c



 



Dr. Farhad Zargari
Social Security Organization,
Tehran, December 2005
drzargari@gmail.com
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Õ ›ran has a long and rich history. ›t is honored to
be one of the five ancient human civilizations.
Some of the world's most ancient settlements have
been excavated in the Caspian region and on the
›ranian plateau in where village life began in 4000
B.C. The Aryans came about 2000 B.C. and split
into two main groups, the Medes and the Persians.
The Medes dominated and ruled until the Persian
king Cyrus the Great overthrew the Medes and
became ruler of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire,
which reached from the ›ndus to the Nile at its
zenith in 525 B.C.
 w
Õ Persia fell to Alexander in 331
331ŒŒ330 B.C. and a
succession of other rulers: the Seleucids, the
Greek--speaking Parthians, the Sasanians, and
Greek
the Arab Muslims (in 641).
641). By the mid-
mid-800s
800s
Persia had become an international scientific and
cultural center. ›n the 12
12thth century it was
invaded by the Mongols
Mongols.. The Safavid dynasty
(1501Œ
1501Œ1722
1722),), under whom the dominant religion
became Shiite ›slam, followed, and was then
replaced by the Qajar dynasty (1794
(1794ŒŒ1925
1925).
).
 w
Õ During the Qajar dynasty, the
Russians and the British
fought for economic control
of the area, and during World
War ›, ›ran's neutrality did
not stop it from becoming a
battlefield for Russian and
British troops. A coup in 1921
brought Reza Kahn to power.
›n 1925
1925,, he became shah and
changed his name to Reza
Shah Pahlavi.
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Õ ›ran[s pro-
›ran[ pro-Axis allegiance in World War ›› led to
Anglo--Russian occupation of the country in 1941
Anglo
and deposition of the Reza Shah in favor of his
son, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Pahlavi's extreme
Westernization programs alienated intellectuals
and the clergy, and his authoritarian rule led to
massive demonstrations during the 1970s,
1970s, to
which the shah responded with brutality and
imposition of martial law in 1978.
1978. The shah and
his family fled ›ran on Jan. 16
16,, 1979
1979,, and the
exiled leader, ›mam Khomeini,
Khomeini, returned to ›ran
to establish an ›slamic Republic.
ë
  
 ë
  
Õ Area: 1,648
648,,000 km
km‰‰ (636,
636,290 sq mi)
- ›ran is the 19th largest country in
the world
Õ ·and Area: 1,636
636,,000 km‰
km‰
Õ Water Area: 1212,,000 km‰
km‰
Õ Capital City: Tehran (12
(12 millions)
- 14th most populous city in the
world
Õ Major Cities: Mashhad, ›sfahan,
Tabriz, Shiraz
 ë
  
Õ ·ocation: Geopolitical Region of
Middle East
Õ ·and Boundaries: 5,440 km
Õ Border Countries:
Afghanistan 936 km,
Armenia 35 km,
Azerbaijan--proper 432 km,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan--Naxcivan 179 km,
Azerbaijan
›raq 1,458 km,
Pakistan 909 km,
Turkey 499 km,
Turkmenistan 992 km
Õ Coastline: 2,440 km
 ë
  
Õ wighest Point: Damavand
Peak - 5,671 m (18
(18,,603 ft)
Õ Annual Rainfall: Ranges
from less than 50 mm in the
deserts to more than 1600
mm on the Caspian Plain. The
average annual rainfall is 252
mm and approximately 90% 90%
of the country is arid or
semiarid. Overall, about two-
two-
thirds of the country receives
less than 250 mm of rainfall
per year.
2
  
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Õ Population: 68 millions
-›ran is the 18th most populous country of the world.
Õ Age Structure: - 0-14 years: 27.
27.1%
. - 15-
15-64 years: 68%
68%
. - 65 years and over: 4.9%
Õ Sex Ratio Male /Female :
At birth: 1.05
Under 15 years: 1.06 male (s)/female
15--64 years: 1.04 male (s)/female
15
65 years and over: 0.97 male (s)/female
total population: 1.04 male (s)/female
 2
  
Õ Density per sq mi: 107
Õ Urbanization: 65
65%
% of
population live in urban areas Œ
›n this regard ›ran ranks 87th
among 209
Õ Ethnic Groups: Fars 51%,
51%,
Azeri 24%,
24%, Gilaki and
Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab
3%, ·ur 2%, Baloch 2%,
Turkmen 2%, others 1%
 2
  
Õ Official ·anguage: Farsi
(Persian)
Õ ·iteracy: Total : 79.
79.4%
Male: 85.
85.6%
Female: 73%
73%

Õ Net Primary School

Enrolment / Attendance
(1996-
1996-2003)
2003) : 93
93%
%
Õ % of Population
Urbanized, (2003
(2003):
):
67
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 w

Õ wealth ›nvestment: GDP/ wealth 6%
Õ ›nfant Mortality Rate: 26 deaths/1
deaths/1,000 live births
Õ Average ·ife Expectancy at Birth: Total: 70.
70.3 Π(Men:
68..6, Women: 72)
68 72)
Õ Total Fertility Rate: 1.82 Children born/woman
Õ Population Growth Rate: 0.86 86%% Œ Ranking 137th
among 234 countries and independent islands worldwide.
Õ Birth Rate: 16 births/1,000 population Œ Ranking 131st
16..83 births/1
among 225 countries and independent islands worldwide.
Õ Death Rate: 5.55 deaths/1
deaths/1,000 population ŒRanking
181st among 225 countries and independent islands
worldwide.
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Õ Number of wospitals & Day
Clinics (public & private): 800
with 104
104,,000 beds
Õ Number of Public wealth
&Treatment Clinics: 4900
Õ Number of Rural wealth wouses:
16,,800
16
Õ Access to Primary wealth Care
(PwC): 100 %-Urban / 95%
95%-Rural
Õ wealth Care ›nsurance
Coverage: 94%
94% of Population
 w

Õ w› /A›DS - Adult
Prevalence Rate: < 0.1%
Õ w› /A›DS - people living
with w› /A›DS: 3131,,000
000((2002)
2002)
- On the A›DS prevalence rate
›ran is the 122nd among 131
countries with less than 0.1
percent of the population
afflicted.
Õ Access to essential drugs: ›n
›ran 80%
80% of population have
access to.
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Õ Population Aged 60 and More
2003) : 6.4%
(2003)

Õ Total Number of Nurses and

2004) : 155542
Midwives (2004)
Õ Total Number of Dentists (2004)
2004):
12378
Õ Total Number of Pharmacists
2004) : 8108
(2004)

Õ Total Number of Physicians

2004) : 68079
(2004)
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Õ Under-5 mortality rank to the
Under-
top: 79
Õ Under--5 mortality rate,1960
Under rate,1960::
281
Õ Under--5 mortality rate,2003
Under rate,2003::
39
Õ ›nfant mortality rate (under
1),1960
),1960:: 164
Õ ›nfant mortality rate (under
1),2003
),2003 : 33
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Õ % of Total Population Using
›mproved Drinking Water Sources,
(2002):
2002): 93
Õ % of Total Population Using
Adequate Sanitation Facilities,
(2002):
2002): 84
Õ Average Annual Growth Rate of
Urban Population,1970
Population,1970--1990:
1990:
(%)4
(%)4.9
Õ Average annual growth rate of
urban population,1990
population,1990--2003:
2003:
(%)2
(%)2.8
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Õ Percent of one-
one-year-
year-olds
fully immunized against
DPT3
DPT 3, Measles, wepatitis B,
Tuberculosis, and Polio
(2003):
2003): 99


 

Õ Religions: Muslim 98%,
98%, Zoroastrian,
Zoroastrian,
Jewish, Christian, and Others 2%
Õ ›slam entered the country in the 7th
cent. A.D. and is now the official
religion; about 90
90%
% of ›ranians are
Muslims of the Shiite sect. The
remainder, mostly Kurds and Arabs,
are Sunnis. Colonies of Zoroastrians
remain at Yazd, Kerman, and other
towns. ›n addition to Armenian and
Assyrian Christian sects, there are
Jews, Protestants, and Roman
Catholics.
ë


 ë


Õ Government Type: ›slamic Republic
Õ National Day: April 1
Õ Branches of Government: According to the
Constitution: Executive branch, ·egislative branch, Judicial
branch
Õ Administrative Divisions: 30 Provinces, On the number
of Administrative divisions ›ran is the 24th among 234
countries and independent islands.
Õ ›nternational Organization Participation:
CP, ECO, FAO, G-
G-24
24,, G-
G-77,
77, ›AEA, ›BRD, ›CAO, ›CC, ›CCt (signatory),
›CRM, ›DA, ›DB, ›FAD, ›FC, ›FRCS, ›wO, ›·O, ›MF, ›MO, ›nterpol, ›OC,
›OM, ›SO, ›TU, M›GA, NAM, O›C, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNwCR, UN›DO, UNMEE, UPU, WC·, WCO, WFTU, WwO,
W›PO, WMO, WToO
 ë


Õ Electoral system: Universal adult suffrage
Õ Women[[s Political Participation:
Women
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Õ Currency: Rial (1
(1USD=9023
USD=9023 R)
Õ GDP (market exchange rate): $ 177.
177.8
billion (2004)
2004)
Õ GDP (purchasing power parity -PPP): $681
billion (2004)
2004)
Õ GDP Per Capita (market exchange rate):
USD 2,554
Õ GDP Per Capita (PPP) : USD 7,588
(2004)
2004)
Õ GDP Real Growth Rate: 6.4%
Õ GDP - Composition by Sector:
agriculture: 11.
11.2%
industry: 40
40..9%
services: 48.
48.7%
 0
 
Õ ·abor Force: 23 Millions, making
›ran 22nd country among 215
Õ ·abor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%,
30%,
industry 25
25%,
%,
services 45%
45%
Õ Unemployment Rate: 11
11..2% -
›ran ranks 89th among 197 countries
with regard to the number of
unemployed population.
Õ ›ran is the second largest economy
in the Middle East
 0
 
Õ Of the variety of natural resources
found in ›ran, petroleum (discovered
in 1908 in Khuzestan province) and
natural gas are by far the most
important. The chief oil fields are
found in the central and southwestern
parts of the Zagros Mts. and in the
offshore waters of the Persian Gulf. Oil
also is found in the Northern ›ran.
Domestic oil and gas, along with
hydroelectric power facilities, provide
the country with power.
 0
 
Õ The petroleum industry is ›ran's
economic mainstay; oil accounts for
80%
80 % of export revenues, and ›ran is
a member of the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC). Pipelines move oil from the
fields to the refineries and to such
exporting ports as Abadan, Bandar-
Bandar-e
Mahshahr, and Khark ›sland. ›n the
late 1990s,
1990s, ›ran's state
state--owned oil
and gas industry entered into major
exploration and production
agreements with foreign
consortiums.
 0
 
Õ Natural Resources: petroleum,
natural gas, coal, chromium, copper,
iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Õ ›ran has the 4th largest oil reserves of
the world
Õ ›ran has the 2nd largest gas reserves of
the world
Õ ›ran has the 2nd largest copper reserves
of the world
Õ ›ran has the 1st largest zink reserves of
the world
Õ ›ran is the second largest oil producer
of (OPEC)
 0
 
Õ Oil Production: 3.9 million bbl/day
Õ Oil Consumption: 1.4 million bbl/day
Õ Oil Export: 2.5 million bbl/day
Õ Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold: Between
USD 50
50--60 billion
Õ Major Exports Partners: Japan 18
18..4%, China 9.7%, ›taly
6%, South Africa 5.8%, South Korea 5.4%, Taiwan 4.6%,
Turkey 4.4%, Netherlands 4%
Õ Major ›mport Partners: Germany 12. 12.8%, France 8.3%,
›taly 7.7%, China 7.2%, UAE 7.2%, South Korea 6.1%,
Russia 5.4%
Õ External Debt: USD 13 13..4 billion
Õ Oil earnings dominate ›ran
›ran[[s external trade, generating
some 80%
80% of revenue, although non-
non-oil exports have begun
to rise.
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Õ Population living below $1
$1 a day(
day(1992
1992--2002):
2002): 2%
Õ ›nflation Rate (consumer prices): 14 14..6%
Õ Agricultural products: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar
beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Õ Major industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles,
cement and other construction materials, food processing,
metal fabrication, vehicle production, armaments
Õ ›ndustrial Production Growth Rate: 3.5% (excluding oil)
Õ Female economic activity growth in ›ran is one of the
34%, giving the country 6th
fastest rising rates e.g. 34%,
position among 162 countries.
 0
 
Õ On the size of exported products,
›ran is the 40th country between
226 countries and independent
islands.
Õ On the amount of GDP, ›ran is the
20th country in the world.
Õ ›ran has the 18th highest growth in
GDP in the world.
Õ Annual car production is close to
400,,000 making ›ran the 19th
400
country among 70 70..



 


Õ About 10
10%% of the land in ›ran is
arable; agriculture contributes just
over 20%
20% to the gross national
product and employs a third of the
labor force. The main food-
food-
producing areas are in the Caspian
region and in the valleys of the
northwest. Wheat, the most
important crop, is grown mainly in
the west and northwest; rice is the
major crop in the Caspian region.
Barley, corn, cotton, sugar beets,
tea, hemp, tobacco, fruits (including
citrus), nuts, and dates are also
grown, and livestock is raised.
 


Õ The principal obstacles to agricultural

production are primitive farming
methods, overworked and under
fertilized soil, poor seed, and scarcity
of water. About one third of the
cultivated land is irrigated; the
construction of multipurpose dams
and reservoirs along the rivers in the
Zagros and Alburz mts. has increased
the amount of water available for
irrigation. Agricultural programs of
modernization, mechanization, and
crop and livestock improvement, and
programs for the redistribution of land
are increasing agricultural production.
 


Õ The northern slopes of the

Alburz Mts. are heavily wooded,
and forestry products are
economically important; the
cutting of trees is rigidly
controlled by the government,
which also has a reforestation
program. ›n the rivers entering
the Caspian Sea are salmon,
carp, trout, and pike; sturgeon
are abundant in the Caspian
Sea.
 


Õ ›ran's first genetically modified

(GM) rice has been approved
by national authorities and is
being grown commercially for
human consumption.
Researchers at the Agricultural
Biotechnology Research
›nstitute of ›ran (ABR››)
modified rice to resist attack by
insects by inserting a bacterial
gene that produces a toxin.
 


Õ Dams have always played an important role in harnessing

›ran's precious water reserves and the long-
long-term objective
of ›ran's water resources development plan is based on
the control and regulation of water resources through
dams. ›n 1994
1994,, 27 storage dams were in operation with a
total regulation capacity of 39.
39.2 km
km´´. At the same time, 24
storage dams were under construction with a design
regulation capacity of 11.
11.5 km
km´´. ›n 1993
1993,, the annual
electricity production from dams was 25 116
 


Õ GWw, which is 33 % of the total energy production of the

country. Dams also play an important role in flood control
through routing of floods. Several reservoirs behind the
dams seem to offer good sailing and water-
water-skiing facilities,
but have not been used for recreation so far.
 


Õ Agricultural growth: ›n
agricultural growth ›ran
ranks 13th country among
155..
155
a 
)
*

 a 
)*

Õ Telephones - main lines in use:
14,,571
14 571,,100 (2003)
2003)

Õ Telephones - mobile cellular:

4.200
200,,000 (2003)
2003)

Õ ›nternet users: >5.8 millions Œ ›n

this regard ›ran is the 17th country
among 167 countries
Õ Radio Broadcast Stations: AM 72
72,,
FM 5, SW 5 (1998)
1998)

Õ T Channels: 12
12((7 Farsi, 5 Foreign
·anguages)
 a 
)*

Õ Annual Cinema attendance in 2003 was
000,,000 ranking ›ran the 20th country
26,,000
26
among 79 79..
Õ Number of Cinemas: 287
Õ 500,000 - 18th country
Number of PCs: 4,500,
among 165165..
Õ Number of Mobile cellular phones:
000,,000 Π36th country among 180
4,000 180..
Õ 100,000 Œ 33rd
Number of T sets: 5,100,
country among 215
 a 
)*

Õ âFor ›ranians living outside of
›ran, the internet has become
a lifeline, a way not only to
stay in touch with friends and
family back home, but also to
stay connected to ›ranian
culture no matter where they
are.â There may be 46,46,000
bloggers inside ›ran, and as
many as 75,75,000 active Farsi
blogs worldwide.
+  
 +  
Õ Railways: 7,203 km
Õ wighways: 167
167,,157 km
Õ Waterways: 850 km (on Karun
River and ·ake Urmia) (2004)
2004)

Õ Number of Airports: 305 - ›n

this regard ›ran ranks 26th among
255 countries worldwide
0

 0

Õ ›ran in biodiversity richness is the
27th country among 68 countries.
Õ On the Endangered species
protection ›ran is the 71st country
among 142 countries.
Õ ›ran is the 3rd country in the world
in Carbon Dioxide emission from
fossil fuels.




 



Õ ›ran with more than 2
millions of refugees from
Afghanistan, ›raq and other
countries stands at the top
of the world countries.
(
 (

Õ F›FA World Ranking: 614

points ranking ›ran 33rd
among 204
Õ All time summer Olympic
medals: 40 medals ranking
›ran 39th among 136