Islamic Republic of Iran

Wealth and National Well-Being

Country Comparisons:
2010: see chart

World Factbook:

Iran's economy is marked by an inefficient state sector, reliance on the oil sector, which provides the majority of government revenues, and statist policies, which create major distortions throughout the system. Private sector activity is typically limited to small-scale workshops, farming, and services.

Public debt
2009: 16.2% of GDP

Budget
2010: revenues $105.7 billion, 106.9% of expenditures ($98.83 billion)

External debt
Dec 31, 2010: $75.06 billion

Import/export ratio
2010: 133.4%, a favorable balance created by its export of oil. Iran was the world's fourth largest exporter of oil in 2009 (2.4 million barrels per day).

Inflation rate
2009: 16.8%

Industries
petroleum, petrochemicals, fertilizers, caustic soda, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), ferrous and non-ferrous metal fabrication, armaments.

Oil production and consumption
2009: chart

Export Partners
2008: China, Japan, India, South Korea, Turkey and Italy

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP
2006: 2.5%

People

Living in an urban area
2010: 71%

July 2011: 77.981 million, compared to 82.079 million for Egypt,
2010 growth rate: 1.248%

Migrations
2010: More leaving than arriving. A net loss of 0.04 persons per 1,000 population (one in every 25,000 persons).

Religion
Muslims 98%. Of these, 89% are Shia and 9% are Sunni

Geography

Between Iraq and Pakistan. Size equivalent to 1,284 by 1,284 kilometers, or roughly 800 by 800 miles. 2440 kilometers of coastline along the Persian Gulf. A lot of desert and mountains.

Government

World Factbook: "Theocratic republic." Capital: Tehran.

Sex outside of marriage is illegal. Punishment by death can be imposed, or the lash.

Iran is one of three countries with a law against flag desecration.

Recent History

Called Persia until 1935. Iran is pronounced EAR-ran, not EYE-ran.

April 1, 1979: Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed.

March 2008: In parliamentary elections, conservatives maintain their 70 percent majority, despite inflation that has reached 19 percent. Iranians are supporting what they see as their nation under attack. Liberal reformers, who dominated the political scene from the late 1990s to 2004, win ten more seats, to 50 seats-- 17.2% of the 290 seats.

June 13, 2010: Iran remains a sham democracy. Real democracies give freedom to an opposition that is not trying to overthrow it by force. One year has passed since President Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election. Hopes of the demonstrators for change around the corner has faded. But government oppression continues. The BBC reports that, "Monitoring of the internet and phones has risen to new levels." Iranian exiles have become "less willing to speak out... Many Iranians have fallen into a sullen acquiescence, frustrated that their hope for change have slipped away."

More Iranians think of themselves as middle class and are reported by the BBC as having aspiration for a freer, more secular lifestyle. The population is young and outward looking. The BBC describes those wanting political change as having been "unable to broaden their core support into the working classes, and also into the diverse regions of Iran, where the different ethnic groups have also been antagonized by Mr Ahmadinejad."

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/