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Compare Iran (2007) - Central African Republic (2001)

Compare Iran (2007) z Central African Republic (2001)

 Iran (2007)Central African Republic (2001)
 IranCentral African Republic
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 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga
Age structure 0-14 years: 23.2% (male 7,783,794/female 7,385,721)


15-64 years: 71.4% (male 23,636,883/female 23,088,934)


65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,701,727/female 1,800,462) (2007 est.)
0-14 years:
43.23% (male 778,885; female 767,414)

15-64 years:
53% (male 929,717; female 965,947)

65 years and over:
3.77% (male 59,364; female 75,557) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber
Airports 331 (2007) 52 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 129


over 3,047 m: 40


2,438 to 3,047 m: 28


1,524 to 2,437 m: 24


914 to 1,523 m: 32


under 914 m: 5 (2007)
total:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 202


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 145


under 914 m: 46 (2007)
total:
49

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
10

914 to 1,523 m:
23

under 914 m:
15 (2000 est.)
Area total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
total:
622,984 sq km

land:
622,984 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska slightly smaller 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 vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts. 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 and 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 election of the reformist Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and similarly a reformist Majles (parliament) in 2000, a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased repressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004, conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions, which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of an ultra-conservative layman as president. The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - a civilian government was installed in 1993.
Birth rate 16.57 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 37.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $110.8 billion


expenditures: $93.61 billion (2006 est.)
revenues:
$638 million

expenditures:
$1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $888 million (1994 est.)
Capital name: Tehran


geographic coordinates: 35 40 N, 51 25 E


time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Bangui
Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
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 passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995
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:
Central African Republic

conventional short form:
none

local long form:
Republique Centrafricaine

local short form:
none

former:
Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire

abbreviation:
CAR
Currency - Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Death rate 5.65 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 18.53 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $13.73 billion (2006 est.) $790 million (1999 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - the American Interests Section is located in the Swiss Embassy compound at Africa Avenue, West Farzan Street, number 59, Tehran, Iran; telephone 021 8878 2964 or 021 8879 2364; FAX 021 8877 3265 chief of mission:
Ambassador Robert C. PERRY

embassy:
Avenue David Dacko, Bangui

mailing address:
B. P. 924, Bangui

telephone:
[236] 61 02 00

FAX:
[236] 61 44 94
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 Emmanuel TOUABOY

chancery:
1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 483-7800

FAX:
[1] (202) 332-9893
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 $104 million (2005 est.) $172.2 million (1995); note - traditional budget subsidies from France
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 nearly $60 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. Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for nearly 54%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. Diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased, leading an estimated rise of GDP of 7% in 1994 and nearly 5% in 1995. Military rebellions and social unrest in 1996 were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and a drop in GDP of 2%. The IMF approved an Extended Structure Adjustment Facility in 1998 and the World Bank extended further credits in 1999 and approved a $10 million loan in early 2001. The government has set targets of 3.5% GDP growth in 2001 and 2002. As of January 2001, many civil servants were owed as much as 30 months pay, leading them to go on strike and further damaging the economy.
Electricity - consumption 136.2 billion kWh (2005) 94.9 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 2.761 billion kWh (2005) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 2.074 billion kWh (2005) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 170.4 billion kWh (2005) 102 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
20.59%

hydro:
79.41%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
lowest point:
Oubangui River 335 m

highest point:
Mont Ngaoui 1,420 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 tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94

signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%, Europeans 6,500 (including 1,500 French)
Exchange rates rials per US dollar - 9,227.1 (2006), 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003), 6,907 (2002)


note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
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 - based on his qualifications in the field of jurisprudence and commitment to the principles of the revolution, reviewing his performance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency Council or the Council for the Discernment of Expediency, is a policy advisory and implementation board consisting of permanent members, who number over 40 and represent all major government factions and include the heads of the three branches of government, and the clerical members of the Council of Guardians (see next); permanent members are appointed by the Supreme Leader for five-year terms; temporary members, including Cabinet members and Majles committee chairmen, are selected when issues under their jurisdiction come before the Expediency Council; the Expediency 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 and since 1989 has been used to advise national religious leaders on matters of national policy; in 2005 the Council's powers were expanded, at least on paper, to act as a supervisory body for the government; 3) Council of Guardians of the Constitution or Council of Guardians or Guardians Council is a 12-member board made up of six clerics chosen by the Supreme Leader and six jurists selected by the Majles from a list of candidates recommended by the judiciary (which in turn is controlled by the Supreme Leader) for six-year terms; this Council determines whether proposed legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law, vets candidates for suitability, and supervises national elections


elections: Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; Assembly of Experts elected by popular vote for an eight-year term; last election held 15 December 2006 concurrently with municipal elections; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term and third nonconsecutive term); last held 17 June 2005 with a two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next presidential election slated for 2009)


election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi-RAFSANJANI 36%
chief of state:
President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)

head of government:
Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1 April 2001)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president; percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%, David DACKO 11.15%
Exports 2.836 million bbl/day (2004 est.) $166 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Exports - partners Japan 14%, China 12.8%, Turkey 7.2%, Italy 6.3%, South Korea 6%, Netherlands 4.6% (2006) Benelux 64%, Cote d'Ivoire, Spain, China, Egypt, France (1999)
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 four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band
GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.1 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11%


industry: 44.9%


services: 44.1% (2006 est.)
agriculture:
53%

industry:
20%

services:
27% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.3% (2006 est.) 3.5% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 53 00 E 7 00 N, 21 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
Heliports 14 (2007) -
Highways - total:
23,810 km

paved:
429 km

unpaved:
23,381 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA% (1998)
lowest 10%:
0.7%

highest 10%:
47.7% (1993)
Illicit drugs despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; highest percentage of the population in the world using opiates; lacks anti-money-laundering laws -
Imports NA bbl/day $154 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products
Imports - partners Germany 12%, China 10.5%, UAE 9.4%, France 5.6%, Italy 5.4%, South Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.5% (2006) France 35%, Cameroon 13%, Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Japan (1999)
Independence 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) 13 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 3.2% excluding oil (2006 est.) NA%
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, fertilizers, caustic soda, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), ferrous and non-ferrous metal fabrication, armaments diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Infant mortality rate total: 38.12 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 38.29 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 37.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
105.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 12% (2006 est.) 3% (2000 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, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 76,500 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch The Supreme Court and the four-member High Council of the Judiciary have a single head and overlapping responsibilities; together they supervise the enforcement of all laws and establish judicial and legal policies; lower courts include a special clerical court, a revolutionary court, and a special administrative court Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (all judges appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts
Labor force 24.29 million


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


industry: 25%


services: 45% (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:
5,203 km

border countries:
Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km
Land use arable land: 9.78%


permanent crops: 1.29%


other: 88.93% (2005)
arable land:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
5%

forests and woodland:
75%

other:
17% (1993 est.)
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), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
Legal system based on Shari'a law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on French law
Legislative branch unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami or Majles (290 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004 (next to be held 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 (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election)

elections:
last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)

election results:
percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7

note:
the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together they are called the Congress or Congres
Life expectancy at birth total population: 70.56 years


male: 69.12 years


female: 72.07 years (2007 est.)
total population:
43.8 years

male:
42.17 years

female:
45.48 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 77%


male: 83.5%


female: 70.4% (2002 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
60%

male:
68.5%

female:
52.4% (1995 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan Central Africa, north of 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
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 131 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,721,202 GRT/8,309,580 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 35, cargo 45, chemical tanker 4, container 9, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 29, roll on/roll off 4


foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)


registered in other countries: 33 (Bolivia 1, Cyprus 2, Malta 24, Panama 4, St Kitts and Nevis 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)
-
Military branches Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force of the Military of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Niru-ye Hava'i-ye Artesh-e Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye 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 (2007) Central African Armed Forces (includes Army, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, Police Force)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $29 million (FY96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.5% (2006) 2.2% (FY96)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
824,139 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
430,922 (2001 est.)
National holiday Republic Day, 1 April (1979) Republic Day, 1 December (1958)
Nationality noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
noun:
Central African(s)

adjective:
Central African
Natural hazards periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
Net migration rate -4.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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, and often political parties or groups are formed prior to elections and disbanded soon thereafter; 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 KARUBI 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 Democracy and Progress or ADP [Francois PEHOUA]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [leader NA]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]
Political pressure groups and leaders the Islamic Revolutionary Party (IRP) was Iran's sole political party until its dissolution in 1987; Iran now has a variety of groups engaged in political activity; some are oriented along political lines or based on an identity group; others are more akin to professional political parties seeking members and recommending candidates for office; some are active participants in the Revolution's political life while others reject the state; 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 repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), and Komala NA
Population 65,397,521 (July 2007 est.) 3,576,884

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 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0.663% (2007 est.) 1.85% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors - Bangui, Nola
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998) AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 283,000 (1997)
Railways total: 8,367 km


broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge


standard gauge: 8,273 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (2006)
0 km
Religions Muslim 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2% indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, other 11%

note:
animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.054 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.024 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.945 male(s)/female


total population: 1.026 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: 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: the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the main line network greatly; main line availability has more than doubled to 19 million lines since 1995; additionally, mobile service has increased dramatically serving some 8.5 million subscribers in 2005


international: country code - 98; 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; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat (2006)
general assessment:
fair system

domestic:
network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 21.981 million (2006) 10,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 13.659 million (2006) 570 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 28 (plus 450 repeaters) (1997) NA
Terrain rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Total fertility rate 1.71 children born/woman (2007 est.) 4.86 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 15% according to the Iranian government (2007 est.) 6% (1993)
Waterways 850 km (on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006) 900 km

note:
traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river, navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m
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