Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Poland (2006) - Iran (2003) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Poland (2006) - Iran (2003)

Compare Poland (2006) z Iran (2003)

 Poland (2006)Iran (2003)
 PolandIran
Administrative divisions 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie 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, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Age structure 0-14 years: 15.9% (male 3,142,811/female 2,976,363)


15-64 years: 70.8% (male 13,585,306/female 13,704,763)


65 years and over: 13.3% (male 1,961,326/female 3,166,300) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 29.3% (male 10,279,588; female 9,727,668)


15-64 years: 65.9% (male 22,916,431; female 22,095,124)


65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,625,113; female 1,634,902) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Airports 122 (2006) 309 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 83


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 29


1,524 to 2,437 m: 40


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
total: 122


over 3,047 m: 39


2,438 to 3,047 m: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 27


914 to 1,523 m: 27


under 914 m: 4 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 39


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 21 (2006)
total: 187


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 138


under 914 m: 39 (2002)
Area total: 312,685 sq km


land: 304,465 sq km


water: 8,220 sq km
total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Mexico slightly larger than Alaska
Background Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, but Poland still faces the lingering challenges of high unemployment, underdeveloped and dilapidated infrastructure, and a poor rural underclass. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations. Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar. 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 over disputed territory. Over the past decade, popular dissatisfaction with the government, driven by demographic changes, restrictive social policies, and poor economic conditions, has created a powerful and enduring pressure for political reform.
Birth rate 9.85 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 17.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $52.73 billion


expenditures: $63.22 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $29.5 billion


expenditures: $31.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)
Capital name: Warsaw


geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Tehran
Climate temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Coastline 491 km 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Constitution adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997, passed by national referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Poland


conventional short form: Poland


local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska


local short form: Polska
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 9.89 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $101.5 billion (2005 est.) $8.7 billion (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Victor ASHE


embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw


mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)


telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000


FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688


consulate(s) general: Krakow
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Janusz REITER


chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802


FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
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 as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland must implement the strict Schengen border rules Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on Helmand River tributaries in response to prolonged drought in region; thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran; despite restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iraq over maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other issues from eight-year war persist; UAE engage direct talks and Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island; Iran insists on division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors, while other littoral states have generally agreed to equidistant seabed boundaries - Iran has threatened Azerbaijanian hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters
Economic aid - recipient $13.9 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06) $408 million (2002 est.)
Economy - overview Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done, especially in bringing down the unemployment rate - currently the highest in the EU. The privatization of small- and medium-sized state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged the development of the private business sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy), while recently initiated, have stalled. Reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on reducing losses in Polish state enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling the tax code to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers, most of whom pay no tax. The previous Socialist-led government introduced a package of social and administrative spending cuts to reduce public spending by about $17 billion through 2007, but full implementation of the plan was trumped by election-year politics in 2005. The right-wing Law and Justice party won parliamentary elections in September, and Lech KACZYNSKI won the presidential election in October 2005, running on a state-interventionist fiscal and monetary platform. Poland joined the EU in May 2004, and surging exports to the EU contributed to Poland's strong growth in 2004, though its competitiveness could be threatened by the zloty's appreciation. GDP per capita roughly equals that of the three Baltic states. Poland stands to benefit from nearly $23.2 billion in EU funds, available through 2006. Farmers have already begun to reap the rewards of membership via booming exports, higher food prices, and EU agricultural subsidies. 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. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass some $15 billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not solved Iran's structural economic problems, including high unemployment and inflation.
Electricity - consumption 121.3 billion kWh (2004) 115.9 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 15.2 billion kWh (2004) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 5 billion kWh (2004) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 150.8 billion kWh (2004) 124.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 97.1%


hydro: 2.9%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m


highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
Environment - current issues situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to EU code, but at substantial cost to business and the government 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: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
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 Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census) Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Exchange rates zlotych per US dollar - 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004), 3.8891 (2003), 4.08 (2002), 4.0939 (2001)


note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
rials per US dollar 6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56 (2001), 1,764.43 (2000), 1,752.93 (1999), 1,751.86 (1998)


note: from 1997 to 2001, Iran had a multi-exchange-rate system; one of these rates, the official floating exchange rate, by which most essential goods were imported, averaged 1,750 rials per US dollar; in March 2002, the multi-exchange-rate system was converged into one rate at about 7,900 rials per US dollar
Executive branch chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005)


head of government: Prime Minister Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI (since 10 July 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Ludwik DORN (since 23 November 2005), Roman GIERTYCH (since 5 May 2006), Zyta GILOWSKA (since 22 September 2006), Andrzej LEPPER (since 16 October 2006)


cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 and 23 October 2005 (next to be held October 2010); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm


election results: Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%
chief of state: Supreme Leader 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 26 August 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over appointments to the more sensitive ministries


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 June 2005)


election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani reelected president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
Exports 53,000 bbl/day (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003) petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals
Exports - partners Germany 28.2%, France 6.2%, Italy 6.1%, UK 5.6%, Czech Republic 4.6%, Russia 4.4%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005) Japan 17.4%, China 8.6%, UAE 7.6%, Italy 6.6%, South Korea 4.9%, South Africa 4.4% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white 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 - purchasing power parity - $458.3 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5%


industry: 31.1%


services: 64% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 19%


industry: 26%


services: 55% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.4% (2005 est.) 7.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 52 00 N, 20 00 E 32 00 N, 53 00 E
Geography - note historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
Heliports 3 (2006) 13 (2002)
Highways - total: 167,157 km


paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways)


unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.1%


highest 10%: 26.7% (2002)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and Iranian press reports estimate at least 2 million drug users in the country
Imports 413,700 bbl/day (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003) industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies
Imports - partners Germany 29.6%, Russia 8.7%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 5.9%, France 5.7% (2005) Germany 10.9%, Italy 9%, France 7.9%, China 7.4%, South Korea 6.5%, UAE 4.4%, Japan 4.1%, Russia 4% (2002)
Independence 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate 3.7% (2005 est.) 5.5% excluding oil (2001 est.)
Industries machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments
Infant mortality rate total: 7.22 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 44.17 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 44.31 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 44.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.2% (2005 est.) 15.3% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACCT (observer), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 100 (2002)
Irrigated land 1,000 sq km (2003) 75,620 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms) Supreme Court
Labor force 17.1 million (2005 est.) 21 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (1998)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 16.1%


industry: 29%


services: 54.9% (2002)
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 3,056 km


border countries: Belarus 416 km, Czech Republic 790 km, Germany 467 km, Lithuania 103 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia 541 km, Ukraine 529 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: 40.25%


permanent crops: 1%


other: 58.75% (2005)
arable land: 10.17%


permanent crops: 1.16%


other: 88.67% (1998 est.)
Languages Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census) Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Legal system mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Legislative branch bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house, the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly


elections: Senate - last held 25 September 2005 (next to be held by September 2009); Sejm elections last held 25 September 2005 (next to be held by September 2009)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PiS 49, PO 34, LPR 7, SO 3, PSL 2, independents 5; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PiS 27%, PO 24.1%, SO 11.4%, SLD 11.3%, LPR 8%, PSL 7%, other 11.2%; seats by party - PiS 155, PO 133, SO 56, SLD 55, LPR 34, PSL 25, German minorities 2


note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm only
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 2000 with a runoff held 5 May 2000 (next to be held February 2004)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - reformers 189, conservatives 54, independents 42, seats reserved for religious minorities 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.97 years


male: 70.95 years


female: 79.23 years (2006 est.)
total population: 69.35 years


male: 68.04 years


female: 70.73 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.8%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79.4%


male: 85.6%


female: 73% (2003 est.)
Location Central Europe, east of Germany Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Map references Europe Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
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: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 55,701 GRT/45,082 DWT


by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1


foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1)


registered in other countries: 106 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Bahamas 15, Belize 2, Cyprus 20, Liberia 14, Malta 27, Norway 2, Panama 15, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Slovakia 2, Vanuatu 5) (2006)
total: 139 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,190,576 GRT/7,276,700 DWT


ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 34, chemical tanker 4, container 10, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (includes Navy (Marynarka Wojenna, MW)), Polish Air Force (Polskie Sily Powietrzne, PSP) (2006) Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Command), Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods [special operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization Army] forces), Law Enforcement Forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure $3.5 billion (2002) $9.7 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.71% (2002) 3.1% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 20,343,063 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 12,094,551 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 21 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 870,711 (2003 est.)
National holiday Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) 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)
Nationality noun: Pole(s)


adjective: Polish
noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
Natural hazards flooding periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast
Natural resources coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Net migration rate -0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 13,552 km; oil 1,384 km; refined products 777 km (2006) condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Civic Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative Peasants Party or SKL [Artur BALASZ]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Wojciech OLEJNICZAK]; Democratic Party or PD [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; Dom Ojczysty (Fatherland Home); German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Peasant-Democratic Party or PLD [Roman JAGIELINSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Waldemar PAWLAK]; Ruch Patriotyczny or RP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Samoobrona or SO [Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Marek BOROWSKI]; Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP [Andrzej SPYCHALSKI] a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad front achieved considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000, and groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF); Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran); Solidarity Party; Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO); and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun); a new apparently conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, emerged at the local level in early 2003
Political pressure groups and leaders All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef GLEMP]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK] active pro-reform student groups include the "Organization for Strengthening Unity"; 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 Association, and Islamic Engineers Society; opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various Monarchist organizations; 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, and Komala
Population 38,536,869 (July 2006 est.) 68,278,826 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 17% (2003 est.) 40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate -0.05% (2006 est.) 1.08% (2003 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 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)
Railways total: 23,072 km


broad gauge: 629 km 1.524-m gauge


standard gauge: 22,443 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational; 11,910 km electrified) (2005)
total: 7,201 km


broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge


standard gauge: 7,107 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002) Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 15 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market based competition finalized in 2003; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephony


domestic: wireless service, available since 1993 (GSM service available since 1996) and provided by three nation-wide networks, has grown rapidly in response to the weak fixed-line coverage; third generation UMTS service available in urban areas; cellular coverage is generally good with more gaps in the east; fixed-line service is growing slowly and still lags in rural areas


international: country code - 48; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik)
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
Telephones - main lines in use 11.803 million (2005) 6.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 29,166,400 (2005) 265,000 (August 1998)
Television broadcast stations 40 (2006) 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Total fertility rate 1.25 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 18.2% (2005 est.) 16.3% (2003 est.)
Waterways 3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2005) 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
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.