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Statistics
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| | | General |
| Official Name | | Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Population | | 68.9 million (2003 est.) |
| Capital City | | Tehran |
| Major Cities | | Esfahan, Shiraz, Mashad, Yazd |
| Nationality | | Iranian |
| Official Language | | Persian |
| Official Religion | | Islam |
| Currency | | 100 rial - 1 toman |
| | | Geography |
| Location | | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
| Area | | total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq. km
water: 12,000 sq km |
| Area Comparative | | Slightly larger than Alaska |
| 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 |
| | | Land |
| Terrain | | rugged mountain ranges, central basin with mountains and deserts, small scattered plains along coastal rim |
| Land Use | | arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 27%
forests and woodland: 7%
other: 55% (2003 est.) |
| Natural Resources | | petroleum, natural gas, coal, chronium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur |
| Natural Hazards | | droughts, floods, dust storms, sandstorms, and earthquakes along western border and northeast |
| Environmental Issues | | air pollution in urban areas, mostly from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; overgrazing; desertification; deforestation; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf |
| | | People, Health, and Education |
| Total Population | | 68.9 million (2003 est.) |
| Population in 1960 | | 49.5 million |
| Population in 2006 (projected) | | 70.3 million (67% in urban areas) |
| Age Structure | | 0-14 years: 34%
15-64 years: 61%
65 years and over: 5% (2000 est.) |
| Birth Rate | | 18.29/1,000 births |
| Mortality Rate | | 5.49/1,000 deaths |
| Fertility Rate | | 2.2 children born/woman |
| Net Migration Rate | | -4.55 migrants/1,000 population (2000 est.) |
| Refugees and Migrants | | total: 1.963 million
Afghans: 1.4 million
Iraqis: 530,605 |
| Sex Ratio | | 1.03 males/females (2000 est.) |
| Life Expectancy | | total population: 69.66 years
male: 68.34 years
female: 71.05 years (2000 est.) |
| Ethnic Groups | | Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% |
| Language Groups | | Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% |
| Religious Groups | | Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1% |
| Adult Literacy | | total: 74.5% (1997), 57.1% (1988)
male: 81.9% (1997), 67.1% (1988)
female: 67% (1997), 46.3% (1988) |
| | | Economy |
| GDP - Purchasing Power Parity | | $456 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - Real Growth Rate | | 5% |
| GDP - Per Capita | | $5,300 |
| GDP - Composition by Sector | | agriculture: 21% (1997)
34% (1976)
service:45% (1997)
30.9% (1976)
manufacture: 34% (1997)
34% (1976) |
| Industries | | petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments |
| Agricultural Products | | wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, caviar |
| Exports - commodities | | petroleum 80%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides, iron, steel |
| Imports - commodities | | machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products |
Human Poverty Index
% under the poverty line | | 18.1% (1997)
31% (1988) |
| Share of Total Earned Income | | male: 90.3%
female: 9.7% (1997 est.) |
Unemployment
approximately 360,000 new jobs are being created each year, to maintain this rate of unemployment, there needs to be 750,000 new jobs created each year | | 18.1% (1997)
31% (1988) |
Note: data from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the Human Development Report of the Islamic Republic of Iran
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