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Compare Lesotho (2005) - Iran (2001)

Compare Lesotho (2005) z Iran (2001)

 Lesotho (2005)Iran (2001)
 LesothoIran
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka 28 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, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Age structure 0-14 years: 36.9% (male 346,930/female 342,459)


15-64 years: 57.6% (male 526,642/female 548,096)


65 years and over: 5.5% (male 42,003/female 60,905) (2005 est.)
0-14 years:
32.97% (male 11,150,053; female 10,654,884)

15-64 years:
62.38% (male 20,765,001; female 20,488,672)

65 years and over:
4.65% (male 1,617,045; female 1,453,310) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Airports 28 (2004 est.) 317 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total:
117

over 3,047 m:
38

2,438 to 3,047 m:
23

1,524 to 2,437 m:
25

914 to 1,523 m:
24

under 914 m:
7 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 25


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
total:
200

over 3,047 m:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
13

914 to 1,523 m:
122

under 914 m:
60 (2000 est.)
Area total: 30,355 sq km


land: 30,355 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
1.648 million sq km

land:
1.636 million sq km

water:
12,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly larger than Alaska
Background Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Constitutional reforms have since restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002. Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces subsequently crushed westernizing liberal elements. Militant 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 over disputed territory. The key current issue is how rapidly the country should open up to the modernizing influences of the outside world.
Birth rate 26.53 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 17.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $698.5 million


expenditures: $697.6 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (2004 est.)
revenues:
$27 billion

expenditures:
$27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
Capital Maseru Tehran
Climate temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Constitution 2 April 1993 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


conventional short form: Lesotho


former: Basutoland
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
Currency - Iranian rial (IRR)
Death rate 25.03 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $735 million (2002) $7.5 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador June Carter PERRY


embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)


mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho


telephone: [266] 22 312666


FAX: [266] 22 310116
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI


chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536


FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
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
Disputes - international none Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990 but are still trying to work out written agreements settling outstanding disputes from their eight-year war concerning border demarcation, prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway; Iran occupies two islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); Iran jointly administers with the UAE an island in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island; the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan
Economic aid - donor ODA $4.4 million -
Economic aid - recipient $41.5 million (2000) $116.5 million (1995)
Economy - overview Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue, but the government has strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries and a rapidly growing apparel-assembly sector. The garment industry has grown significantly, mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF. Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures. President KHATAMI has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue diversification of Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made little progress toward that goal. The strong oil market in 1996 helped ease financial pressures on Iran and allowed for Tehran's timely debt service payments. Iran's financial situation tightened in 1997 and deteriorated further in 1998 because of lower oil prices. The subsequent zoom in oil prices in 1999-2000 afforded Iran fiscal breathing room but does not solve Iran's structural economic problems, including the encouragement of foreign investment.
Electricity - consumption 308 million kWh (2002) 95.84 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 16 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 314 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002) 103.054 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
93.16%

hydro:
6.84%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m


highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
lowest point:
Caspian Sea -28 m

highest point:
Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m
Environment - current issues population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Exchange rates maloti per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000) Iranian rials per US dollar - 1,754.71 (January 2001), 1,764.43 (2000), 1,725.93 (1999), 1,751.86 (1998), 1,752.92 (1997), 1,750.76 (1996)

note:
Iran has three officially recognized exchange rates; the averages for 1999 are as follows: the official floating rate of 1,750 rials per US dollar, the "export" rate of 3,000 rials per US dollar, and the variable Tehran Stock Exchange rate, which averages 7,863 rials per US dollar; the market rate averages 8,615 rials per US dollar
Executive branch chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile


head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)


cabinet: Cabinet


elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution, which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may even depose the monarch
chief of state:
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)

head of government:
President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3 August 1997); First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-YAZDI (since NA August 2001)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval

elections:
leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 8 June 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)

election results:
(Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani reelected president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
Exports NA $25 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals
Exports - partners US 97%, Canada 2.1%, UK 0.3% (2004) Japan, Italy, UAE, South Korea, France, China
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 21 March - 20 March
Flag description divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) 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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $413 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 15.2%


industry: 43.9%


services: 40.9% (2004 est.)
agriculture:
24%

industry:
28%

services:
48% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.3% (2004 est.) 3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 32 00 N, 53 00 E
Geography - note landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level -
Heliports - 11 (2000 est.)
Highways total: 5,940 km


paved: 1,087 km


unpaved: 4,853 km (1999)
total:
140,200 km

paved:
49,440 km (including 470 km of expressways)

unpaved:
90,760 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4%
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs - despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic consumption of narcotics remains a persistent problem and Iranian press reports estimate that there are at least 1.2 million drug users in the country
Imports NA $15 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000) industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies
Imports - partners Hong Kong 46.8%, China 25.5%, South Korea 5.6%, Germany 4.8% (2004) Germany, South Korea, Italy, UAE, France, Japan
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999) 4.4% (nonoil) (1999)
Industries food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments
Infant mortality rate total: 84.23 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 89.11 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 79.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
29.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.3% (2004 est.) 16% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, C, The Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 8 (2000)
Irrigated land 10 sq km (1998 est.) 94,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court Supreme Court
Labor force 838,000 (2000) 17.3 million

note:
shortage of skilled labor (1998)
Labor force - by occupation 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa agriculture 33%, industry 25%, services 42% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total: 909 km


border countries: South Africa 909 km
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
Land use arable land: 10.87%


permanent crops: 0.13%


other: 89% (2001)
arable land:
10%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
27%

forests and woodland:
7%

other:
55% (1993 est.)
Languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Legal system based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120 in the May 2002 election


elections: last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%, other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats, note - changed from 270 seats with the 18 February 2000 election; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 18 February-NA April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - reformers 170, conservatives 45, and independents 10; 65 seats were up for runoff election on 5 May 2000 (reformers 52, conservatives 10, independents 3)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 34.47 years


male: 35.49 years


female: 33.42 years (2005 est.)
total population:
69.95 years

male:
68.61 years

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


total population: 84.8%


male: 74.5%


female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
72.1%

male:
78.4%

female:
65.8% (1994 est.)
Location Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Map references Africa Middle East
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
natural prolongation

exclusive economic zone:
bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine - total:
152 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,097,977 GRT/7,131,688 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 49, cargo 38, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1, container 10, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 1

note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 1 (2000 est.)
Military - note the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs -
Military branches Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army and Air Wing Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces), Revolutionary Guards (includes Ground, Air, Navy, Qods, and Basij-mobilization-forces), Law Enforcement Forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure $32.3 million (2004) $5.787 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.3% (2004) 2.9% (FY98/99)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
18,319,328 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
10,872,407 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 21 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
823,040 (2001 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Nationality noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)


adjective: Basotho
noun:
Iranian(s)

adjective:
Iranian
Natural hazards periodic droughts periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast
Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Net migration rate -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -4.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km
Political parties and leaders Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Pakalitha MOSISILI] - the governing party; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; Lesotho Workers Party of LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE] the following organizations appeared to have achieved considerable success at elections to the sixth Majlis in early 2000: Assembly of the Followers of the Imam's Line, Freethinkers' Front, Islamic Iran Participation Front, Moderation and Development Party, Servants of Construction Party, Society of Self-sacrificing Devotees
Political pressure groups and leaders NA active student groups include the pro-reform "Organization for Strengthening Unity" and "the Union of Islamic Student Societies'; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, and the Islamic Coalition Association; opposition groups include the Liberation Movement of Iran and the Nation of Iran party; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan; the Society for the Defense of Freedom
Population 1,867,035


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 2005 est.)
66,128,965 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 49% (1999) 53% (1996 est.)
Population growth rate 0.08% (2005 est.) 0.72% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors - Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz, Bandar 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni, Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman, Chabahar (Bandar Beheshti), Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now Shahr
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios - 17 million (1997)
Railways - total:
5,600 km

broad gauge:
94 km 1.676-m gauge

standard gauge:
5,506 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified)

note:
broad gauge track is employed at the borders with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan which have broad-gauge rail systems (2001)
Religions Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%
Sex ratio 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: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 15 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: rudimentary system


domestic: consists of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing


international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
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; and 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:
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; Internet service available but limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture
Telephones - main lines in use 28,600 (2002) 6.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 92,000 (2002) 265,000 (August 1998)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Total fertility rate 3.35 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.02 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2002) 14% (1999 est.)
Waterways - 904 km

note:
the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use
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