 sq km
total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Tennessee slightly larger than Alaska
Background Guatemala was freed of Spanish colonial rule in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had led to the death of more than 100,000 people and had created some 1 million refugees. Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority nominally vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US 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 1987-1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement. Following the elections of a reformist President and Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction have floundered as conservative politicians have prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased repressive measures, and consolidated their control over the government.
Birth rate 34.61 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues:
$2.2 billion

expenditures:
$1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues: $40.38 billion


expenditures: $40.29 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (2003 est.)
Capital Guatemala Tehran
Climate tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Coastline 400 km 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Constitution 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form:
Guatemala

local long form:
Republica de Guatemala

local short form:
Guatemala
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 quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed Iranian rial (IRR)
Death rate 6.79 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5.53 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $4.7 billion (2000 est.) $10.96 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Prudence BUSHNELL

embassy:
7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City

mailing address:
APO AA 34024

telephone:
[502] 331-1541/55

FAX:
[502] 334-8477
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Ariel RIVERA Irias

chancery:
2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 745-4952

FAX:
[1] (202) 745-1908

consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
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
Disputes - international Guatemala periodically asserts claims to territory in southern Belize; to deter cross-border squatting, both states in 2000 agreed to a "line of adjacency" based on the de facto boundary, which is not recognized by Guatemala Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on Helmand River tributaries in periods of drought; thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran; creation of a maritime boundary with Iraq remains in hiatus until full sovereignty is restored in Iraq; Iran and UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island; Iran stands alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors
Economic aid - recipient $212 million (1995) $408 million (2002 est.)
Economy - overview The agricultural sector accounts for about one-fourth of GDP, two-thirds of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. Former President ARZU (1996-2000) worked to implement a program of economic liberalization and political modernization. The 1996 signing of the peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused relatively little damage to Guatemala compared to its neighbors. Ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, and increasing the efficiency and openness of both government and private financial operations. Despite low international prices for Guatemala's main commodities, the economy grew by 3% in 2000 and is forecast to grow by 4% in 2001. Guatemala, along with Honduras and El Salvador, recently concluded a free trade agreement with Mexico and has moved to protect international property rights. However, the PORTILLO administration has undertaken a review of privatizations under the previous administration, thereby creating some uncertainty among investors. Iran's economy is marked by a bloated, inefficient state sector, over reliance on the oil sector, and statist policies that create major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale - workshops, farming, and services. President KHATAMI has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI, with limited progress. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass some $22 billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. In December 2003 a major earthquake devastated the city of Bam in southeastern Iran, killing more than 30,000 people.
Electricity - consumption 3.295 billion kWh (1999) 115.9 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 435 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 210 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 3.785 billion kWh (1999) 124.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
38.31%

hydro:
61.69%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; Hurricane Mitch damage 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:
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in local Spanish called Ladino), approximately 55%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, approximately 43%, whites and others 2% Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Exchange rates quetzales per US dollar - 7.8020 (January 2001), 7.7632 (2000), 7.3856 (1999), 6.3947 (1998), 6.0653 (1997), 6.0495 (1996), 5.8103 (1995) rials per US dollar - 8,193.89 (2003), 6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56 (2001), 1,764.43 (2000), 1,752.93 (1999)


note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002.
Executive branch chief of state:
President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January 2000); Vice President Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January 2000); Vice President Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
Council of Ministers named by the president

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 7 November 1999; runoff held 26 December 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003)

election results:
Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera elected president; percent of vote - Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 68%, Oscar BERGER Perdomo (PAN) 32%
chief of state: Supreme Leader 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 26 August 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over appointments to the more sensitive ministries


elections: leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 8 June 2001 (next to be held June 2005)


election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani reelected president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
Exports $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000) 2.2 million bbl/day (2003)
Exports - commodities coffee, sugar, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom, meat, apparel, petroleum, electricity petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets
Exports - partners US 51.4%, El Salvador 8.7%, Honduras 5%, Costa Rica 3.4%, Germany 2.7% (1998) Japan 21.8%, China 9.7%, Italy 6.3%, Taiwan 5.5%, Turkey 5.4%, South Korea 5.4% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $46.2 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $478.2 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
23%

industry:
20%

services:
57% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 12.5%


industry: 41.2%


services: 46.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3% (2000 est.) 6.1% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 15 30 N, 90 15 W 32 00 N, 53 00 E
Geography - note no natural harbors on west coast strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
Heliports - 13 (2003 est.)
Highways total:
13,856 km

paved:
4,370 km (including 140 km of expressways)

unpaved:
9,486 km (1998)
total: 167,157 km


paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways)


unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
0.6%

highest 10%:
46.6% (1989)
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs transit country for cocaine and heroin; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (cocaine and heroin shipments); money laundering is probably increasing despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and according to official Iranian statistics there are at least 2 million drug users in the country; lax anti-money-laundering regulations
Imports $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies
Imports - partners US 42.8%, Mexico 9.9%, Japan 4.8%, El Salvador 4.3%, Venezuela 3.8% (1998) Germany 11%, France 8.6%, China 8.4%, Italy 8.1%, UAE 7.9%, South Korea 6.5%, Russia 4.8%, Japan 4.1% (2003)
Independence 15 September 1821 (from Spain) 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate 4.1% (1999) 3% excluding oil (2003 est.)
Industries sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments
Infant mortality rate 45.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 42.86 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 43.01 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 42.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6% (2000 est.) 16.4% (2003 est.)
International organization participation BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5 (2000) -
Irrigated land 1,250 sq km (1993 est.) 75,620 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (thirteen members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms); Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms by Congress, each serving one year as president of the Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by the Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the President, one elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala, and one by Colegio de Abogados) Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court
Labor force 4.2 million (1999 est.) 22.32 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 50%, industry 15%, services 35% (1999 est.) agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total:
1,687 km

border countries:
Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 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:
12%

permanent crops:
5%

permanent pastures:
24%

forests and woodland:
54%

other:
5% (1993 est.)
arable land: 8.72%


permanent crops: 1.39%


other: 89.89% (2001)
Languages Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (more than 20 Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Legal system civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Legislative branch unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (113 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held on 7 November 1999 (next to be held in November 2003)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FRG 63, PAN 37, ANN 9, DCG 2, UD/LOV 1, PLP 1

note:
for the 7 November 1999 election, the number of congressional seats was increased from 80 to 113
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 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004 (next to be held February 2008)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43, religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for
Life expectancy at birth total population:
66.51 years

male:
63.85 years

female:
69.31 years (2001 est.)
total population: 69.66 years


male: 68.31 years


female: 71.07 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
63.6%

male:
68.7%

female:
58.5% (2000 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79.4%


male: 85.6%


female: 73% (2003 est.)
Location Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Middle East
Maritime claims continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


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


continental shelf: natural prolongation
Merchant marine none (2000 est.) total: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,715,242 GRT/8,240,069 DWT


by type: bulk 40, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, container 7, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large load carrier 5, petroleum tanker 33, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1


registered in other countries: 10 (2004 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Command), Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods Force [special operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization Army]), Law Enforcement Forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure $120 million (FY99) $4.3 billion (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.6% (FY99) 3.3% (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
3,092,050 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 20,937,348 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
2,018,636 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 12,434,810 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
140,358 (2001 est.)
males: 912,569 (2004 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 15 September (1821) Republic Day, 1 April (1979)


note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21 March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925)
Nationality noun:
Guatemalan(s)

adjective:
Guatemalan
noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
Natural hazards numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
Natural resources petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Net migration rate -1.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 275 km condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Jorge Luis ORTEGA]; Democratic Union or UD [Jose Luis CHEA Urruela]; Green Party or LOV [Jose ASTURIAS Rudecke]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Pablo MONSANTO, also known as Jorge SOTO]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; New Nation Alliance or ANN [leader NA], which includes the URNG; National Advancement Party or PAN [Leonel LOPEZ Rodas]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina] formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in the Islamic Republic and most conservatives still prefer to work through political pressure groups rather than parties; a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad front, which includes political parties as well as less formal pressure groups and organizations, achieved considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000; groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF); Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran); Solidarity Party; Islamic Labor Party; Mardom Salari; Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO); and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun); the coalition is expected to participate in the seventh Majles elections in early 2004; a new apparently conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, took a leading position in the new Majles afte winning a majority of the seats in February 2004
Political pressure groups and leaders Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM political pressure groups conduct most of Iran's political activities; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers Society; active pro-reform student groups include the Organization for Strengthening Unity; opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchist organizations; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala
Population 12,974,361 (July 2001 est.) 69,018,924 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 60% (2000 est.) 40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate 2.6% (2001 est.) 1.07% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Champerico, Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, San Jose, Santo Tomas de Castilla 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 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000) AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios 835,000 (1997) -
Railways total:
884 km (102 km privately owned)

narrow gauge:
884 km 0.914-m gauge (single track)
total: 7,203 km


broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge


standard gauge: 7,109 km 1.435-m gauge (189 km electrified) (2003)
Religions Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

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

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

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


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote) 15 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala

domestic:
NA

international:
connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected


domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches


international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat
Telephones - main lines in use 665,061 (June 2000) 14,571,100 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 663,296 (September 2000) 3,376,500 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997) 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten) rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Total fertility rate 4.58 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.5% (1999 est.) 15.7% (2002 est.)
Waterways 990 km

note:
260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during highwater season
850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) (2004)
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