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Compare Iran (2004) - Cameroon (2003)

Compare Iran (2004) z Cameroon (2003)

 Iran (2004)Cameroon (2003)
 IranCameroon
Administrative divisions 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 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 3,372,129; female 3,291,295)


15-64 years: 54.5% (male 4,315,672; female 4,265,286)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 227,444; female 274,353) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber
Airports 303 (2003 est.) 49 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways 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.)
total: 11


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways 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.)
total: 38


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 20


under 914 m: 11 (2002)
Area total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
total: 475,440 sq km


land: 469,440 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska slightly larger than California
Background 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. The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy.
Birth rate 17.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 35.49 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $40.38 billion


expenditures: $40.29 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (2003 est.)
revenues: $2.2 billion


expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 00/01 est.)
Capital Tehran Yaounde
Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Coastline 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) 402 km
Constitution 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership 20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996
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
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon


conventional short form: Cameroon


former: French Cameroon
Currency Iranian rial (IRR) Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Death rate 5.53 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 15.3 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $10.96 billion (2003 est.) $8.6 billion (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland chief of mission: Ambassador George McDade STAPLES


embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde


mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520


telephone: [237] 223-05-12, 222-25-89, 222-17-94, 223-40-14


FAX: [237] 223-07-53


branch office(s): Douala
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 chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA


chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790


FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826
Disputes - international 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 ICJ ruled in 2002 on the Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary by awarding the potentially petroleum-rich Bakassi Peninsula and offshore region to Cameroon; Nigeria rejected cession of the peninsula, but the parties have formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary; Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over the lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias; Nigeria agreed to ratify the treaty and relinquish sovereignty of disputed lands to Cameroon by December 2003
Economic aid - recipient $408 million (2002 est.) on 23 January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; total debt relief now amounts to $1.26 billion
Economy - overview 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. Because of its oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however, the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. International oil and cocoa prices have considerable impact on the economy.
Electricity - consumption 115.9 billion kWh (2001) 3.36 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 124.6 billion kWh (2001) 3.613 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 2.7%


hydro: 97.3%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Fako (on Cameroon Mountain) 4,095 m
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 water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
Environment - international agreements 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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94


signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Ethnic groups Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%
Exchange rates 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.
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)
Executive branch 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%
chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)


head of government: Prime Minister Peter Mafany MUSONGE (since 19 September 1996)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 12 October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2004); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 92.6%; note - supporters of the opposition candidates boycotted the elections, making a comparison of vote shares relatively meaningless
Exports 2.2 million bbl/day (2003) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton
Exports - partners Japan 21.8%, China 9.7%, Italy 6.3%, Taiwan 5.5%, Turkey 5.4%, South Korea 5.4% (2003) Italy 16.7%, Spain 16%, France 12.8%, US 8.3%, Netherlands 8.2%, Taiwan 7.7%, China 5.2%, UK 4.4% (2002)
Fiscal year 21 March - 20 March 1 July - 30 June
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 three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP purchasing power parity - $478.2 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $26.84 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 12.5%


industry: 41.2%


services: 46.2% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 46%


industry: 21%


services: 33% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.1% (2003 est.) 4% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 53 00 E 6 00 N, 12 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano
Heliports 13 (2003 est.) -
Highways total: 167,157 km


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


unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)
total: 34,300 km


paved: 4,288 km


unpaved: 30,012 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 1.9%


highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)
Illicit drugs 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 NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food
Imports - partners 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) France 28.2%, Nigeria 12.8%, US 8%, Belgium 5.7%, Germany 5.3%, Italy 4.3% (2002)
Independence 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
Industrial production growth rate 3% excluding oil (2003 est.) 4.2% (1999 est.)
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber
Infant mortality rate 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.)
total: 70.12 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 74.2 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 65.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 16.4% (2003 est.) 4.5% (2002 est.)
International organization participation 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 ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, C, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2002)
Irrigated land 75,620 sq km (1998 est.) 330 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of 9 judges and 6 substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force 22.32 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.)
NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.) agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17%
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
total: 4,591 km


border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
Land use arable land: 8.72%


permanent crops: 1.39%


other: 89.89% (2001)
arable land: 12.81%


permanent crops: 2.58%


other: 84.61% (1998 est.)
Languages Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Legal system the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch 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
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature)


elections: last held 23 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21


note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established
Life expectancy at birth total population: 69.66 years


male: 68.31 years


female: 71.07 years (2004 est.)
total population: 48.05 years


male: 47.15 years


female: 48.97 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79.4%


male: 85.6%


female: 73% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79%


male: 84.7%


female: 73.4% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Map references Middle East Africa
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
territorial sea: 50 NM
Merchant marine 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 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 Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure $4.3 billion (2003 est.) $118.6 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.3% (2003 est.) 1.4% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 20,937,348 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 3,799,841 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 12,434,810 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 1,928,285 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 912,569 (2004 est.) males: 179,586 (2003 est.)
National holiday 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)
Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)
Nationality noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
noun: Cameroonian(s)


adjective: Cameroonian
Natural hazards periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Net migration rate -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2004) gas 90 km; liquid petroleum gas 9 km; oil 1,124 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders 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 Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou NDAM NJOYA]; Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDCP [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [leader Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Cameroonian Populations or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]
Political pressure groups and leaders 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 Southern Cameroon National Council [Frederick Ebong ALOBWEDE]; Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]
Population 69,018,924 (July 2004 est.) 15,746,179


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) 48% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 1.07% (2004 est.) 2.02% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors 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 Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002)
Railways 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)
total: 1,008 km


narrow gauge: 1,008 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)
Religions Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%
Sex ratio 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.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female


total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 15 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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
general assessment: available only to business and government


domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter


international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 14,571,100 (2003) 95,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3,376,500 (2003) 300,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997) 1 (2002)
Terrain rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
Total fertility rate 1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.) 4.63 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 15.7% (2002 est.) 30% (2001 est.)
Waterways 850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) (2004) 2,090 km (of decreasing importance) (2002)
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