IRAN

Area—comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

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

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 15,371,060; female 14,513,782)
15-64 years: 53% (male 18,469,620; female 17,810,596)
65 years and over: 4% (male 1,428,471; female 1,366,402) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.04% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 31.37 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 48.95 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.25 years
male: 66.83 years
female: 69.74 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.31 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 72.1%
male: 78.4%
female: 65.8% (1994 est.)

Independence: 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

Constitution: 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

Suffrage: 15 years of age; universal

Political parties and leaders: Iran has no political parties; the most important political "groupings" are—Tehran Militant Clergy Association, Secretary General Ayatollah Mohammad EMAMI-KASHANI; Militant Clerics Association, Mehdi MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar MUSAVI-KHOINIHA; Servants of Reconstruction (G-6), Mohammad HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI, Hosein MARASHI

Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments

Agriculture—products: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar

Exports:
total value: $19 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: petroleum 80%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides, iron, steel
partners: Japan, US, UK, Germany, South Korea, UAE

Imports:
total value: $15.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products
partners: Germany, Italy, Japan, UAE, UK, Belgium

Debt—external: $21.9 billion (1996 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:  males: 9,672,021 (1998 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: according to official Iranian data, Iran budgeted 8,283.9 billion rials for defense in 1997; note—conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using current exchange rates could produce misleading results