The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

      Maritime claims:

       territorial sea: 12 nm

       contiguous zone: 24 nm

       exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the

       Persian Gulf

       continental shelf: natural prolongation

      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

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: Caspian Sea −28 m

       highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

      Natural resources:

       petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead,

       manganese, zinc, sulfur

      Land use: arable land: 8.72% permanent crops: 1.39% other: 89.89% (2001)

      Irrigated land:

       75,620 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

      Environment - current issues:

       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

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered

       Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,

       Wetlands

       signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the

       Sea, Marine Life Conservation

      Geography - note:

       strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which

       are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

      People Iran

      Population:

       68,017,860 (July 2005 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 27.1% (male 9,465,475/female 8,973,828)

       15–64 years: 68% (male 23,556,970/female 22,701,065)

       65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,637,512/female 1,683,010) (2005 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 24.23 years

       male: 24.03 years

       female: 24.44 years (2005 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       0.86% (2005 est.)

      Birth rate:

       16.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Death rate:

       5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       −2.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female

       total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 41.58 deaths/1,000 live births

       male: 41.75 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 41.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 69.96 years

       male: 68.58 years

       female: 71.4 years (2005 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.82 children born/woman (2005 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       31,000 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       800 (2003 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Iranian(s)

       adjective: Iranian

      Ethnic groups:

       Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab

       3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

      Religions:

       Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian,

       and Baha'i 2%

      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: 79.4%

       male: 85.6%

       female: 73% (2003 est.)

      Government Iran

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran

       conventional short form: Iran

       local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

       local short form: Iran

       former: Persia

      Government type:

       theocratic republic

      Capital:

       Tehran

      Administrative divisions:

       30 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e

       Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,

       Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,

       Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Janubi, Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-e

       Shemali, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan,

       Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan,

       Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

      Independence:

       1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

      National holiday:

       Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

       note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include

       Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21

       March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925)

      Constitution:

       2–3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency

       and eliminate