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NAVIGATION
Islamic Republic of Iran
Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
former: Persia
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces subsequently crushed westernizing liberal elements. Militant 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. Key current issues affecting the country include the pace of accepting outside modernizing influences and reconciliation between clerical control of the regime and popular government participation and widespread demands for reform. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
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Geographic coordinates:
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32 00 N, 53 00 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km water: 12,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Alaska |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km) |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: natural prolongation exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf |
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Climate:
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mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast |
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Terrain:
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rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur |
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Land use:
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arable land: 10.17%
permanent crops: 1.16% other: 88.67% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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75,620 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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66,622,704 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 31.6% (male 10,753,218; female 10,273,015)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 21,383,542; female 21,096,307) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 1,633,016; female 1,483,606) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.77% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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17.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.39 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-4.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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28.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 70.25 years
female: 71.69 years (2002 est.) male: 68.87 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.01 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.01% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% |
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Religions:
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Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1% |
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Languages:
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Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 72.1% male: 78.4% female: 65.8% (1994 est.) |