Chapter XXIX: Front Matter (29)

Telephone system:
general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of
telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid change;
local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of
the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban
areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission
of private and private-public investors, but telephone density
remains low at about seven for each 100 persons nationwide but only
one per 100 persons in rural areas and a national waiting list of
over 1.7 million; fastest growth is in cellular service with modest
growth in fixed lines
domestic: expansion of domestic service, although still weak in
rural areas, resulted from increased competition and dramatic
reductions in price led in large part by wireless service; mobile
cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 and
organized nationwide into four metropolitan cities and 19 telecom
circles each with about three private service providers and one
state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk
capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the
world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National
Satellite system (INSAT), with five satellites supporting 33,000
very small aperture terminals (VSAT)
international: country code - 91; 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, Gandhinagar,
Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3
with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic Link
Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South
Africa - Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linking
to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai
(Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras),
provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both
voice and data traffic (2004)

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 hosts:
86,871 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
43 (2000)

Internet users:
18.481 million (2003)

Transportation India

Railways:
total: 63,230 km (16,693 km electrified)
broad gauge: 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,106 km 0.762-m gauge and
0.610-m gauge (2004)

Highways:
total: 2,525,989 km
paved: 1,448,655 km
unpaved: 1,077,334 km (1999)

Waterways:
14,500 km
note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for
mechanized vessels (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 6,171 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,195 km; oil 5,613 km; refined
products 5,567 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

Merchant marine:
total: 299 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,555,507 GRT/11,069,791 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 85, cargo 75, chemical tanker 13, combination
ore/oil 1, container 7, liquefied gas 14, passenger 3,
passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 91, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 10 (Australia 1, China 1, Greece 1, UAE 6, United
Kingdom 1)
registered in other countries: 30 (2005)

Airports:
333 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 234
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 47
1,524 to 2,437 m: 78
914 to 1,523 m: 74
under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 99
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 42
under 914 m: 45 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
20 (2004 est.)

Military India

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard,
various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security
Force, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border
Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force,
Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and
Defense Security Corps)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 287,551,111 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 219,471,999 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 11,446,452 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$18.86 billion (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.93% (2005/06)

Transnational Issues India

Disputes - international:
China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in
2005, consolidating discussions related to the dispute over most of
their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation,
Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other
matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to
defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most
militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto
administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and
Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); in 2004, India and
Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir and in 2005,
restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control;
Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's
building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir
to the World Bank for arbitration; UN Military Observer Group in
India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of
peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding
historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; disputes persist with
Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and
prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, in 2004, India and
Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek
estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch; Pakistani maps continue
to show Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with
Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river
boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, to
allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade,
migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous
border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off
high-traffic sections; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South
Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime
boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma
to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote
areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues
to demarcate minor disputed boundary sections; India has instituted
a stricter border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control
illegal cross-border activities from Nepal

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 92,394 (Tibet/China) 60,922 (Sri
Lanka)
IDPs: 650,000 (Jammu and Kashmir conflicts; most IDPs are Kashmiri
Hindus); 113,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami) (2004)

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 20 October, 2005

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

@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). The decision by the International
Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth
ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean
south of 60 degrees south.

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 20 October, 2005

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

@Indonesia

Introduction Indonesia

Background:
The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century;
the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia
declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required
four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and
UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony.
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state. Current issues
include: alleviating widespread poverty, preventing terrorism,
continuing the transition to popularly-elected governments after
four decades of authoritarianism, implementing reforms of the
banking sector, addressing charges of cronyism and corruption, and
holding the military and police accountable for human rights
violations. Indonesia has been dealing with armed separatist
movements in Aceh and in 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
land: 1,826,440 sq km
water: 93,000 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 straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 11.32%
permanent crops: 7.23%
other: 81.45% (2001)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator;
strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian
Ocean to Pacific Ocean

People Indonesia

Population:
241,973,879 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.1% (male 35,823,456/female 34,590,631)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 79,447,560/female 79,449,399)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 5,526,389/female 7,136,444) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.48 years
male: 26.03 years
female: 26.93 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.45% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
20.71 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 35.6 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 40.72 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 30.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.57 years
male: 67.13 years
female: 72.13 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.44 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,400 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya are
high risks in some locations (2004)

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: 87.9%
male: 92.5%
female: 83.4% (2002 est.)

Government Indonesia

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

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Jakarta

Administrative divisions:
30 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, Irian Jaya Barat, Jakarta Raya**,
Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat,
Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan
Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa
Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Barat,
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 or regencies became the key
administrative units responsible for providing most government
services

Independence:
17 August 1945 (independence proclaimed); 27 December 1949
(Netherlands recognizes Indonesian independence)

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 and election codes; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
October 2004);
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president were elected for five-year
terms by direct vote of the citizenry; last held 20 September 2004
(next to be held in September 2009)
election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president
receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat
(DPR) (550 seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House
of Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD),
constitutionally mandated role includes providing legislative input
to DPR on issues affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly
(Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and
impeaching President and in amending constitution; consists of
popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate
national policy
elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P
18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others
19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN
53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50
note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not
always follow the number of votes received by parties

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the
president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature); a
separate Constitutional Court or Makhama Konstitusi was invested by
the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court
assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower
court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights

Political parties and leaders:
Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza MAHENDRA,
chairman]; Democratic Party or PD [Subur BUDHISANTOSO, chairman];
Functional Groups Party or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA, chairman]; Indonesia
Democratic 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 [MAHFUD, acting chairman]; United
Development Party or PPP [Hamzah HAZ, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE
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, has restored financial stability
and pursued sober fiscal policies since the Asian financial crisis,
but many economic development problems remain, including high
unemployment, a fragile banking sector, endemic corruption,
inadequate infrastructure, a poor investment climate, and unequal
resource distribution among regions. Indonesia became a net oil
importer in 2004 due to declining production and lack of new
exploration investment. As a result, Jakarta is not reaping the
benefits of high world oil prices, and the cost of subsidizing
domestic fuel prices has placed an increasing strain on the budget.
Keys to future growth remain internal reform, building up the
confidence of international and domestic investors, and strong
global economic growth. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took
nearly 127,000 lives, left more than 93,000 missing and nearly
441,000 displaced, and destroyed $4.5 to $5.0 billion worth of
property.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$827.4 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14.6%
industry: 45%
services: 40.4% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
111.5 million (2004 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
9.2% (2004 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:
37 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.1% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
16.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $52.13 billion
expenditures: $55.88 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Public debt:
56.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
10.5% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
110.2 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 86.9%
hydro: 10.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 2.6% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
92.35 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
971,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.183 million bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
518,100 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
370,500 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - proved reserves:
4.9 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production:
77.6 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
55.3 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
39.7 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.549 trillion cu m (2004)

Current account balance:
$7.338 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$69.86 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Japan 22.3%, US 12.3%, Singapore 8.4%, South Korea 6.8%, China
6.4%, Malaysia 4.2% (2004)

Imports:
$45.07 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Singapore 13.1%, Japan 13.1%, China 8.8%, US 7%, Thailand 6%,
Australia 4.8%, Saudi Arabia 4.2%, South Korea 4.2% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$35.82 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$141.5 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$43 billion
note: Indonesia finished its IMF program in December 2003 but still
receives bilateral aid through the Consultative Group on Indonesia
(CGI), which pledged $2.8 billion in grants and loans for 2004 and
again in 2005; nearly $4 billion in aid money pledged by a variety
of foreign governments and other groups following the 2004 tsunami;
money is slated for use in relief and rebuilding efforts in Aceh.

Currency (code):
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)

Currency code:
IDR

Exchange rates:
Indonesian rupiahs per US dollar - 8,938.9 (2004), 8,577.1 (2003),
9,311.2 (2002), 10,260.8 (2001), 8,421.8 (2000)

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:
7.75 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.7 million (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic service fair, international service
good
domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
domestic satellite communications system
international: country code - 62; 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 hosts:
62,036 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
24 (2000)

Internet users:
8 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 (2004)

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

Waterways:
21,579 km
note: Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460
km, Sulawesi (Celebes) 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate 850 km; condensate/gas 128 km; gas 8,506 km; oil 7,472
km; oil/gas/water 66 km; refined products 1,329 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang,
Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok

Merchant marine:
total: 728 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,192,847 GRT/4,319,739 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 35, cargo 409, chemical tanker 19, container
36, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 41,
passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 125, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned: 19 (France 1, Japan 3, Philippines 1, Singapore 11,
Switzerland 1, United Kingdom 2)
registered in other countries: 113 (2005)

Airports:
667 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 154
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 44
914 to 1,523 m: 49
under 914 m: 44 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 513
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 480 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
22 (2004 est.)

Military Indonesia

Military branches:
Indonesia Armed Forces (TNI): Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, includes
Marines, Naval Air arm), Air Force (TNI-AU)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2002)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 60,543,028 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 48,687,234 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 2,201,047 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.3 billion (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3% (2004)

Transnational Issues Indonesia

Disputes - international:
East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet, survey
and delimit land boundary, but several sections of the boundary
remain unresolved; Indonesia and East Timor contest the sovereignty
of the uninhabited coral island of Palau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which
hinders a decision on a northern maritime boundary; a 1997 treaty
between Indonesia and Australia settled some parts of their maritime
boundary but outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and
Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002 left maritime boundary in the
hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute, culminating in hostile
confrontations in March 2005 over concessions to the Ambalat oil
block; the ICJ decision has prompted Indonesia to assert claims to
and to establish a presence on its smaller outer islands; Indonesia
and Singapore pledged in 2005 to finalize their 1973 maritime
boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Batam
Island; Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants
create repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea; piracy remains a
problem in the Malacca Strait

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 535,000 (government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most
IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Maluku, and Central Sulawesi
Provinces); 441,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunmai) (2004)

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 20 October, 2005

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

@Iran

Introduction Iran

Background:
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced
into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic
system of government with ultimate political authority nominally
vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have
been strained since 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
that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes
between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran
has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities
in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US
economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued
involvement. Following the elections of a reformist president and
Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in
response to popular dissatisfaction have floundered as conservative
politicians have prevented reform measures from being enacted,
increased repressive measures, and consolidated their control over
the government.

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:
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 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)
head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August
2005) First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-Yazdi (since 26
August 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over
appointments to the more sensitive ministries
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 17 June 2005 with a two-candidate
runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of
vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%;
note - 2% of ballots spoiled

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 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004
(next to be held February 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party -
conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43,
religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary
court, and a special administrative court

Political parties and leaders:
formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iran
and most conservatives still prefer to work through political
pressure groups rather than parties; a loose pro-reform coalition
called the 2nd Khordad front, which includes political parties as
well as less formal pressure groups and organizations, achieved
considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000;
groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation Front
(IIPF); Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran); Solidarity
Party; Islamic Labor Party; Mardom Salari; Mojahedin of the Islamic
Revolution Organization (MIRO); and Militant Clerics Society
(Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majles
elections in early 2004; a new apparently conservative group, the
Builders of Islamic Iran, took a leading position in the new Majles
after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders:
political pressure groups conduct most of Iran's political
activities; 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 Party (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers Society; active
pro-reform student groups include the Organization for Strengthening
Unity; opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the
National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchist
organizations; armed political groups that have been almost
completely repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e Khalq
Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian
Kurdistan, and Komala

International organization participation:
CP, ECO, FAO, 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, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, 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; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073

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 marked by a bloated, inefficient state sector,
over reliance on the oil sector, and statist policies that create
major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled
by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale -
workshops, farming, and services. President KHATAMI has continued to
follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI, with
limited progress. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have
enabled Iran to amass some $30 billion in foreign exchange reserves,
but have not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and
inflation. The proportion of the economy devoted to the development
of weapons of mass destruction remains a contentious issue with
leading Western nations.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$516.7 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 40.9%
services: 48.7% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
23 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2004 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
11.2% (2004 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):
15.5% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
31.3% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $43.34 billion
expenditures: $47.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6
billion (2004 est.)

Public debt:
27% of GDP (2004 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% excluding oil (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
129 billion kWh (2002)

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

Electricity - consumption:
119.9 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
3.962 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.4 million bbl/day (2002 est.)

Oil - exports:
2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
130.8 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production:
79 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
72.4 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
3.4 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
4.92 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
26.7 trillion cu m (2004)

Current account balance:
$2.1 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$38.79 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and
nuts, carpets

Exports - partners:
Japan 18.4%, China 9.7%, Italy 6%, South Africa 5.8%, South Korea
5.4%, Taiwan 4.6%, Turkey 4.4%, Netherlands 4% (2004)

Imports:
$31.3 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Germany 12.8%, France 8.3%, Italy 7.7%, China 7.2%, UAE 7.2%, South
Korea 6.1%, Russia 5.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$29.87 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$13.4 billion (2004 est.)

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

Currency (code):
Iranian rial (IRR)

Currency code:
IRR

Exchange rates:
rials per US dollar - 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003), 6,907 (2002),
1,753.6 (2001), 1,764.4 (2000)
note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime
since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002

Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March

Communications Iran

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,376,500 (2003)

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: country code - 98; 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 hosts:
5,269 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
100 (2002)

Internet users:
4.3 million (2003)

Transportation Iran

Railways:
total: 7,203 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,109 km 1.435-m gauge (189 km electrified) (2004)

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

Waterways:
850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km;
oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Assaluyeh, Bushehr

Merchant marine:
total: 144 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,715,242 GRT/8,240,069 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 38, cargo 49, chemical tanker 4, container 14,
liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker
30, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 8 (2005)

Airports:
305 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 127
over 3,047 m: 39
2,438 to 3,047 m: 25
1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 178
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 129
under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
13 (2004 est.)

Military Iran

Military branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces,
Navy, Air Force (includes Air Defense)
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e
Eslami, IRGC): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Qods Force (special
operations), and Basij Force (Popular Mobilization Army)
Law Enforcement Forces: (2004)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age
for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited extensively
during the Iran-Iraq War; conscript service obligation - 18 months
(2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,319,545 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,665,725 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 862,056 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.3 billion (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.3% (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues Iran

Disputes - international:
Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed tributaries to
the Helmand River in periods of drought; Iraq's lack of a maritime
boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of
the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE engage in direct
talks and solicit Arab League support to resolve disputes over
Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island; Iran stands
alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of the
Caspian Sea into five equal sectors

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1,223,823 (Afghanistan) 124,014
(Iraq) (2004)

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 according to
official Iranian statistics there are at least two million drug
users in the country; lax anti-money-laundering regulations

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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

@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 ruled the country, the latest was 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,
while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition
Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim
Government (IG) in June 2004. Iraqis voted on 30 January 2005 to
elect a 275-member Transitional National Assembly that will draft a
permanent constitution and pave the way for new national elections
at the end of 2005.

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
land: 432,162 sq km
water: 4,910 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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified

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: unnamed 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: 13.15%
permanent crops: 0.78%
other: 86.07% (2001)

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
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:
26,074,906 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 5,293,709/female 5,130,826)
15-64 years: 57% (male 7,530,619/female 7,338,109)
65 years and over: 3% (male 367,832/female 413,811) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.43 years
male: 19.35 years
female: 19.51 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.7% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
32.5 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 50.25 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 56.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 44.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.7 years
male: 67.49 years
female: 69.97 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.28 children born/woman (2005 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

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:
none; note - the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) was appointed on 1
June 2004

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); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional
Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebrated
under the SADDAM Husayn regime but the Iraqi Interim Government has
yet to declare a new national holiday

Constitution:
interim constitution signed 8 March 2004; note - the Transitional
Administrative Law (TAL) was enacted 8 March 2004 to govern the
country until an elected Iraqi Government can draft and ratify a new
constitution in 2005

Legal system:
based on civil and Islamic law under the Iraqi Interim Government
(IG) and Transitional Administrative Law (TAL)

Suffrage:
formerly 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) President Jalal
TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Deputy Presidents Adil Abd AL-MAHDI
and Ghazi al-Ujayl al-YAWR (since 6 April 2005); note - the
President and Deputy Presidents comprise the Presidency Council)
head of government: Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) Prime
Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI (since April 2005); Deputy Prime
Ministers Rowsch SHAWAYS, Ahmad CHALABI, and Abid al-Mutlaq
al-JABBURI (since May 2005)
cabinet: 32 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus
Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI, Deputy Prime Ministers Rowsch
SHAWAYS, Ahmad CHALABI, and Abid al-Mutlaq al-JABBURI
elections: held 30 January 2005 to elect a 275-member Transitional
National Assembly that will draft a permanent constitution and pave
the way for new national elections at the end of 2005

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Mejlis Watani (consisting of 275
members elected by a closed-list, proportional-representation system
for the period between the National Assembly election and the
formation of a permanent Iraqi government pursuant to the
establishment of a permanent constitution)
elections: held 30 January 2005 to elect a 275-member Transitional
National Assembly that will draft a permanent constitution and pave
the way for new national elections at the end of 2005
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
United Iraqi Alliance 48.2%, Democratic Patriotic Alliance of
Kurdistan 25.7%, Iraqi List 13.8%, others 12.3%; number of seats by
party - United Iraqi Alliance 140, Democratic Patriotic Alliance of
Kurdistan 75, Iraqi List 40, others 20

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the
Presidency Council

Political parties and leaders:
Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada Al-SADR]; Constitutional Monarchy
Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa Party [Ibrahim
al-JA'FARI]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB];
Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent
Democrats or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic
Party or IIP [Muhsin Abd al-HAMID, Hajim al-HASSANI]; Iraqi National
Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad
CHALABI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI,
chairman]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Ayatollah Muhammad ' Ali
al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI];
Muslim Ulama Council or MUC [Harith Sulayman al-DARI, secretary
general]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]
note: the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan, the Iraqi
List, and the United Iraqi Alliance were only electoral slates
consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political
parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
an insurgency against the Iraqi Interim Government and Coalition
forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas west and
north of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency is led
principally by Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared
desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Rend Rahim
FRANCKE
chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James F.
JEFFREY
embassy: Baghdad
mailing address: APO AE 09316
telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 4354; note - Consular Section
FAX: NA

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, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that
of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white
band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors

Economy Iraq