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Compare Iran (2005) - Serbia and Montenegro (2004)

Compare Iran (2005) z Serbia and Montenegro (2004)

 Iran (2005)Serbia and Montenegro (2004)
 IranSerbia and Montenegro
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 2 republics (republike, singular - republika); and 2 nominally autonomous provinces* (autonomn pokrajine, singular - autonomna pokrajina); Kosovo* (currently under UN administration pending resolution of its future status), Montenegro, Serbia, Vojvodina*
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: 18.3% (male 1,027,479; female 956,681)


15-64 years: 66.8% (male 3,602,959; female 3,627,616)


65 years and over: 14.9% (male 693,929; female 917,236) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar cereals, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, olives; cattle, sheep, goats
Airports 305 (2004 est.) 45 (2003 est.)
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: 19


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)
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: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.)
Area total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
total: 102,350 sq km


land: 102,136 sq km


water: 214 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska slightly smaller than Kentucky
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 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941 was resisted by various paramilitary bands that fought each other as well as the invaders. The group headed by Marshal TITO took full control upon German expulsion in 1945. Although Communist, his new government and its successors (he died in 1980) managed to steer their own path between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a half decades. In the early 1990s, post-TITO Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic lines: Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina were recognized as independent states in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" (FRY) in April 1992 and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC, Serbia led various military intervention efforts to unite ethnic Serbs in neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." All of these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and led to Yugoslavia being ousted from the UN in 1992. In 1998-99, massive expulsions by FRY forces and Serb paramilitaries of ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo provoked an international response, including the NATO bombing of Serbia and the stationing of a NATO-led force (KFOR), in Kosovo. Federal elections in the fall of 2000, brought about the ouster of MILOSEVIC and installed Vojislav KOSTUNICA as president. The arrest of MILOSEVIC in 2001 allowed for his subsequent transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague to be tried for crimes against humanity. In 2001, the country's suspension from the UN was lifted, and it was once more accepted into UN organizations under the name of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Kosovo has been governed by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) since June 1999, under the authority of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, pending a determination by the international community of its future status. In 2002, the Serbian and Montenegrin components of Yugoslavia began negotiations to forge a looser relationship. These talks became a reality in February 2003 when lawmakers restructured the country into a loose federation of two republics called Serbia and Montenegro. The Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro includes a provision that allows either republic to hold a referendum after three years that would allow for their independence from the state union.
Birth rate 16.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 12.13 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $43.34 billion


expenditures: $47.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (2004 est.)
revenues: $8.668 billion


expenditures: $9.633 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital Tehran Belgrade
Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion, continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland
Coastline 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) 199 km
Constitution 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership 4 February 2003
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: Serbia and Montenegro


conventional short form: none


local long form: Srbija i Crna Gora


local short form: none


former: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia


abbreviation: SCG
Currency - in Serbia the Serbian dinar (CSD) is legal tender, but the euro (EUR) is the de facto currency; in Montenegro and Kosovo the euro is legal tender. (2004)
Death rate 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 10.53 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $13.4 billion (2004 est.) $14.01 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland chief of mission: Ambassador Michael C. POLT


embassy: Kneza Milosa 50, 11000 Belgrade


mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070


telephone: [381] (11) 361-9344


FAX: [381] (11) 361-8230


consulate(s): Podgorica


note: there is a branch office in Pristina at 30 Nazim Hikmet 38000 Pristina, Kosovo; telephone: [381](38)549-516; FAX: [381](38)549-890
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 Ivan VUJACIC


chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-0333


FAX: [1] (202) 332-3933


consulate(s) general: Chicago
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 the future status of Kosovo remains an unresolved issue in South Central Europe with Kosovo Albanians overwhelmingly supporting and Serbian officials opposing Kosovo independence; the international community has agreed to begin a process to determine final status only after significant progress has been made in solidifying multi-ethnic democracy in Kosovo as outlined in the policy of "standards before status"; the Contact group (including the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia) will review progress on the UNMIK standard around mid-2005; ethnic Albanians in Kosovo resist demarcation of the F.Y.R.O.M. boundary in accordance with the 2000 delimitation treaty, which transfers on net a small amount of land to F.Y.R.O.M.; Serbia and Montenegro have delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute
Economic aid - recipient $408 million (2002 est.) $2 billion pledged in 2001 (disbursements to follow for several years)
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. MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 have left the economy only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting of former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government implemented stabilization measures and embarked on an aggressive market reform program. After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000, Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A World Bank-European Commission sponsored Donors' Conference held in June 2001 raised $1.3 billion for economic restructuring. An agreement rescheduling the country's $4.5 billion Paris Club government debts was concluded in November 2001; it wrote off 66% of the debt. The smaller republic of Montenegro severed its economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and continues to maintain its own central bank, uses the euro instead of the Yugoslav dinar as official currency, collects customs tariffs, and manages its own budget. Kosovo, while technically still part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro) according to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, is largely autonomous under United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and is greatly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. The euro and the Yugoslav dinar are official currencies, and UNMIK collects taxes and manages the budget. The complexity of Serbia and Montenegro political relationships, slow progress in privatization, legal uncertainty over property rights, and scarcity of foreign-investment are holding back Serbia and Montenegro's economy. Arrangements with the IMF, especially requirements for fiscal discipline, are an important element in policy formation. Severe unemployment remains a key political economic problem.
Electricity - consumption 119.9 billion kWh (2002) 32.37 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 446 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 3.33 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 129 billion kWh (2002) 31.71 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m


highest point: Daravica 2,656 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 pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube
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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% Serb 62.6%, Albanian 16.5%, Montenegrin 5%, Hungarian 3.3%, other 12.6% (1991)
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
new Yugoslav dinars per US dollar - official rate: 65 (2002)
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 Svetozar MAROVIC (since 7 March 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Svetozar MAROVIC (since 7 March 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Federal Ministries act as Cabinet


elections: president elected by the Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 7 March 2003 (next to be held 2007)


election results: Svetozar MAROVIC elected president by the Parliament; vote was Svetozar MAROVIC 65, other 47
Exports 2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets manufactured goods, food and live animals, raw materials
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) Italy 31.6%, Germany 17.5%, Austria 6.2%, France 6%, Greece 5.4%, Slovenia 4.1%, Hungary 4% (2003)
Fiscal year 21 March - 20 March calendar year
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 blue (top), white, and red
GDP - purchasing power parity - $23.89 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11.2%


industry: 40.9%


services: 48.7% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 15.2%


industry: 28.2%


services: 56.5% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.3% (2004 est.) 1.5% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 53 00 E 44 00 N, 21 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East; strategic location along the Adriatic coast
Heliports 13 (2004 est.) 4 (2003 est.)
Highways total: 167,157 km


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


unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)
total: 49,805 km


paved: 31,029 km (including 560 km of expressways)


unpaved: 18,776 km (2000)
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 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 transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies machinery and transport equipment, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods, chemicals, food and live animals, raw materials
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) Germany 18.8%, Italy 16.3%, Austria 8.1%, Slovenia 6.6%, Hungary 5.8%, France 4.8%, Bulgaria 4.6%, Greece 4.4% (2003)
Independence 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) 27 April 1992 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or FRY - now Serbia and Montenegro - formed as self-proclaimed successor to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or SFRY)
Industrial production growth rate 3.5% excluding oil (2004 est.) 1.7% (2002 est.)
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments machine building (aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; tanks and weapons; electrical equipment; agricultural machinery); metallurgy (steel, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium); mining (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron ore, limestone); consumer goods (textiles, footwear, foodstuffs, appliances); electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals
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.)
total: 13.43 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15.5% (2004 est.) 11.2% (2003 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 BSEC, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Irrigated land 75,620 sq km (1998 est.) 570 sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court The Court of Serbia and Montenegro; judges are elected by the Serbia and Montenegro Parliament for six-year terms


note: since the promulgation of the 2003 Constitution, the Federal Court has constitutional and administrative functions; it has an equal number of judges from each republic
Labor force 23 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2004 est.)
2.93 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.) agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
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: 2,246 km


border countries: Albania 287 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 527 km, Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia (north) 241 km, Croatia (south) 25 km, Hungary 151 km, Macedonia 221 km, Romania 476 km
Land use arable land: 8.72%


permanent crops: 1.39%


other: 89.89% (2001)
arable land: 33.35%


permanent crops: 3.2%


other: 63.45% (2001)
Languages Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% Serbian 95%, Albanian 5%
Legal system the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government based on civil law system
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 Parliament (126 seats - 91 Serbian, 35 Montenegrin - filled by nominees of the two state parliaments for the first two years, after which the Constitutional Charter calls for direct elections


elections: last held 25 February 2003 (next to be held 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Serbian parties: SRS 30, DSS 20, DS 13, G17 Plus 12, SPO-NS 8, SPS 8; Montenegrin parties: DPS 15, SNP 9, SDP 4, DSS 3, NS 2, LSCG 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 69.96 years


male: 68.58 years


female: 71.4 years (2005 est.)
total population: 74.4 years


male: 71.9 years


female: 77.12 years (2004 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: 93%


male: 97.2%


female: 88.9% (1991)
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Map references Middle East Europe
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
NA
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)
-
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 (VJ) (including ground forces with border troops, naval forces, air and air defense forces)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $4.3 billion (2003 est.) $654 million (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.3% (2003 est.) NA
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 2,718,234 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 2,184,937 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 81,245 (2004 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)
National Day, 27 April
Nationality noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
noun: Serb(s); Montenegrin(s)


adjective: Serbian; Montenegrin
Natural hazards periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes destructive earthquakes
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur oil, gas, coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, antimony, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble, salt, hydropower, arable land
Net migration rate -2.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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 3,177 km; oil 393 km (2004)
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 Democratic Party or DS [Boris TADIC]; Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA]; Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC]; Democratic Serbian Party of Montenegro or DSS [Bozidar BOJOVIC]; G17 Plus [Miroljub LABUS]; New Serbia or NS [Velimir ILIC]; Liberal Party of Montenegro or LSCG [Miodrag ZIVKOVIC]; People's Party of Montenegro or NS [Dragan SOC]; Power of Serbia Movement or PSS [Bogoljub KARIC]; Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Tomislav NIKOLIC]; Serbian Renewal Movement or SPO [Vuk DRASKOVIC]; Serbian Socialist Party or SPS (former Communist Party and party of Slobodan MILOSEVIC) [Ivica DACIC, president of Main Board]; Social Democratic Party of Montenegro or SDP [Ranko KRIVOKAPIC]; Socialist People's Party of Montenegro or SNP [Predrag BULATOVIC]


note: the following political parties participate in elections and institutions only in Kosovo, which has been governed by the UN under UNSCR 1244 since 1999: Albanian Christian Democratic Party or PSHDK [Mark KRASNIQI]; Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ]; Citizens' Initiative of Serbia or GIS [Slavisa PETKOVIC]; Democratic Ashkali Party of Kosovo or PDAK [Sabit RRAHMANI]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Ibrahim RUGOVA]; Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI]; Justice Party of PD [Sylejman CERKEZI]; Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party of KDTP [Mahir YAGCILAR]; Liberal Party of Kosovo or PLK [Gjergj DEDAJ]; Ora [Veton SURROI]; New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK [Bislim HOTI]; Party of Democratic Action or SDA [Numan BALIC]; Popular Movement of Kosovo or LPK [Emrush XHEMAJLI]; Prizren-Dragas Initiative or PDI [Ismajl KARADOLAMI]; Serb List for Kosovo and Metohija or SLKM [Oliver IVANOVIC]; United Roma Party of Kosovo or PREBK [Haxhi Zylfi MERXHA]; Vakat [leader NA]
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 Political Council for Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac or PCPMB [leader NA]; Group for Changes of Montenegro or GZP [Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC]
Population 68,017,860 (July 2005 est.) 10,825,900 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) 30% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate 0.86% (2005 est.) 0.03% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Assaluyeh, Bushehr Bar, Belgrade, Kotor, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Tivat, Zelenika
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) AM 113, FM 194, shortwave 2 (1998)
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: 4,380 km


standard gauge: 4,380 km 1.435-m gauge (1,445 km electrified) (2003)
Religions Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other 11%
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: 1.08 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 15 years of age; universal 16 years of age, if employed; 18 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: NA


domestic: NA


international: country code - 381; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 14,571,100 (2003) 2,611,700 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3,376,500 (2003) 3,634,600 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997) more than 771 (including 86 strong stations and 685 low-power stations, plus 20 repeaters in the principal networks; also numerous local or private stations in Serbia and Vojvodina) (1997)
Terrain rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills; to the southwest, extremely high shoreline with no islands off the coast
Total fertility rate 1.82 children born/woman (2005 est.) 1.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 11.2% (2004 est.) 34.5% (2003 est.)
Waterways 850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) (2004) 587 km


note: Danube River traffic delayed by pontoon bridge at Novi Sad; plan to replace by summer of 2005 (2004)
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