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Compare Iran (2005) - Egypt (2002)

Compare Iran (2005) z Egypt (2002)

 Iran (2005)Egypt (2002)
 IranEgypt
Administrative divisions 30 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-e Janubi, Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-e Shemali, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan 26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj
Age structure 0-14 years: 27.1% (male 9,465,475/female 8,973,828)


15-64 years: 68% (male 23,556,970/female 22,701,065)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,637,512/female 1,683,010) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 33.96% (male 12,292,185; female 11,721,469)


15-64 years: 62.18% (male 22,190,637; female 21,775,504)


65 years and over: 3.86% (male 1,191,091; female 1,541,459) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats
Airports 305 (2004 est.) 92 (2001)
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: 71


over 3,047 m: 13


2,438 to 3,047 m: 38


1,524 to 2,437 m: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 3 (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: 18


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 6


under 914 m: 9 (2002)
Area total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
total: 1,001,450 sq km


land: 995,450 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
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 regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest by Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegience to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile river in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.
Birth rate 16.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 24.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $43.34 billion


expenditures: $47.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (2004 est.)
revenues: $21.5 billion


expenditures: $26.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (2001)
Capital Tehran Cairo
Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Coastline 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) 2,450 km
Constitution 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership 11 September 1971
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: Arab Republic of Egypt


conventional short form: Egypt


local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah


local short form: Misr


former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
Currency - Egyptian pound (EGP)
Death rate 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 7.58 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $13.4 billion (2004 est.) $29 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland chief of mission: Ambassador C. David WELCH


embassy: 5 Latin America St., Garden City, Cairo


mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900


telephone: [20] (2) 797-3300


FAX: [20] (2) 797-3200
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 M. Nabil FAHMY


chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 895-5440


FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
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 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 Egypt and Sudan each claim to administer triangular areas which extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel (in the north, the "Hala'ib Triangle", is the largest with 20,580 sq km); in 2001, the two states agreed to discuss an "area of integration" and withdraw military forces in the overlapping areas
Economic aid - recipient $408 million (2002 est.) ODA, $2.25 billion (1999)
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 $30 billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. The proportion of the economy devoted to the development of weapons of mass destruction remains a contentious issue with leading Western nations. Egypt improved its macroeconomic performance throughout most of the last decade by following IMF advice on fiscal, monetary, and structural reform policies. As a result, Cairo managed to tame inflation, slash budget deficits, and attract more foreign investment. In the past three years, however, the pace of reform has slackened, and excessive spending on national infrastructure projects has widened budget deficits again. Lower foreign exchange earnings since 1998 resulted in pressure on the Egyptian pound and periodic dollar shortages. Monetary pressures have increased since 11 September 2001 because of declines in tourism, Suez canal tolls, and exports, and Cairo has devalued the pound several times in the past year. The development of a gas export market is a major bright spot for future growth prospects.
Electricity - consumption 119.9 billion kWh (2002) 64.721 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 129 billion kWh (2002) 69.592 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 77%


hydro: 23%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m


highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 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 agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Nile which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources
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, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%
Exchange rates rials per US dollar - 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003), 6,907 (2002), 1,753.6 (2001), 1,764.4 (2000)


note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002
Egyptian pounds per US dollar - market rate - 4.5000 (January 2002), 4.4900 (2001), 3.6900 (2000), 3.4050 (1999), 3.3880 (1998), 3.3880 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)


head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August 2005) 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 17 June 2005 with a two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held NA 2009)


election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%; note - 2% of ballots spoiled
chief of state: President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October 1981)


head of government: Prime Minister Atef Mohammed ABEID (since 5 October 1999)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president nominated by the People's Assembly for a six-year term, the nomination must then be validated by a national, popular referendum; national referendum last held 26 September 1999 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: national referendum validated President MUBARAK's nomination by the People's Assembly to a fourth term
Exports 2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.) $7.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals
Exports - partners Japan 18.4%, China 9.7%, Italy 6%, South Africa 5.8%, South Korea 5.4%, Taiwan 4.6%, Turkey 4.4%, Netherlands 4% (2004) EU 43% (Italy 18%, Germany 4%, UK 3.2%), US 15%, Middle East 11%, Asian countries 9%, (2000)
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 horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars, and to the flag of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band
GDP - purchasing power parity - $258 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11.2%


industry: 40.9%


services: 48.7% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 14%


industry: 30%


services: 56% (2001)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.3% (2004 est.) 2.5% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 53 00 E 27 00 N, 30 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees
Heliports 13 (2004 est.) 2 (2002)
Highways total: 167,157 km


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


unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)
total: 64,000 km


paved: 50,000 km


unpaved: 14,000 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 25% (1995)
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 two million drug users in the country; lax anti-money-laundering regulations transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; transit stop for Nigerian couriers; concern as money-laundering site due to lax banking regulations
Imports NA $164 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels
Imports - partners Germany 12.8%, France 8.3%, Italy 7.7%, China 7.2%, UAE 7.2%, South Korea 6.1%, Russia 5.4% (2004) EU 36% (Germany 8%, Italy 8%, France 6%), US 18%, Asian countries 13%, , Middle East 6% (2000)
Independence 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) 28 February 1922 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 3.5% excluding oil (2004 est.) 1.8% (2001 est.)
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals
Infant mortality rate total: 41.58 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 41.75 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 41.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
58.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15.5% (2004 est.) 2.3% (2001)
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 ABEDA, ACC, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, ESCWA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 50 (2000)
Irrigated land 75,620 sq km (1998 est.) 33,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court Supreme Constitutional Court
Labor force 23 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2004 est.)
20.6 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.) agriculture 29%, industry 22%, services 49% (2000 est.)
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: 2,665 km


border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
Land use arable land: 8.72%


permanent crops: 1.39%


other: 89.89% (2001)
arable land: 2.85%


permanent crops: 0.47%


other: 96.68% (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% Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
Legal system the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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
bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura - which functions only in a consultative role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the president; members serve NA-year terms)


elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 19 October, 29 October, 8 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2005); Advisory Council - last held 7 June 1995 (next to be held NA)


election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NDP 88%, independents 8%, opposition 4%; seats by party - NDP 398, NWP 7, Tagammu 6, Nasserists 2, LSP 1, independents 38, undecided 2; Advisory Council - percent of vote by party - NDP 99%, independents 1%; seats by party - NA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 69.96 years


male: 68.58 years


female: 71.4 years (2005 est.)
total population: 64.05 years


male: 61.96 years


female: 66.24 years (2002 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: 51.4%


male: 63.6%


female: 38.8% (1995 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip
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
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 144 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,715,242 GRT/8,240,069 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 38, cargo 49, chemical tanker 4, container 14, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 30, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)


registered in other countries: 8 (2005)
total: 175 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,331,186 GRT/1,987,964 DWT


ships by type: bulk 23, cargo 58, container 2, liquefied gas 1, passenger 61, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 13, short-sea passenger 3


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience:, Denmark 1, Germany 1, Greece 6, Lebanon 3, Monaco 1, Ukraine 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (includes Air Defense)


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Qods Force (special operations), and Basij Force (Popular Mobilization Army)


Law Enforcement Forces: (2004)
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
Military expenditures - dollar figure $4.3 billion (2003 est.) $4.04 billion (FY99/00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.3% (2003 est.) 4.1% (FY99/00)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 19,030,030 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 12,320,902 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 712,983 (2002 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)
Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)
Nationality noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
noun: Egyptian(s)


adjective: Egyptian
Natural hazards periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
Net migration rate -2.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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) crude oil 1,171 km; petroleum products 596 km; natural gas 460 km
Political parties and leaders formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iran and most conservatives still prefer to work through political pressure groups rather than parties; 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 participated 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 after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004 Nasserist Arab Democratic Party or Nasserists [Dia' al-din DAWUD]; National Democratic Party or NDP [President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK] - governing party; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Khalid MUHI AL-DIN]; New Wafd Party or NWP [No'man GOMA]; Socialist Liberal Party or LSP [leader NA]


note: formation of political parties must be approved by the government
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 despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK tolerated limited political activity by the Brotherhood for his first two terms, but moved more aggressively since then to block its influence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in practical terms; trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned
Population 68,017,860 (July 2005 est.) 70,712,345 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) 23% (FY95/96 est.)
Population growth rate 0.86% (2005 est.) 1.66% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Assaluyeh, Bushehr Alexandria, Al Ghardaqah, Aswan, Asyut, Bur Safajah, Damietta, Marsa Matruh, Port Said, Suez
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) AM 42 (plus 15 repeaters), FM 14, shortwave 3 (1999)
Radios - 20.5 million (1997)
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) (2004)
total: 4,955 km


standard gauge: 4,955 km 1,435-m gauge (42 km electrified; 1,560 km double-track) (2000 est.)
Religions Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%
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: 0.97 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 15 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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: large system; underwent extensive upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Internet access and cellular service are available


domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay


international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat; 5 coaxial submarine cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel and a signatory to Project Oxygen (a global submarine fiber-optic cable system)
Telephones - main lines in use 14,571,100 (2003) 3,971,500 (December 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3,376,500 (2003) 380,000 (1999)
Television broadcast stations 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997) 98 (September 1995)
Terrain rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Total fertility rate 1.82 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.99 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 11.2% (2004 est.) 12% (2001 est.)
Waterways 850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) (2004) 3,500 km


note: including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 m of water
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