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Compare Iran (2006) - Mali (2008)

Compare Iran (2006) z Mali (2008)

 Iran (2006)Mali (2008)
 IranMali
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 8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou
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: 48.2% (male 2,921,914/female 2,853,976)


15-64 years: 48.8% (male 2,891,494/female 2,959,142)


65 years and over: 3.1% (male 149,301/female 219,575) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats
Airports 321 (2006) 29 (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: 8


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (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: 21


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 8 (2007)
Area total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
total: 1.24 million sq km


land: 1.22 million sq km


water: 20,000 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. The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup - led by the current president Amadou TOURE - enabling Mali's emergence as one of the strongest democracies on the continent. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first democratic presidential election in 1992 and was reelected in 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, KONARE stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE, who was subsequently elected to a second term in 2007. The elections were widely judged to be free and fair.
Birth rate 17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 49.61 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: $764 million


expenditures: $828 million (2002 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: Bamako


geographic coordinates: 12 39 N, 8 00 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
Coastline 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership adopted 12 January 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 Mali


conventional short form: Mali


local long form: Republique de Mali


local short form: Mali


former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic
Death rate 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 16.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $19.06 billion (2005 est.) $2.8 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland chief of mission: Ambassador Terrence P. MCCULLEY


embassy: located just off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge just west of the Bamako central district


mailing address: ACI 2000, Rue 243, Porte 297, Bamako


telephone: [223] 270-2300


FAX: [223] 270-2479
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 Abdoulaye DIOP


chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950


FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603
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 - recipient $408 million (2002 est.) $691.5 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. Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its land area desert or semidesert and with a highly unequal distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population is nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export, along with gold. The government has continued its successful implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic growth to a 5% average in 1996-2007. Worker remittances and external trade routes for the landlocked country have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.
Electricity - consumption 132.1 billion kWh (2003) 412.9 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 840 million kWh (2003) 0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments may be providing electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2005)
Electricity - imports 600 million kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 142.3 billion kWh (2003) 444 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
lowest point: Senegal River 23 m


highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 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 deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling


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% Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%
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
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)
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 Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Modibo SIDIBE (since 28 September 2007)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 29 April 2007 (next to be held April in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE reelected president; percent of vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 71.2%, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 19.2%, other 9.6%
Exports 2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.) 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets cotton, gold, livestock
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) China 26.8%, Germany 24.9%, Thailand 7.1%, Taiwan 4.9%, Bangladesh 4% (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 three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11.6%


industry: 42.4%


services: 46% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 45%


industry: 17%


services: 38% (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.9% (2005 est.) 4.3% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 53 00 E 17 00 N, 4 00 W
Geography - note strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan
Heliports 15 (2006) -
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.4%


highest 10%: 30.2% (2001)
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 4,369 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners Germany 13.8%, UAE 8.3%, China 8.3%, Italy 7%, France 6.2%, South Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.8% (2005) France 12.8%, Senegal 12.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 10.5% (2006)
Independence 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) 22 September 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 3% excluding oil (2005 est.) NA%
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining
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: 105.65 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 115.29 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 95.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 13.5% (2005 est.) 4.5% (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) ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 76,500 sq km (2003) 2,360 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force 23.68 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
3.93 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 30%


industry: 25%


services: 45% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20% (2001 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: 7,243 km


border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
Land use arable land: 9.78%


permanent crops: 1.29%


other: 88.93% (2005)
arable land: 3.76%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 96.21% (2005)
Languages Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Legal system the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 1 and 22 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ADP coalition 113 (including ADEMA 51, URD 34, MPR 8, CNID 7, UDD 3, and other 10), FDR coalition 15 (including RPM 11, PARENA 4), SADI 4, independent 15
Life expectancy at birth total population: 70.26 years


male: 68.86 years


female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)
total population: 49.51 years


male: 47.6 years


female: 51.46 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: 46.4%


male: 53.5%


female: 39.6% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
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
none (landlocked)
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)
-
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) Malian Armed Forces: Army, Republic of Mali Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Republique du Mali, FARM), National Guard (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $4.3 billion (2003 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.3% (2003 est.) 1.9% (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, 22 September (1960)
Nationality noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
noun: Malian(s)


adjective: Malian
Natural hazards periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower


note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
Net migration rate -0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -6.28 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) -
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 Alliance for Democratic Change (political group comprised mainly of Tuareg from Mali's northern region); African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO, secretary general]; Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP (a coalition of political parties including ADEMA and URD formed in December 2006 to support the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE]; Convergence 2007 [Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA]; Front for Democracy and the Republic or FDR (a coalition of political parties including RPM and PARENA formed to oppose the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa TRAORE]; Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME]; Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel MAIGA]; Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT; Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA]; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE]; Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY]; Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaila CISSE]
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.) 11,995,402 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) 64% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 1.1% (2006 est.) 2.681% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) AM 1, FM 230 (27 regional and government stations, and 203 private stations), shortwave 1 (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: 729 km


narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Religions Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%
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: 1.024 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.977 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female


total population: 0.988 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: domestic system unreliable but improving; provides only minimal service


domestic: fixed-line availability is gradually increasing, but subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to 13 per 100 persons


international: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 18.986 million (2005) 82,500 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7.222 million (2005) 1.513 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997) 2 (plus repeaters) (2007)
Terrain rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
Total fertility rate 1.8 children born/woman (2006 est.) 7.38 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 11.2% (2004 est.) 14.6% (2001 est.)
Waterways 850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006) 1,800 km (2007)
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