Contents
Iran Brief |
 | ||
|
 Formal NameIslamic Republic of Iran (Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran). Short FormIran. Term for Citizen(s)Iranian(s). CapitalTehran. Other Major Cities (in order of population)Mashhad, Esfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz, Karaj, Ahvaz, Qom, and Kermanshah. IndependenceIn the modern era, Iran always has existed as an independent country. Public HolidaysThe national holiday, Islamic Revolution Day, celebrates the victory of the Islamic Revolution on February 11, 1979. Other official holidays are Dawn (the return of Ayatollah Khomeini from 14 years of foreign exile on February 1, 1979), Noruz (Iranian New Year, March 21), Islamic Republic Day (April 1), Thirteenth Day of New Year (April 2), and several Islamic religious holidays that are reckoned in accordance with the lunar calendar and thus do not re-occur on the same dates each year. FlagThe flag, adopted after the 1978–79 Revolution, features three horizontal bars, green (on top), white, and red, representing, respectively, Islam, peace, and courage. The bars are divided by stylized script. The white bar features a centered, red, abstract representation of the name Allah in the shape of a tulip. Source: Library of Congress – Federal Research Division Country Profile | |||
Past | Iran | ||
| 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. US-Iranian 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 and UN economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism and conventional weapons proliferation. Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and similarly a reformer 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 hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. In October 2007, Iranian entities were also subject to US sanctions under EO 13382 due to concerns about ballistic missile proliferation. | ||
Environment | Iran | ||
| Location: | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan | ||
| Geographic coordinates: | 32 00 N, 53 00 E | ||
| Climate: | mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast | ||
| Terrain: | rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts | ||
| Natural resources: | petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur | ||
| Natural hazards: | periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes | ||
| 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 | ||
People | Iran | ||
| Population: | 65,397,521 (July 2007 est.) | ||
| Nationality: | noun: Iranian(s) | ||
| Ethnic groups: | Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% | ||
| Religions: | Muslim 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2% | ||
| Languages: | Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% | ||
Government | Iran | ||
| Country name: | conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran | ||
| Capital: | name: Tehran | ||
| 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 coalitions 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 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 and sixth Majles Speaker Mehdi KARUBI formed the National Trust Party; a new conservative group, Islamic Iran Developers Coalition (Abadgaran), took a leading position in the new Majles after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004 | ||
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | the Islamic Republic 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, Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader, Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh), Islamic Engineers Society, and Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat); 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 Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), Komala, Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO), People's Fedayeen, and People's Free Life Party (PJAK) | ||
Business | Iran | ||
| Business - overview: | Iran's economy is marked by an inefficient state sector, 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. High oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass nearly $65 billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. | ||
| 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 | ||
| Currency (code): | Iranian rial (IRR) | ||
| Exchange rates: | rials per US dollar - 9,407.5 (2007), 9,227.1 (2006), 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003) | ||
| Fiscal year: | 21 March - 20 March | ||
Communications | Iran | ||
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 13.659 million (2006) | ||
| 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 | ||
| Televisions: | 4.61 million (1997) | ||
| Internet country code: | .ir | ||
| Internet users: | 18 million (2006) | ||
Transportation | Iran | ||
| Airports: | 331 (2007) | ||
| Railways: | total: 8,367 km | ||
| Roadways: | total: 179,388 km | ||
| Waterways: | 850 km (on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006) | ||
| Ports and terminals: | Assaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e-Eman Khomeyni | ||
Security | Iran | ||
| 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) | ||
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.5% (2006) | ||
International | Iran | ||
| 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 | ||
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 662,355 (Afghanistan), 54,000 (Iraq) (2006) | ||
| This section was last updated on 17 January, 2008 Source: The World Factbook | |||
