Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Iran (2006) - Finland (2002) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Iran (2006) - Finland (2002)

Compare Iran (2006) z Finland (2002)

 Iran (2006)Finland (2002)
 IranFinland
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 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani
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: 17.9% (male 471,920; female 454,082)


15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,752,493; female 1,717,544)


65 years and over: 15.2% (male 306,216; female 481,290) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish
Airports 321 (2006) 160 (2001)
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: 74


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 27


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 12 (2002)
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: 76


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 72 (2002)
Area total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
total: 337,030 sq km


land: 305,470 sq km


water: 31,560 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska slightly smaller than Montana
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. Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It finally won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and fend off invasions by the Soviet Union and Germany. In the subsequent half century, the Finns have made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.
Birth rate 17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 10.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $48.82 billion


expenditures: $60.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion (2005 est.)
revenues: $36.1 billion


expenditures: $31 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 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)
Helsinki
Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
Coastline 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)
Constitution 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership 17 July 1919
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 Finland


conventional short form: Finland


local long form: Suomen Tasavalta


local short form: Suomi
Currency - euro (EUR); markka (FIM)


note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Death rate 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 9.78 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $19.06 billion (2005 est.) $30 billion (December 1993)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland chief of mission: Ambassador Bonnie McELVEEN-HUNTER


embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki


mailing address: APO AE 09723


telephone: [358] (9) 171931


FAX: [358] (9) 174681
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 Jukka Robert VALTASAARI


chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800


FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and 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 none
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $379 million (1997)
Economic aid - recipient $408 million (2002 est.) -
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. Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling almost one-third of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary system (EMU) on 1 January 1999 - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2002 was held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2003 provided the world economy suffers no further blows.
Electricity - consumption 132.1 billion kWh (2003) 81.961 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 840 million kWh (2003) 326 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 600 million kWh (2003) 12.206 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 142.3 billion kWh (2003) 75.356 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 41%


hydro: 19%


nuclear: 28%


other: 12% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


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


highest point: Halti 1,328 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 air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
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, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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% Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%
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
euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); markkaa per US dollar - 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997)
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 Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Ville ITALA (since 31 August 2001)


cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 6 February 2000 (next to be held NA February 2006); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed from the majority party by the president after parliamentary elections


election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4%


note: government coalition - SDP, Kok, Leftist Alliance (People's Democratic Union and Democratic Alternative), SFP, and Green League
Exports 2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.) $40.1 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp
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) Germany 12.4%, US 9.7%, UK 9.6%, Sweden 8.4%, Russia 5.9%, France 4.6% (2001)
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 white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
GDP - purchasing power parity - $136.2 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11.6%


industry: 42.4%


services: 46% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 4%


industry: 34%


services: 62% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $26,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.9% (2005 est.) 1.1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 53 00 E 64 00 N, 26 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
Heliports 15 (2006) -
Highways - total: 77,831 km


paved: 49,789 km (including 444 km of expressways)


unpaved: 28,042 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 22% (1991) (1991)
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 -
Imports NA bbl/day $31.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains
Imports - partners Germany 13.8%, UAE 8.3%, China 8.3%, Italy 7%, France 6.2%, South Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.8% (2005) Germany 14.5%, Sweden 10.2%, Russia 9.6%, US 6.9%, UK 6.4%, France 4.5% (2001)
Independence 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) 6 December 1917 (from Russia)
Industrial production growth rate 3% excluding oil (2005 est.) 5% (2002 est.)
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments metal products, electronics, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
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.)
3.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 13.5% (2005 est.) 1.9% (2002 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) AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 3 (2002)
Irrigated land 76,500 sq km (2003) 640 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)
Labor force 23.68 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
2.6 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 30%


industry: 25%


services: 45% (2001 est.)
public services 32%, industry 22%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, agriculture and forestry 8%, transport and communications 8%, construction 6%
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: 2,628 km


border countries: Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km
Land use arable land: 9.78%


permanent crops: 1.29%


other: 88.93% (2005)
arable land: 6.98%


permanent crops: 0.01%


other: 93.01% (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% Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Legal system the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)


election results: percent of vote by party - SDP 22.9%, Kesk 22.5%, Kok 21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.9%, SFP 5.1%, Green League 7.2%, SKL 4.2%; seats by party - SDP 51, Kesk 48, Kok 46, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 20, SFP 11, Green League 11, SKL 10, other 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 70.26 years


male: 68.86 years


female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)
total population: 77.75 years


male: 74.1 years


female: 81.52 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: 100% (1980 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
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
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden


territorial sea: 12 NM (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 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: 98 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,172,404 GRT/1,144,139 DWT


ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 26, chemical tanker 5, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 36, short-sea passenger 10


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1, Sweden 1 (2002 est.)
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) Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Sea Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $4.3 billion (2003 est.) $1.8 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.3% (2003 est.) 2% (FY98/99)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 1,240,762 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,024,379 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 33,883 (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); and various Islamic observances that change in accordance with the lunar-based hejira calendar
Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Nationality noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
noun: Finn(s)


adjective: Finnish
Natural hazards periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes NA
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Net migration rate -0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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) natural gas 580 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; 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 Center Party or Kesk [Esko AHO]; Finnish Christian Democratic Party or SKL [C. P. Bjarne KALLIS]; Green League [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Leftist Alliance (Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Ville ITALA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM]; True Finns [Timo SOINI]
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 -
Population 68,688,433 (July 2006 est.) 5,183,545 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 1.1% (2006 est.) 0.14% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors - Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 7.7 million (1997)
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: 5,865 km


broad gauge: 5,865 km 1.524-m gauge (2,234 km electrified; 480 km double- or multiple-track) (2000 est.)
Religions Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
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: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 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: modern system with excellent service


domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net provide domestic needs


international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
Telephones - main lines in use 18.986 million (2005) 2,847,900 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7.222 million (2005) 3,728,600 (2001)
Television broadcast stations 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997) 120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999)
Terrain rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Total fertility rate 1.8 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.7 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 11.2% (2004 est.) 8.5% (2002 est.)
Waterways 850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006) 6,675 km


note: includes Saimaa Canal; 3,700 km suitable for large ships
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.