Geographical profile of Iran

Geographical profile of Iran

Official Name: Islamic Republic of Iran (Jamhury Islami Iran)

Data code: Iran

Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Total area: 636,293 sq mi (1,648,000 sq km):

Land area: 631,659 sq mi (1,635,999 sq km);

Water: 4,634 sq mile (12000 sq km)

Capital: Tehran, 7,796,257 (city proper)

Other large cities: Mashad, 2,061,100; Isfahan, 1,378,600; Tabriz, 1,213,400

Boarder Area:  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

Coastline: 2,440 km

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 53 00 E

Lowest point:  Caspian Sea -28 m

highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Population (2010 est.): 67,037,517

Sex ration: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

Density:  40 per sq km:

Age structure:  0-14 years: 21.7% ;  15-64 years: 72.9%   and   65 years and over: 5.4% (2010 est.)

Median age :  26.4 years

Population Growth Rate:  0.9%

Birth Rate: 17.3/1000; (2010)

Death Rate: 5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 71.4 years

Literacy: 89.1 %, Male- 90.5%, Female: 87.7%

Language: The principal language of the country is Persian (Farsi). Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Ethnic Groups:  Encyclopedia of Islam (Leiden) states Iran's ethnic group as following: Persians 65%, Azeris 16%, Kurds 10%, Lurs 6%, Arabs 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmens1%, Turkic tribal groups (e.g. Qashqai) 1%, and non-Persian, non-Turkic groups (e.g.Armenians, Assyrians, and Georgians) 1%.

Another source, CIA World Factbook, which is based on a pre-revolution (1979) statics gives us the following numbers: Persians51%, Azeris 24%, Gilakis and Mazandaranis 8%, Kurds 7%, Arabs 3%, Lurs 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%.

Religion: Shi'a Muslim 88%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Bahá'í (largest non-Muslim minority) 2%.

Nationality: noun: Iranian/Persian(s)   and  adjective: Iranian

Independence Day: 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic  of Iran proclaimed)  notable earlier dates: ca. 625 B.C. (unification of Iran under the Medes); ca. A.D. 1501 (Iran reunified under the Safavids); 12 December 1925 (modern Iran established under the Pahlavis)

National holiday:1 April 1979, 21st March for Nowrooz (It is the called the first day of Persian Calender year)

Constitution Day: 5th August(To remind the day of 1925)

Government Type:  Theocratic republic

Constitution: Ratified 24 October 1979 and amended to 28 July 1989 where the power of President had been increased and the power of Prime Minister has been decreased. 

Legislative Branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami or Majles (290 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) Only the citizens above 15 years old are allowed to cast votes.

Chief of State: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Since 4th June of 1989)

President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( Since 3rd Agusut,2005),

Vice President Mohammad Reza RAHIMI (since 13 September 2009)

Administrative subdivisions: 30 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Alborz, Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Sharqi (East Azerbaijan), Bushehr, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Jonubi (South Khorasan), Khorasan-e Razavi (Razavi Khorasan), Khorasan-e Shomali (North Khorasan), Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Bowyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Political parties:  Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), Solidarity Party, Islamic Labor Party, Mardom Salari, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO), and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun)

International organization participation: CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SAARC (observer), SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Flag Description: The design of the National flag of Iran consists of three identical horizontal bands of green on top, white in between, and red below. The National emblem which represents the name of Allah is placed on the center of the white band. The words "Allah-o-Akbar (God is great) is printed in white Arabic script and is repeated 22 times on the center border of the green and red band. The length of the flag is precisely twice the overall width with a ratio of 4:7.

The three colors of the National flag of Iran have symbolic connotations. The green stripe stand for growth and prosperity, white stands for peace and red is the color of the blood shed by the martyrs for the country's freedom.

National Symbol: Rose

Weather and Climate: The climate of Iran is diversified because of its topography.  The annual rainfall of Iran ranges from 8 inches to 40 inches. Winter and early spring compromise the rainy season. In the summer all parts of Iran become hot except at the highest elevations.

Natural hazards:   periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

Tourism:

Currency: The rial is the currency of Iran. It is subdivided into 100 dinar.

Natural resources: natural gas, Petroleum, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc and sulfur.

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.

Industrial Production Growth Rate:4.3%

Agriculture products: Wheat, the most important crop, is grown mainly in the west and northwest; rice is the major crop in the Caspian region. Barley, corn, sugar beets, fruits (including citrus), nuts, cotton, dates, tea, hemp, and tobacco are also grown, and livestock is raised. Illicit cultivation of the opium poppy is fairly common.Iran is in 4th position to product pulm around the world. It grows 880000 Ton dates annually.

Income of per Capita: 12,800$

Economy: The economy of Iran is characterized by an over dependence on the oil sector, and the Government is making attempts to expand by investing revenues in other sectors as well. The other areas where the government is looking to diversify are aerospace industries, car manufacturing, textile, consumer electronics, nuclear technology, and petrochemicals. The country also has an immense potential for development in sectors like tourism, mining, information and communication technology (ICT). Private sector businesses in Iran generally include small-scale workshops, farming, and services.

GDP:

GDP (purchasing power parity): $863.5 billion   ion (2010 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3% (2010 est.)

GDP—per capita:  $11,200 (2010 est.)

Population below poverty line: 18%

Labor force: 25.7 million

Labor force—by occupation: 18% (2007 est.)

GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 25%,industry: 31%,services: 45%   (June 2007)

Unemployment rate: 14.6% (2010 est.)

Fiscal year: 21st March.

Budget:

revenues: $105.7   billion

expenditures: $98.83   billion (2010 est.)

Electricity—production: 129.3 billion KWh

Electricity—consumption: 119.9 billion KWh

 Electricity—exports: 0 KWh

Electricity—imports: 0 KWh

Oil - proved reserves: 130.8 billion bbl/day

Oil - consumption: 1.4 million bbl/day

Oil - exports: 2.5 million bbl/day

Oil - production: 3.962 Million bbl/day

Natural gas - production: 200 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:  140 billion cu m

Natural gas - exports: 5.4 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 5.2 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - Reseved: 29.61 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Exports: $78.69 billion (2010 est.)

Exports—commodities: petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets

Exports—partners: China 16.58%, Japan 11.9%, India 10.54%, South Korea 7.54%, Turkey 4.36% (2009)

Imports: $58.97 billion (2010 est.)

Imports—commodities: industrial supplies, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services

Import Partners: UAE 15.14%, China 13.48%, Germany 9.66%, South Korea 7.16%, Italy 5.27%, Russia 4.81%, India 4.12% (2009)

Irrigated Land: 76,500 sq km

Land in Use: arable land: 9.78%

permanent crops: 1.29%

other: 88.93% (2005)

Military   branches:

Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy,   Air Force (IRIAF), Khatemolanbia Air Defense; Islamic Revolutionary Guard   Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Resistance Forces,   Navy, Aerospace Force, Qods Force (special operations); Law Enforcement   Forces (2010)

Air-Port: 305

Ports and Harbors: Bushher, As-Salue.