Islamic countries

Islamic countries

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
JOMHURI-YE ESLAMI-YE IRAN

General Information

Total Land Area:	1,622,000 km²
Land boundaries:	5,440 km
Coastline:	2,440 km
Capital:	Tehran
Other Large Cities:	Mashhad, Esfahan, Tabriz
Official Language:	Farsi (Persian)
National Currency Unit:	Iranian Rial (IRR)
National Day:	April 1

Location and Geography

Iran is located at the strategic crossroads between the Western and Eastern worlds. It is bordered by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea in the North, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the East, Iraq and Turkey in the West, and the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf in the South. The topography of Iran consists mainly of deserts and mountains. These areas are virtually uninhabitable. Most of the population lives in the Northern and Northwestern areas. Two mountain chains dominate the landscape: the Zagros Mountains and the Elbruz range. Iran has a small area of arable land with meadows and pastures covering about a quarter of its land. Forests and woodlands are rather limited. The climate is generally arid or semiarid, and subtropical along the Caspian coast. Due to limited annual rainfall, Iran suffers from chronic water shortages.

Demography

Population:	65.50 million (2002)
Crude Birth Rate:	18 per thousand people (2002)
Crude Death Rate:	6 per thousand people (2002)
Infant Mortality Rate:	34 per thousand (2002)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 68 years, Female: 70 years (2002)
Urban Population:	65.0 percent (2002)
Adult Literacy:	81.70 percent (2002)

Economy

Iran is one of the leading producers of petroleum and has the second largest natural gas reserves in the world. In addition to crude oil and gas, the country produces petrochemicals, textiles, vegetable oil and other food products, carpets, cement, building materials and fertilisers. The principal agricultural crops are wheat, rice, barley, nuts, cotton, sugar beets, and fruits. Wool is also an important product in the Iranian economy.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	145186 million US$ (2002)
Per Capita GDP:	2217 US$ (2002)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	12.0% Agriculture, 39.0% Industry, 49.0% Services, (2002)
Total Exports:	24744 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	20937 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Petroleum, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides, agricultural products, iron and steel
Major Imports Items:	Machinery, military supplies, metal work, foodstuffs, and technical services
Major Trading Partners:	UAE, Germany, Italy, Turkey, India and Japan