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Compare Iran (2006) - Zambia (2008)

Compare Iran (2006) z Zambia (2008)

 Iran (2006)Zambia (2008)
 IranZambia
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 9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western
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: 45.7% (male 2,633,578/female 2,608,714)


15-64 years: 51.9% (male 2,969,913/female 2,990,923)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 116,818/female 157,501) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides
Airports 321 (2006) 107 (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: 9


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (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: 98


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 64


under 914 m: 29 (2007)
Area total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
total: 752,614 sq km


land: 740,724 sq km


water: 11,890 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska slightly larger than 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 territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched an anticorruption investigation in 2002 to probe high-level corruption during the previous administration. In 2006-2007, this task force successfully prosecuted four cases, including a landmark civil case in the UK in which former President CHILUBA and numerous others were found liable for USD 41 million. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair.
Birth rate 17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 40.78 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: $2.508 billion


expenditures: $2.838 billion (2007 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: Lusaka


geographic coordinates: 15 25 S, 28 17 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
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 24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term limits
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 Zambia


conventional short form: Zambia


former: Northern Rhodesia
Death rate 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 21.46 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $19.06 billion (2005 est.) $2.798 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland chief of mission: Ambassador Carmen M. MARTINEZ


embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka


mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka


telephone: [260] (1) 250-955


FAX: [260] (1) 252-225
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 Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA


chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719


FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826
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 in 2004, Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river; 42,250 Congolese refugees in Zambia are offered voluntary repatriation in November 2006, most of whom are expected to return in the next two years; Angolan refugees too have been repatriating but 26,450 still remain with 90,000 others from other neighboring states in 2006
Economic aid - recipient $408 million (2002 est.) $504 million (2007)
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. Zambia's economy has experienced modest growth in recent years, with real GDP growth in 2005-07 between 5-6% per year. Privatization of government-owned copper mines in the 1990s relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining to return to profitability and spur economic growth. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and foreign investment. In 2005, Zambia qualified for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative, consisting of approximately USD 6 billion in debt relief. Zambia experienced a bumper harvest in 2007, which helped to boost GDP and agricultural exports and contain inflation. Although poverty continues to be significant problem in Zambia, its economy has strengthened, featuring single-digit inflation, a relatively stable currency, decreasing interest rates, and increasing levels of trade.
Electricity - consumption 132.1 billion kWh (2003) 8.655 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 840 million kWh (2003) 243 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 600 million kWh (2003) 465 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 142.3 billion kWh (2003) 8.85 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m


highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 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 and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks
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


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% African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
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
Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 3,990.2 (2007), 3,601.5 (2006), 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004), 4,733.3 (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 Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed by the president


election results: Levy MWANAWASA reelected president; percent of vote - Levy MWANAWASA 43.0%, Michael SATA 29.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA 25.3%, Godfrey MIYANDA 1.6%, Winright NGONDO 0.8%
Exports 2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.) 169 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, 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) Switzerland 38.4%, South Africa 21.6%, China 10.3%, UK 7.6%, Tanzania 6.4% (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 green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11.6%


industry: 42.4%


services: 46% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 17.6%


industry: 26%


services: 56.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.9% (2005 est.) 6% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 53 00 E 15 00 S, 30 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe
Heliports 15 (2006) -
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 1.2%


highest 10%: 38.8% (2004)
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 transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers; major consumer of cannabis
Imports NA bbl/day 13,370 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners Germany 13.8%, UAE 8.3%, China 8.3%, Italy 7%, France 6.2%, South Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.8% (2005) South Africa 47.3%, UAE 10.4%, Zimbabwe 5.7%, Norway 4% (2006)
Independence 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) 24 October 1964 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 3% excluding oil (2005 est.) 6.2% (2007 est.)
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture
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: 100.71 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 105.48 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 95.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 13.5% (2005 est.) 8.9% (2007 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, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 76,500 sq km (2003) 1,560 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are appointed by the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction to hear civil and criminal cases)
Labor force 23.68 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
4.989 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 30%


industry: 25%


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


industry: 6%


services: 9% (2004)
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: 5,664 km


border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Land use arable land: 9.78%


permanent crops: 1.29%


other: 88.93% (2005)
arable land: 6.99%


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 92.97% (2005)
Languages Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
Legal system the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; 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 (158 seats; 150 members are elected by popular vote, 8 members are appointed by the president, to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MMD 72, PF 44, UDA 27, ULP 2, NDF 1, independents 2; seats not determined 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 70.26 years


male: 68.86 years


female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)
total population: 38.44 years


male: 38.34 years


female: 38.54 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 English


total population: 80.6%


male: 86.8%


female: 74.8% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Southern Africa, east of Angola
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) Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Army, Air Force, Police, National Service
Military expenditures - dollar figure $4.3 billion (2003 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.3% (2003 est.) 1.8% (2005 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, 24 October (1964)
Nationality noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
noun: Zambian(s)


adjective: Zambian
Natural hazards periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April)
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower
Net migration rate -0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -2.68 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) oil 771 km (2007)
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 All Peoples Congress Party [Winright NGONDO]; Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy MWANAWASA]; National Democratic Focus or NDF; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Party of Unity for Democracy and Development or PUDD [Dan PULE]; Reform Party [Nevers MUMBA]; United Democratic Alliance or UDA; United Liberal Party or ULP [Sakwiba SIKOTA]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Hakainde HICHILEMA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or ZADECO [Langton SICHONE]; Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]
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 NA
Population 68,688,433 (July 2006 est.) 11,477,447


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) 86% (1993)
Population growth rate 1.1% (2006 est.) 1.664% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (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: 2,157 km


narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge


note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2006)
Religions Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 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: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.993 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.742 male(s)/female


total population: 0.994 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: facilities are aging but still among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa


domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation and network coverage is improving; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms


international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 18.986 million (2005) 93,400 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7.222 million (2005) 1,663,300 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997) 9 (2001)
Terrain rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Total fertility rate 1.8 children born/woman (2006 est.) 5.31 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 11.2% (2004 est.) 50% (2000 est.)
Waterways 850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006) 2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2005)
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