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Compare Iran (2006) - Angola (2007)

Compare Iran (2006) z Angola (2007)

 Iran (2006)Angola (2007)
 IranAngola
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 18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire
Age structure 0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,204,785/female 8,731,429)


15-64 years: 69% (male 24,133,919/female 23,245,255)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,653,827/female 1,719,218) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 43.7% (male 2,706,276/female 2,654,338)


15-64 years: 53.5% (male 3,339,114/female 3,225,121)


65 years and over: 2.8% (male 149,414/female 189,333) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products; fish
Airports 321 (2006) 232 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 129


over 3,047 m: 41


2,438 to 3,047 m: 26


1,524 to 2,437 m: 25


914 to 1,523 m: 31


under 914 m: 6 (2006)
total: 31


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 12


914 to 1,523 m: 5


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 192


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 8


914 to 1,523 m: 140


under 914 m: 43 (2006)
total: 201


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 30


914 to 1,523 m: 95


under 914 m: 69 (2007)
Area total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
total: 1,246,700 sq km


land: 1,246,700 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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 floundered as conservative politicians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased repressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers. Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August 2005 inauguration of a conservative stalwart as president, completed the reconsolidation of conservative power in Iran's government. Angola is rebuilding its country after the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, followed independence from Portugal in 1975. Peace seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by the MPLA at the polls. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - in the quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened the MPLA's hold on power. While President DOS SANTOS had pledged to hold legislative elections in 2007, he has since announced that legislative elections will be held in 2008, with Presidential elections planned for 2009. A specific election timetable has yet to be established.
Birth rate 17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 44.51 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $48.82 billion


expenditures: $60.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (2005 est.)
revenues: $14.07 billion


expenditures: $10.78 billion (2006 est.)
Capital name: Tehran


geographic coordinates: 35 40 N, 51 26 E


time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Luanda


geographic coordinates: 8 50 S, 13 14 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
Coastline 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) 1,600 km
Constitution 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership adopted by People's Assembly 25 August 1992
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 Angola


conventional short form: Angola


local long form: Republica de Angola


local short form: Angola


former: People's Republic of Angola
Death rate 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 24.81 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $19.06 billion (2005 est.) $10.66 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland chief of mission: Ambassador Cynthia EFIRD


embassy: number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of Luanda), Luanda


mailing address: international mail: Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda; pouch: US Embassy Luanda, US Department of State, 2550 Luanda Place, Washington, DC 20521-2550


telephone: [244] (222) 64-1000


FAX: [244] (222) 64-1232
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 Josefina Perpetua Pitra DIAKITI


chancery: 2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 785-1156


FAX: [1] (202) 785-1258


consulate(s) general: Houston, New York
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 dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by Iran; Iran stands alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors many Cabindan separatists have returned to the province from exile since the 2006 ceasefire and peace agreement; concerns from international experts and local populations over the Okavango Delta ecology in Botswana and human displacement scuttled Namibian plans to construct a hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls) along the Angola-Namibia border
Economic aid - recipient $408 million (2002 est.) $441.8 million (2005)
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 Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 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 $40 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. Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, with record oil prices and rising petroleum production. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about half of GDP and 90% of exports. Increased oil production supported 12% growth in 2004, 19% growth in 2005, and nearly 14% growth in 2006. A postwar reconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in construction and agriculture as well. Much of the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines still mar the countryside even though an apparently durable peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of the country's food must still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several large-scale projects were completed in 2006. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation. This policy became more sustainable in 2005 because of strong oil export earnings; it has significantly reduced inflation. Although consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to about 13% in 2006, the stabilization policy has put pressure on international net liquidity. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to implement government reforms and to reduce corruption. The government has made little progress on reforms recommended by the IMF, such as promoting greater transparency in government spending, and continues to be without a formal monitoring agreement with the institution. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, is a major challenge facing Angola.
Electricity - consumption 132.1 billion kWh (2003) 2.201 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 840 million kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 600 million kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 142.3 billion kWh (2003) 2.585 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


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


highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 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 overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water
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, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


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% Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%
Exchange rates rials per US dollar - 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003), 6,907 (2002), 1,753.6 (2001)


note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002
kwanza per US dollar - 80.4 (2006), 88.6 (2005), 83.541 (2004), 74.606 (2003), 43.53 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)


head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August 2005); First Vice President Parviz DAVUDI (since 11 September 2005)


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


note: also considered part of the Executive branch of government are three oversight bodies: 1) Assembly of Experts, a popularly elected body of 86 religious scholars constitutionally charged with determining the succession of the Supreme Leader, reviewing his performance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency Council or Council for the Discernment of Expediency is a policy advisory and implementation board consisting of permanent and temporary members representing all major government factions, some of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader; the Council exerts supervisory authority over the executive, judicial, and legislative branches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and the Council of Guardians disagree; 3) Council of Guardians or Council of Guardians of the Constitution is a 12-member board of clerics and jurists serving six-year terms that determines whether proposed legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law; the Council also vets candidates for suitability and supervises national elections


elections: Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 17 June 2005 with a two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%
chief of state: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); Fernando de Piedade Dias DOS SANTOS was appointed prime minister on 6 December 2002


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by universal ballot for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term) under the 1992 constitution; President DOS SANTOS originally elected (in 1979) without opposition under a one-party system and stood for reelection in Angola's first multiparty elections 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI 40.1%, making a run-off election necessary; the run-off was not held and SAVIMBI's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) repudiated the results of the first election; the civil war resumed leaving DOS SANTOS in his current position as the president
Exports 2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton
Exports - partners Japan 16.6%, China 11%, Italy 5.8%, South Korea 5.7%, South Africa 5.7%, Turkey 5.6%, Netherlands 4.5%, France 4.3% (2005) US 38%, China 34.2%, Taiwan 5.8%, France 4.9%, Chile 4.1% (2006)
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 two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11.6%


industry: 42.4%


services: 46% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 9.6%


industry: 65.8%


services: 24.6% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.9% (2005 est.) 16.1% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 53 00 E 12 30 S, 18 30 E
Geography - note strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Heliports 15 (2006) -
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 2 million drug users in the country; lacks anti-money-laundering laws used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe and other African states, particularly South Africa
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods
Imports - partners Germany 13.8%, UAE 8.3%, China 8.3%, Italy 7%, France 6.2%, South Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.8% (2005) US 15.3%, Portugal 15%, South Korea 10.1%, China 8.8%, Brazil 8.2%, South Africa 6.7%, France 6.2% (2006)
Independence 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) 11 November 1975 (from Portugal)
Industrial production growth rate 3% excluding oil (2005 est.) 13.5% (2004)
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar; textiles; ship repair
Infant mortality rate total: 40.3 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 40.49 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 40.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 184.44 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 196.55 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 171.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 13.5% (2005 est.) 13.3% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPEC, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 76,500 sq km (2003) 800 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court Supreme Court and separate provincial courts (judges are appointed by the president)
Labor force 23.68 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
6.444 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 30%


industry: 25%


services: 45% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 85%


industry and services: 15% (2003 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: 5,198 km


border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km
Land use arable land: 9.78%


permanent crops: 1.29%


other: 88.93% (2005)
arable land: 2.65%


permanent crops: 0.23%


other: 97.12% (2005)
Languages Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
Legal system the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets
Legislative branch unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats - formerly 270 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004 (by-elections next to be held in December 2006; general election to be held in 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 Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held in September 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%, other 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD 3, other 7
Life expectancy at birth total population: 70.26 years


male: 68.86 years


female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)
total population: 37.63 years


male: 36.73 years


female: 38.57 years (2007 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: 67.4%


male: 82.9%


female: 54.2% (2001 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
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: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 141 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,086,702 GRT/8,878,829 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 39, cargo 45, chemical tanker 4, container 12, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 30, roll on/roll off 3


foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)


registered in other countries: 22 (Bolivia 1, Cyprus 2, Malta 14, Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,865 GRT/8,825 DWT


by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2


foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1)


registered in other countries: 6 (Bahamas 6) (2007)
Military branches Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (Niruye Havayi Jomhuriye Islamiye Iran; 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 (2006) Angolan Armed Forces (FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra, MdG), Angolan National Air Force (FANA) (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $4.3 billion (2003 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.3% (2003 est.) 5.7% (2006)
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); and various Islamic observances that change in accordance with the lunar-based hejira calendar
Independence Day, 11 November (1975)
Nationality noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
noun: Angolan(s)


adjective: Angolan
Natural hazards periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
Net migration rate -0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 397 km; gas 17,099 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,521 km; refined products 7,808 km (2006) gas 235 km; liquid petroleum gas 122 km; oil 867 km; oil/gas/water 5 km (2006)
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; following his defeat in the 2005 presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General Mehdi KARRUBI formed the National Trust Party; 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 Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Analia de Victoria PEREIRA]; National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [Holden ROBERTO]; National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA (largest opposition party) [Isaias SAMAKUVA]; Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA (ruling party in power since 1975) [Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS]; Social Renewal Party or PRS [Antonio MUACHICUNGO]


note: about a dozen minor parties participated in the 1992 elections but only won a few seats; they and the other 115 smaller parties have little influence in the National Assembly
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 Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); 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 Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC [N'zita Henriques TIAGO, Antonio Bento BEMBE]


note: FLEC's small-scale, highly factionalized armed struggle for the independence of Cabinda Province ended after BEMBE's faction signed a peace accord in August 2006; other factions have since demobilized under provisions of the accord, although the two main faction leaders have not acceded to the accord
Population 68,688,433 (July 2006 est.) 12,263,596 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) 70% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate 1.1% (2006 est.) 2.184% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) AM 21, FM 6, shortwave 7 (2001)
Railways total: 7,256 km


broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge


standard gauge: 7,162 km 1.435-m gauge (186 km electrified) (2005)
total: 2,761 km


narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2006)
Religions Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.035 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.789 male(s)/female


total population: 1.021 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 15 years of age; universal 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; 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: system inadequate; fewer than one fixed-line per 100 persons; combined fixed line and mobile telephone density approached 20 telephones per 100 persons in 2006


domestic: state-owned telecom had monopoly for fixed-lines until 2005; demand outstripped capacity and prices were high and services poor; Telecom Namibia, through an Angolan company, became the first private licensed operator in Angola's fixed-line telephone network; Angola Telecom established mobile-cellular service in Luanda in 1993 and the network has been extended to larger towns; a privately-owned, mobile-cellular service provider began operations in 2001


international: country code - 244; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 29 (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use 18.986 million (2005) 98,200 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7.222 million (2005) 2.264 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997) 6 (2000)
Terrain rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
Total fertility rate 1.8 children born/woman (2006 est.) 6.27 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 11.2% (2004 est.) extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population (2001 est.)
Waterways 850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006) 1,300 km (2007)
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