*Indonesia, Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 53,160,364; fit for military service 31,395,254; reach
military age (18) annually 2,148,927 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $2.1 billion, 1.5% of GNP (FY93/94 est.)
*Iran, Geography
Location:
Middle East, between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea
Map references:
Asia, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1.648 million km2
land area:
1.636 million km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
total 5,440 km, Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan (north) 432
km, Azerbaijan (northwest) 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey
499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km
Coastline:
2,440 km
note:
Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
not specified
exclusive fishing zone:
50 nm in the Sea of Oman; continental shelf limit, continental shelf
boundaries, or median lines in the Persian Gulf
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990 but are still trying to
work out written agreements settling outstanding disputes from their
eight-year war concerning border demarcation, prisoners-of-war, and freedom
of navigation and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway; Iran occupies
two islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE: Tunb as Sughra (Arabic),
Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek (Persian) or Lesser Tunb, and Tunb al Kubra
(Arabic), Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg (Persian) or Greater Tunb; it jointly
administers with the UAE an island in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE,
Abu Musa (Arabic) or Jazireh-ye Abu Musa (Persian); in 1992 the dispute over
Abu Musa and the Tunb Islands became more acute when Iran unilaterally tried
to control the entry of third country nationals into the UAE portion of Abu
Musa island, Tehran subsequently backed off in the face of significant
diplomatic support for the UAE in the region; periodic disputes with
Afghanistan over Helmand water rights,
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
Land use:
arable land:
8%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
27%
forest and woodland:
11%
*Iran, Geography
other:
54%
Irrigated land:
57,500 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
*Iran, People
Population:
63,369,809 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.49% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
43 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
8.06 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
62.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
65.26 years
male:
64.37 years
female:
66.19 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.4 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Iranian(s)
adjective:
Iranian
Ethnic divisions:
Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%,
Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 95%, Sunni Muslim 4%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and
Baha'i 1%
Languages:
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish
9%, Luri 2%, Baloch 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
54%
male:
64%
female:
43%
Labor force:
15.4 million
by occupation:
agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%
note:
shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)
*Iran, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form:
Iran
local long form:
Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
local short form:
Iran
Digraph:
IR
Type:
theocratic republic
Capital:
Tehran
Administrative divisions:
24 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Azarbayjan-e Bakhtari,
Azarbayjan-e Khavari, Bakhtaran, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,
Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Khorasan, Khuzestan,
Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran,
Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
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
Legal system:
the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
National holiday:
Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Political parties and leaders:
there are at least 18 licensed parties; the three most important are -
Tehran Militant Clergy Association, Mohammad Reza MAHDAVI-KANI; Militant
Clerics Association, Mehdi MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar
MUSAVI-KHOINIHA; Fedaiyin Islam Organization, Sadeq KHALKHALI
Other political or pressure groups:
groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Hizballah,
Hojjatiyeh Society, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students
Following the Line of the Imam; armed political groups that have been almost
completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq
Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Kurdish Democratic Party; the Society
for the Defense of Freedom
Suffrage:
15 years of age; universal
Elections:
President:
last held July 1989 (next to be held 11 June 1993); results - Ali Akbar
HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI was elected with only token opposition
Islamic Consultative Assembly:
last held 8 April 1992 (next to be held April 1996); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (270 seats total) number of seats by party NA
Executive branch:
supreme leader (velay-t-e faqih), president, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court