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Compare Papua New Guinea (2008) - Iran (2007)

Compare Papua New Guinea (2008) z Iran (2007)

 Papua New Guinea (2008)Iran (2007)
 Papua New GuineaIran
Administrative divisions 20 provinces; Bougainville, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 37.6% (male 1,107,568/female 1,070,594)


15-64 years: 58.5% (male 1,745,385/female 1,643,830)


65 years and over: 3.9% (male 106,487/female 122,023) (2007 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products coffee, cocoa, copra, palm kernels, tea, sugar, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, vanilla; shell fish, poultry, pork wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Airports 578 (2007) 331 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 21


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
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)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 557


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 58


under 914 m: 489 (2007)
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)
Area total: 462,840 sq km


land: 452,860 sq km


water: 9,980 sq km
total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than California slightly larger than Alaska
Background The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives. 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.
Birth rate 28.76 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 16.57 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.209 billion


expenditures: $1.994 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $110.8 billion


expenditures: $93.61 billion (2006 est.)
Capital name: Port Moresby


geographic coordinates: 9 30 S, 147 10 E


time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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)
Climate tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Coastline 5,152 km 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Constitution 16 September 1975 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
Country name conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea


conventional short form: Papua New Guinea


local short form: Papuaniugini


former: Territory of Papua and New Guinea


abbreviation: PNG
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
Death rate 7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 5.65 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.814 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $13.73 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Leslie W. Rowe


embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby, N.C.D.


mailing address: 4240 Port Moresby PI, US Department of State, Washington DC 20521-4240


telephone: [675] 321-1455


FAX: [675] 321-3423
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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Evan Jeremy PAKI


chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036


telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680


FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679
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
Disputes - international relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and secessionists 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
Economic aid - recipient $266.1 million (2005) $104 million (2005 est.)
Economy - overview Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain and the high cost of developing infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral deposits, including copper, gold, and oil, account for nearly two-thirds of export earnings. The government of Prime Minister SOMARE has expended much of its energy remaining in power. He was the first prime minister ever to serve a full five-year term. The government also brought stability to the national budget, largely through expenditure control; however, it relaxed spending constraints in 2006 and 2007 as elections approached. Numerous challenges still face the government including regaining investor confidence, restoring integrity to state institutions, promoting economic efficiency by privatizing moribund state institutions, and balancing relations with Australia, its former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural challenges could upend the economy including a worsening HIV/AIDS epidemic and chronic law and order and land tenure issues. Australia will supply more than $300 million in aid in FY07/08, which accounts for nearly 20% of the national budget. 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.
Electricity - consumption 3.439 billion kWh (2005) 136.2 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 2.761 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 2.074 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 3.698 billion kWh (2005) 170.4 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
Environment - current issues rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought 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
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Exchange rates kina per US dollar - 3.03 (2007), 3.0643 (2006), 3.08 (2005), 3.2225 (2004), 3.5635 (2003) 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
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by governor general Sir Paulius MATANE (since 29 June 2004)


head of government: Prime Minister Sir Michael SOMARE (since 2 August 2002); Deputy Prime Minister Puka TEMU (since 29 August 2007)


cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by governor general on recommendation of prime minister


elections: none; monarch is hereditary; governor general nominated by parliament and appointed by chief of state; following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition usually is appointed prime minister by governor general
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%
Exports 44,580 bbl/day (2004) 2.836 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish, prawns petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets
Exports - partners Australia 30.2%, Japan 8.2%, China 5.7% (2006) Japan 14%, China 12.8%, Turkey 7.2%, Italy 6.3%, South Korea 6%, Netherlands 4.6% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered 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
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 35.5%


industry: 37%


services: 27.5% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 11%


industry: 44.9%


services: 44.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2007 est.) 4.3% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 147 00 E 32 00 N, 53 00 E
Geography - note shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
Heliports 2 (2007) 14 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1.7%


highest 10%: 40.5% (1996)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA% (1998)
Illicit drugs major consumer of cannabis 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 24,020 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies
Imports - partners Australia 52%, Singapore 12.6%, China 5.9%, Japan 4.3% (2006) Germany 12%, China 10.5%, UAE 9.4%, France 5.6%, Italy 5.4%, South Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.5% (2006)
Independence 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship) 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate 4.8% (2007 est.) 3.2% excluding oil (2006 est.)
Industries copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil production, petroleum refining; construction, tourism 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
Infant mortality rate total: 48.46 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 52.52 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 44.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.8% (2007 est.) 12% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ACP, ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO 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)
Irrigated land NA 76,500 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the proposal of the National Executive Council after consultation with the minister responsible for justice; other judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission) 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
Labor force 3.557 million (2007 est.) 24.29 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 85%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture: 30%


industry: 25%


services: 45% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 820 km


border countries: Indonesia 820 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: 0.49%


permanent crops: 1.4%


other: 98.11% (2005)
arable land: 9.78%


permanent crops: 1.29%


other: 88.93% (2005)
Languages Melanesian Pidgin serves as the lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region


note: 820 indigenous languages spoken (over one-tenth of the world's total)
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Shari'a law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Parliament (109 seats, 89 filled from open electorates and 20 from provinces and national capital distict; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); constitution allows up to 126 seats


elections: last held from 30 June to 10 July 2007; next to be held in June 2012


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - National Alliance 27, PNGP 8, PAP 6, URP 6, PANGU 5, PDM 5, independents 19, others 33; note - election to 1 seat was nullified


note: 15 other parties won 4 or fewer seats; association with political parties is fluid
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 65.62 years


male: 63.41 years


female: 67.95 years (2007 est.)
total population: 70.56 years


male: 69.12 years


female: 72.07 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 57.3%


male: 63.4%


female: 50.9% (2000 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 77%


male: 83.5%


female: 70.4% (2002 est.)
Location Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Map references Oceania Middle East
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


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


continental shelf: natural prolongation
Merchant marine total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 56,157 GRT/72,821 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 20, petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: 6 (UK 6) (2007)
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 Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF; includes Maritime Operations Element, Air Operations Element) (2008) 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)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.4% (2005 est.) 2.5% (2006)
National holiday Independence Day, 16 September (1975) Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Nationality noun: Papua New Guinean(s)


adjective: Papua New Guinean
noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
Natural hazards active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
Natural resources gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -4.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines oil 264 km (2007) 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 National Alliance Party or NA [Michael SOMARE]; Papua and Niugini Union Party or PANGU PATI [Andrew KUMBAKOR]; Papua New Guinea Party or PNGP [Sir Mekere MORAUTA]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Michael OGIO]; People's Action Party or PAP [Gabriel KAPRIS]; United Resources Party or URP [William DUMA] (2007) 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
Political pressure groups and leaders NA 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
Population 5,795,887 (July 2007 est.) 65,397,521 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 37% (2002 est.) 40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate 2.163% (2007 est.) 0.663% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 28 (1998) AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)
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)
Religions Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant 10%, indigenous beliefs 34% Muslim 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.035 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.062 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.873 male(s)/female


total population: 1.043 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: services are minimal; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services


domestic: access to telephone services is not widely available; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density is less than 3 telephones per 100 persons


international: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international radio communication service
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 63,700 (2005) 21.981 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 75,000 (2005) 13.659 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 3 (all in the Port Moresby area; stations at Mt. Hagen, Goroka, Lae, and Rabaul are planned) (2004) 28 (plus 450 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Total fertility rate 3.79 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.71 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 1.9% up to 80% in urban areas (2004) 15% according to the Iranian government (2007 est.)
Waterways 11,000 km (2006) 850 km (on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006)
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