Chapter XXVII: Front Matter (27)

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or
Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to
12 of which are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen
by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies;
members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha
(545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the
president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly - last held 5 September through 3
October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP
alliance 40.8%, Congress (I) alliance 33.8%, other 25.4%; seats by
party - BJP alliance 304, Congress (I) alliance 134, other 107

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in
office until they reach the age of 65)

Political parties and leaders:
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha
JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [D. BISWAS (general
secretary)]; Asom Gana Parishad [Brindaban GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj
Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Jana
KRISNAMURTHY]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist
Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of
India/Marxist-Leninist or CPI/ML [Dipankar BHATTACHARYA]; Congress
(I) Party [Sonia GANDHI]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a
regional party in Tamil Nadu) [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National
League [Suliaman SAITH]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D. Deve GOWDA];
Janata Dal (United) or JDU [Sharad YADAV]; Kerala Congress (Mani
faction) [K. M. MANI]; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or
MDMK [VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M. BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress
Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo
Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP [Abani ROY];
Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal [G.
S. TOHRA]; Shiv Sena [Bal THACKERAY]; Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K.
VASAN]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]; Trinamool
Congress [Mamata BANERJEE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,
including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater
communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties
Hurriyat Conference

International organization participation:
AfDB, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS,
C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC,
NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lalit MANSINGH
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 483-3972
telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000
chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note -
Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert D. BLACKWILL
embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [91] (11) 419-8000
FAX: [91] (11) 419-0017
consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai
(Bombay)

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top),
white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in
the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small
orange disk centered in the white band

Economy India

Economy - overview:
India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern
agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a
multitude of support services. Overpopulation severely handicaps the
economy and about a quarter of the population is too poor to be able
to afford an adequate diet. Government controls have been reduced on
imports and foreign investment, and privatization of domestic output
has proceeded slowly. The economy has posted an excellent average
growth rate of 6% since 1990, reducing poverty by about 10
percentage points. India has large numbers of well-educated people
skilled in the English language; India is a major exporter of
software services and software workers; the information technology
sector leads the strong growth pattern. The World Bank and others
worry about the continuing public-sector budget deficit, running at
approximately 10% of GDP in 1997-2002. In 2003 the state-owned
Indian Bank substantially reduced non-performing loans, attracted
new customers, and turned a profit. Deep-rooted problems remain,
notably conflicts among political and cultural groups.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.664 trillion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 25%
services: 50% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
25% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 33.5% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.8 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.4% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
406 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 60%, services 23%, industry 17% (1999)

Unemployment rate:
8.8% (2002)

Budget:
revenues: $48.3 billion
expenditures: $78.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $14
(FY01/02 est.)

Industries:
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation
equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
533.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 81.7%
hydro: 14.5%
other: 0.3% (2001)
nuclear: 3.4%

Electricity - consumption:
497.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
321 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1.54 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
732,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
2.13 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
4.33 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
22.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
22.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
542.4 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;
cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Exports:
$44.5 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities:
textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals,
leather manufactures

Exports - partners:
US 22.5%, UK 5.1%, UAE 5.1%, Hong Kong 4.5%, Germany 4.3%, China
4.1% (2002)

Imports:
$53.8 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals

Imports - partners:
US 7.1%, Belgium 6.7%, China 4.6%, Singapore 4.6%, UK 4.6% (2002)

Debt - external:
$100.6 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.9 billion (FY 98/99)

Currency:
Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code:
INR

Exchange rates:
Indian rupees per US dollar - 48.61 (2002), 47.19 (2001), 44.94
(2000), 43.06 (1999), 41.26 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications India

Telephones - main lines in use:
27.7 million (October 2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.93 million (November 2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: mediocre service; local and long distance
service provided throughout all regions of the country, with
services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; major objective
is to continue to expand and modernize long-distance network to keep
pace with rapidly growing number of local subscriber lines; steady
improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and
private-public investors, but, with telephone density at about two
for each 100 persons and a waiting list of over 2 million, demand
for main line telephone service will not be satisfied for a very
long time
domestic: local service is provided by microwave radio relay and
coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and
manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas; starting in
the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been
introduced for local and long-distance service; long-distance
traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity
microwave radio relay; since 1985 significant trunk capacity has
been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite
system with 254 earth stations; mobile cellular service is provided
in four metropolitan cities
international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges
operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gaidhinagar, Hyderabad, and
Ernakulam; 4 submarine cables - LOCOM linking Chennai (Madras) to
Penang; Indo-UAE-Gulf cable linking Mumbai (Bombay) to Al Fujayrah,
UAE; India-SEA-ME-WE-3, SEA-ME-WE-2 with landing sites at Cochin and
Mumbai (Bombay); Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with
landing site at Mumbai (Bombay) (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)

Radios:
116 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480
stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Televisions:
63 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.in

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
43 (2000)

Internet users:
7 million (2002)

Transportation India

Railways:
total: 63,518 km (15,009 km electrified)
broad gauge: 45,142 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 15,013 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,363 km 0.762-m gauge and
0.610-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 3,319,644 km
paved: 1,517,077 km
unpaved: 1,802,567 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
16,180 km
note: 3,631 km navigable by large vessels

Pipelines:
gas 5,798 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,195 km; oil 5,613 km; refined
products 5,567 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Chennai (Madras), Cochin, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata
(Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Vishakhapatnam

Merchant marine:
total: 305 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,753,279 GRT/9,621,911 DWT
ships by type: bulk 100, cargo 82, chemical tanker 15, combination
bulk 2, combination ore/oil 2, container 10, liquefied gas 10,
passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 75, roll on/roll off 1,
short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: China 1, UAE 10, UK 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
334 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 232
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 47
914 to 1,523 m: 73
under 914 m: 20 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 78

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 102
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
under 914 m: 48 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 42

Heliports:
19 (2002)

Military India

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, Strategic Nuclear
Command (SNC), Coast Guard, various security or paramilitary forces
(including Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Rashtriya Rifles,
National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special
Frontier Force, Ladakh Scouts, Central Reserve Police Force, Central
Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, Defense
Security Corps, and Indian Reserve Battalions)

Military manpower - military age:
17 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 288,251,975 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 169 million (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 11,035,174 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$11.52 billion (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.3% (FY02)

Transnational Issues India

Disputes - international:
much of the rugged, militarized boundary with China is in dispute,
but the two sides have participated in more than 13 rounds of joint
working group sessions on this issue; India objects to Pakistan
ceding lands to China in 1965 boundary agreement that India believes
are part of disputed Kashmir; with Pakistan, armed stand-off over
the status and sovereignty of Kashmir continues; disputes with
Pakistan over Indus River water sharing and the terminus of the Rann
of Kutch, which prevents maritime boundary delimitation; Joint
Border Committee with Nepal continues to work on resolution of
disputed boundary sections; dispute with Bangladesh over New
Moore/South Talpatty Island in the Bay of Bengal prevents maritime
boundary delimitation

Illicit drugs:
world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical
trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit
international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics
produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone;
vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Indian Ocean

Introduction Indian Ocean

Background:
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans
(after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the
Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access
waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb
(Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of
Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia).

Geography Indian Ocean

Location:
body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and
Australia

Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 80 00 E

Map references:
Political Map of the World

Area:
total: 68.556 million sq km
note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea,
Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea,
Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of
Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:
about 5.5 times the size of the US

Coastline:
66,526 km

Climate:
northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to
October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and
October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February
in the southern Indian Ocean

Terrain:
surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system
of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of
surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric
pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in
the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents,
while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter
air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest
winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean
Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest
Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates,
placer deposits, polymetallic nodules

Natural hazards:
occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches

Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and
whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea

Geography - note:
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait
of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait

Economy Indian Ocean

Economy - overview:
The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle
East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries
a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products
from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are
of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for
domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan,
South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for
shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in
the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western
Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production
comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and
offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering
countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand.

Transportation Indian Ocean

Ports and harbors:
Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South
Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne
(Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa)

Transnational Issues Indian Ocean

Disputes - international:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Indonesia

Introduction Indonesia

Background:
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago; it achieved
independence from the Netherlands in 1949. Current issues include:
alleviating widespread poverty, implementing IMF-mandated reforms of
the banking sector, effecting a transition to a popularly-elected
government after four decades of authoritarianism, addressing
charges of cronyism and corruption, holding the military and police
accountable for human rights violations, and resolving growing
separatist pressures in Aceh and Papua.

Geography Indonesia

Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the
Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates:
5 00 S, 120 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 1,919,440 sq km
water: 93,000 sq km
land: 1,826,440 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,830 km
border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New
Guinea 820 km

Coastline:
54,716 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain:
mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper,
fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

Land use:
arable land: 9.9%
permanent crops: 7.2%
other: 82.9% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
48,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes,
volcanoes, forest fires

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air
pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
Conservation

Geography - note:
archipelago of more than 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited);
straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea
lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

People Indonesia

Population:
234,893,453 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.7% (male 35,437,274; female 34,232,824)
15-64 years: 65.4% (male 76,743,613; female 76,845,245)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 5,086,465; female 6,548,032) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 25.8 years
male: 25.4 years
female: 26.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.52% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
21.49 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 38.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 32.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 43.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.94 years
male: 66.54 years
female: 71.47 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
120,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,600 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Indonesian(s)
adjective: Indonesian

Ethnic groups:
Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%,
other 26%

Religions:
Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist
1%, other 1% (1998)

Languages:
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English,
Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.5%
male: 92.9%
female: 84.1% (2003 est.)

Government Indonesia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
conventional short form: Indonesia
local long form: Republik Indonesia
former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies
local short form: Indonesia

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Jakarta

Administrative divisions:
27 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special
regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1
special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*,
Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa
Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan
Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan Bangka
Belitung, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa
Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah,
Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan,
Sumatera Utara, Yogyakarta*; note - with the implementation of
decentralization on 1 January 2001, the 357 districts (regencies)
have become the key administrative units responsible for providing
most government services
note: following the 30 August 1999 provincial referendum for
independence that was overwhelmingly approved by the people of Timor
Timur and the October 1999 concurrence of Indonesia's national
legislature, the name East Timor was adopted as the provisional name
for the political entity formerly known as Propinsi Timor Timur;
East Timor gained its formal independence on 20 May 2002

Independence:
17 August 1945 (proclaimed independence; on 27 December 1949,
Indonesia became legally independent from the Netherlands)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 August (1945)

Constitution:
August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and
Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous
concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age

Executive branch:
chief of state: President MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri (since 23 July
2001) and Vice President Hamzah HAZ (since 26 July 2001); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri (since 23 July
2001) and Vice President Hamzah HAZ (since 26 July 2001); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected separately by the
People's Consultative Assembly or MPR for five-year terms; selection
of president last held 23 July 2001; selection of vice president
last held 26 July 2001; next election to be held in July 2004; in
accordance with constitutional changes, the election of the
president and vice president will be by direct vote of the citizenry
note: the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan
Rakyat or MPR) includes the House of Representatives (Dewan
Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR) plus 195 indirectly selected members; it
meets every five years to elect the president and vice president and
to approve broad outlines of national policy and also has yearly
meetings to consider constitutional and legislative changes;
constitutional amendments adopted in 2001 and 2002 provide for the
MPR to be restructured in 2004 and to consist entirely of
popularly-elected members who will be in the DPR and the new House
of Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD); the
MPR will no longer formulate national policy
election results: MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri elected president, receiving
591 votes in favor (91 abstentions); Hamzah HAZ elected vice
president, receiving 340 votes in favor (237 against)

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat
(DPR) (500 seats; 462 elected by popular vote, 38 are appointed
military representatives until 2004 election when military seats
expire; members serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDI-P 37.4%, Golkar
20.9%, PKB 17.4%, PPP 10.7%, PAN 7.3%, PBB 1.8%, other 4.5%; seats
by party - PDI-P 154, Golkar 120, PPP 58, PKB 51, PAN 35, PBB 14,
other 30; note - subsequent to the election, there has been a change
in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is: PDI-P 153,
Golkar 120, PPP 58, PKB 51, PAN 35, PBB 13, other 32
elections: last held 7 June 1999 (next to be held April 2004)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the
president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature);
note - the Supreme Court is preparing to assume administrative
responsibility for the lower court system, currently run by the
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; a separate Constitutional
Court was invested by the president on 16 August 2003

Political parties and leaders:
Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza MAHENDRA,
chairman]; Federation of Functional Groups or Golkar [Akbar
TANDJUNG, general chairman]; Indonesia Democracy Party-Struggle or
PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri, chairperson]; National Awakening Party
or PKB [Alwi SHIHAB, chairman]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Amien
RAIS, chairman]; Prosperous Justice Party or PKS [Hidayat NUR WAHID,
chairman]; United Development Party or PPP (federation of former
Islamic parties) [Hamzah HAZ, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC,
OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH,
UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador SOEMADI Brotodiningrat
chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 775-5365
telephone: [1] (202) 775-5200

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE
embassy: Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka Selatan 3-5, Jakarta 10110
mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520
telephone: [62] (21) 3435-9000
FAX: [62] (21) 385-7189
consulate(s) general: Surabaya

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the
flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of
Poland, which is white (top) and red

Economy Indonesia

Economy - overview:
Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, faces severe economic
development problems stemming from secessionist movements and the
low level of security in the regions; the lack of reliable legal
recourse in contract disputes; corruption; weaknesses in the banking
system; and strained relations with the IMF. Investor confidence
will remain low and few new jobs will be created under these
circumstances. In November 2001, Indonesia agreed with the IMF on a
series of economic reforms in 2002, thus enabling further IMF
disbursements. Negotiations with the IMF and bilateral donors
continued in 2002. Keys to future growth remain internal reform, the
build-up of the confidence of international donors and investors,
and a strong comeback in the global economy.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $714.2 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 41%
services: 42% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
27% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 26.7% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31.7 (1999)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.9% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
99 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 45%, industry 16%, services 39% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
10.6% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $26 billion
expenditures: $30 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
petroleum and natural gas; textiles, apparel, and footwear; mining,
cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood; rubber; food; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
4.9% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
95.78 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 86.9%
hydro: 10.5%
other: 2.5% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
89.08 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
1.451 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.045 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
7.083 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
69 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
36.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
32.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.549 trillion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil,
copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs

Exports:
$52.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber

Exports - partners:
Japan 21.1%, US 13.2%, Singapore 9.4%, South Korea 7.2%, China
5.1%, Taiwan 4.2% (2002)

Imports:
$32.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment; chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Japan 14.1%, Singapore 13.1%, US 8.5%, China 7.8%, South Korea
5.3%, Taiwan 5.1%, Australia 5.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$131 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$43 billion from IMF program and other official external financing
(1997-2000)

Currency:
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)

Currency code:
IDR

Exchange rates:
Indonesian rupiahs per US dollar - 9,311.19 (2002), 10,260.8
(2001), 8,421.77 (2000), 7,855.15 (1999), 10,013.6 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year; note - previously was 1 April - 31 March, but
starting with 2001, has been changed to calendar year

Communications Indonesia

Telephones - main lines in use:
5,588,310 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.07 million (1998)

Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic service fair, international service
good
domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
domestic satellite communications system
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)

Radios:
31.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
41 (1999)

Televisions:
13.75 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.id

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
24 (2000)

Internet users:
4.4 million (2002)

Transportation Indonesia

Railways:
total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km
0.750-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 342,700 km
paved: 158,670 km
unpaved: 184,030 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
21,579 km total
note: Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460
km, Sulawesi (Celebes) 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km

Pipelines:
condensate 672 km; condensate/gas 125 km; gas 8,183 km; oil 7,429
km; oil/gas/water 66 km; refined products 1,329 km; water 72 km
(2003)

Ports and harbors:
Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Makassar, Palembang, Semarang,
Surabaya

Merchant marine:
total: 710 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,045,673 GRT/4,106,508 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Greece 1, Hong Kong 2, India 1, Japan 2, Malaysia 1,
Monaco 3, Panama 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 11, South Korea 1,
Switzerland 1, UK 2, US 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 42, cargo 400, chemical tanker 15, container 56,
liquefied gas 3, livestock carrier 1, passenger 9, passenger/cargo
13, petroleum tanker 127, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 16,
short-sea passenger 9, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 6

Airports:
631 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 153
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 48
under 914 m: 43 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 46

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 478
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 450 (2002)

Heliports:
9 (2002)

Military Indonesia

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including marines and naval air arm), Air Force

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 65,665,721 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 38,290,550 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 2,213,727 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Indonesia

Disputes - international:
East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet regularly
to survey and delimit land boundary; East Timor refugees delay
return from camps in Indonesia; maritime delimitations with
Australia and East Timor await further discussions; ICJ awarded
Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002; Indonesian
secessionists, squatters and illegal migrants create repatriation
problems for Papua New Guinea

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; possible
growing role as transshipment point for Golden Triangle heroin

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Iran

Introduction Iran

Background:
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical
forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate
political authority vested in a learned religious scholar. A group
of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November
1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought
a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq over disputed territory. Over the
past decade, popular dissatisfaction with the government, driven by
demographic changes, restrictive social policies, and poor economic
conditions, has created a powerful and enduring pressure for
political reform.

Geography Iran

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the
Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 53 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 5,440 km
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

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

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: natural prolongation
exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the
Persian Gulf

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: 10.17%
permanent crops: 1.16%
other: 88.67% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
75,620 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
along western border and in the northeast

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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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:
68,278,826 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.3% (male 10,279,588; female 9,727,668)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 22,916,431; female 22,095,124)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,625,113; female 1,634,902) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 22.9 years
male: 22.7 years
female: 23.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.08% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
17.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 44.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 44.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 44.31 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.35 years
male: 68.04 years
female: 70.73 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
20,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
290 (2001 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 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian,
and Baha'i 1%

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 short form: Iran
former: Persia
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

Government type:
theocratic republic

Capital:
Tehran

Administrative divisions:
28 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, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh 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 the prime ministership

Legal system:
the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government

Suffrage:
15 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI
(since 4 June 1989)
elections: leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by
the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 8 June 2001 (next to be held June
2005)
election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani reelected
president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over
appointments to the more sensitive ministries
head of government: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since
3 August 1997); First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-YAZDI
(since 26 August 2001)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats, note - changed from 270 seats
with the 18 February 2000 election; members elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 18 February 2000 with a runoff held 5 May 2000
(next to be held February 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - reformers
189, conservatives 54, independents 42, seats reserved for religious
minorities 5

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad front achieved
considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000,
and groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation
Front (IIPF); Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran);
Solidarity Party; Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization
(MIRO); and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun); a new apparently
conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, emerged at the
local level in early 2003

Political pressure groups and leaders:
active pro-reform student groups include the "Organization for
Strengthening Unity"; groups that generally support the Islamic
Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the
Line of the Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat),
Islamic Coalition Association, and Islamic Engineers Society;
opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National
Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various Monarchist organizations; armed
political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the
government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's
Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala

International organization participation:
CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani
Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209
Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202)
965-4990

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the
national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the
shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the
white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11
times along the top edge of the red band

Economy Iran

Economy - overview:
Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of
oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and
small-scale private trading and service ventures. President KHATAMI
has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President
RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue diversification of
Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made little progress
toward that goal. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have
enabled Iran to amass some $15 billion in foreign exchange reserves,
but have not solved Iran's structural economic problems, including
high unemployment and inflation.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $458.3 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.6% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 19%
industry: 26%
services: 55% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
21 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (1998)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
16.3% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $29.5 billion
expenditures: $31.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2002 est.)

Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction
materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and
vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments

Industrial production growth rate:
5.5% excluding oil (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
124.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 97.1%
hydro: 2.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
115.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
3.804 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.277 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
94.39 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
61.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
65.59 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
110 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
4.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
24.8 trillion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy
products, wool; caviar

Exports:
$24.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals

Exports - partners:
Japan 17.4%, China 8.6%, UAE 7.6%, Italy 6.6%, South Korea 4.9%,
South Africa 4.4% (2002)

Imports:
$21.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military
supplies

Imports - partners:
Germany 10.9%, Italy 9%, France 7.9%, China 7.4%, South Korea 6.5%,
UAE 4.4%, Japan 4.1%, Russia 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$8.7 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$408 million (2002 est.)

Currency:
Iranian rial (IRR)

Currency code:
IRR

Exchange rates:
rials per US dollar 6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56 (2001), 1,764.43
(2000), 1,752.93 (1999), 1,751.86 (1998)
note: from 1997 to 2001, Iran had a multi-exchange-rate system; one
of these rates, the official floating exchange rate, by which most
essential goods were imported, averaged 1,750 rials per US dollar;
in March 2002, the multi-exchange-rate system was converged into one
rate at about 7,900 rials per US dollar

Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March

Communications Iran

Telephones - main lines in use:
6.313 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
265,000 (August 1998)

Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and
expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system
since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave
radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been
brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems
has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular
subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the
system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital
switches
international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with
access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
4 Inmarsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios:
17 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
4.61 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ir

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
100 (2002)

Internet users:
1.326 million (2002 est.)

Transportation Iran

Railways:
total: 7,201 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,107 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 167,157 km
paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways)
unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)

Waterways:
904 km
note: the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for
about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km;
oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz,
Bandar 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni,
Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman, Chabahar
(Bandar Beheshti), Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye
Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now
Shahr

Merchant marine:
total: 139 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,190,576 GRT/7,276,700 DWT
ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 34, chemical tanker 4, container 10,
liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum
tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea
passenger 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
309 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 122
over 3,047 m: 39
2,438 to 3,047 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 4 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 27

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 187
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
under 914 m: 39 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 138

Heliports:
13 (2002)

Military Iran

Military branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces,
Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Command), Iranian Revolutionary
Guards Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods
[special operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization Army] forces),
Law Enforcement Forces

Military manpower - military age:
21 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 20,343,063 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 12,094,551 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 870,711 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$9.7 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.1% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Iran

Disputes - international:
Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on
Helmand River tributaries in response to prolonged drought in
region; thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran; despite
restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iraq over
maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other issues
from eight-year war persist; UAE engage direct talks and Arab League
support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands
and Abu Musa Island; Iran insists on division of the Caspian Sea
into five equal sectors, while other littoral states have generally
agreed to equidistant seabed boundaries - Iran has threatened
Azerbaijanian hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters

Illicit drugs:
despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic
narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and Iranian press
reports estimate at least 2 million drug users in the country

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Iraq

Introduction Iraq

Background:
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain
during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League
of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next
dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A
"republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of
military strongmen have ruled the country since then, the latest
being SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an
inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990,
Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces
during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's
liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap
all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow
UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC
resolutions over a period of 12 years resulted in the US-led
invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn
regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded
infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely
elected government.

Geography Iraq

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 44 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 437,072 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho

Land boundaries:
total: 3,650 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi
Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km

Coastline:
58 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless
summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish
borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that
melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in
central and southern Iraq

Terrain:
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south
with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and
Turkey

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unamed peak 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah
Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Land use:
arable land: 11.89%
permanent crops: 0.78%
other: 87.33% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
35,250 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms, floods

Environment - current issues:
government water control projects have drained most of the
inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting
the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh
Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been
displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses
serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate
supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian
Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and
erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the
Persian Gulf

People Iraq

Population:
24,683,313 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 5,103,669; female 4,946,443)
15-64 years: 56.3% (male 7,033,268; female 6,855,644)
65 years and over: 3% (male 348,790; female 395,499) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19 years
male: 18.9 years
female: 19.1 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.78% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
33.66 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 55.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 61.09 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.81 years
male: 66.7 years
female: 68.99 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.52 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 1,000

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi

Ethnic groups:
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%

Religions:
Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

Languages:
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.4%
male: 55.9%
female: 24.4% (2003 est.)

Government Iraq

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form: Al Iraq

Government type:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

Capital:
Baghdad

Administrative divisions:
18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al
Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah,
At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan,
Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit

Independence:
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 17 July (1968)

Constitution:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

Legal system:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

Suffrage:
formerly 18 years of age; universal; note - in transition following
April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition

Executive branch:
chief of state: in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM
Husayn regime by US-led coalition

Legislative branch:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

Judicial branch:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

Political parties and leaders:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

Political pressure groups and leaders:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, EAPC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

Diplomatic representation from the US:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the
white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic
script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the
left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the
Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria which has two
stars but no script and the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white
band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle
centered in the white band

Economy Iraq