Chapter XXXI: Front Matter (31)

Economy - overview:
Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has struggled to overcome the
Asian financial crisis, and still grapples with high poverty and
unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, endemic corruption, a
fragile banking sector, a poor investment climate, and unequal
resource distribution among regions. The country continues the slow
work of rebuilding from the devastating December 2004 tsunami and
from an earthquake in central Java in May 2006 that caused over $3
billion in damage and losses. Declining oil production and lack of
new exploration investment turned Indonesia into a net oil importer
in 2004. The cost of subsidizing domestic fuel placed increasing
strain on the budget in 2005, and combined with indecisive monetary
policy, contributed to a run on the currency in August, prompting
the government to enact a 126% average fuel price hike in October.
The resulting inflation and interest rate hikes dampened growth
through mid-2006, while large increases in rice prices pushed
millions more people under the national poverty line. Economic
reformers introduced three policy packages in 2006 to improve the
investment climate, infrastructure, and the financial sector, but
translating them into reality has not been easy. Keys to future
growth remain internal reform, building up the confidence of
international and domestic investors, and strong global economic
growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$935 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$264.4 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.4% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,800 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.1%
industry: 46%
services: 41% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
108.2 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 43.3%
industry: 18%
services: 38.7% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
12.5% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
17.8% (2006)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.8 (2004)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.2% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $75.58 billion
expenditures: $79.45 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
43.8% of GDP (2006 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:
2.6% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
112.6 billion kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
104.7 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
1.061 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.084 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
431,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
345,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:
4.85 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:
83.4 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
22.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
37.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.557 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$1.636 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$102.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Japan 21.1%, US 11.5%, Singapore 9.2%, South Korea 8.3%, China
7.8%, Malaysia 4% (2005)

Imports:
$77.73 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Singapore 16.4%, Japan 12%, China 10.1%, US 6.7%, Thailand 6%,
South Korea 5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, Australia 4.4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$43.04 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$130.4 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$43 billion (2002 est.)
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 $5 billion in aid money pledged by a variety
bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental organization (NGO)
donors 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 rupiah per US dollar - 9,207.18 (2006), 9,704.7 (2005),
8,938.9 (2004), 8,577.1 (2003), 9,311.2 (2002)

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:
12.772 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
46.91 million (2005)

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:
54 local TV stations
note: 11 national TV networks; each with their own group of local,
often low power, transmitters (2006)

Televisions:
13.75 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.id

Internet hosts:
170,834 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
24 (2000)

Internet users:
16 million (2005)

Transportation Indonesia

Airports:
662 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 159
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 15
1,524 to 2,437 m: 49
914 to 1,523 m: 49
under 914 m: 42 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 503
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 26
under 914 m: 471 (2006)

Heliports:
23 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 944 km; condensate/gas 135 km; gas 9,175 km; oil 7,684
km; oil/gas/water 89 km; refined products 1,367 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km
0.750-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 368,360 km
paved: 213,649 km
unpaved: 154,711 km (2002)

Waterways:
21,579 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 824 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,773,771 GRT/4,887,614 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 43, cargo 451, chemical tanker 21, container
50, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 41,
passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker 132, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
on/roll off 12, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned: 30 (France 1, Germany 1, Japan 3, South Korea 1,
Norway 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 17, Switzerland 3, UK 2)
registered in other countries: 122 (Bahamas 4, Belize 2, Bermuda 1,
Cambodia 1, Georgia 1, Hong Kong 4, Liberia 1, Panama 50, Singapore
56, Thailand 1, unknown 1) (2006)

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

Military Indonesia

Military branches:
Indonesia Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army
(TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, includes marines, naval air arm), Air Force
(TNI-AU)
note: the TNI is directly subordinate to the president but the
government is making efforts to incorporate it into the Department
of Defense

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 60,543,028
females age 18-49: 59,981,730 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 48,687,234
females age 18-49: 50,252,911 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,201,047
females age 18-49: 2,139,573 (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; many East Timorese refugees who left in 2003
still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Indonesia and
East Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island
of Pulau 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: 200,000-350,000 (government offensives against rebels in
Aceh; most IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi
Provinces, and Maluku), 300,000 (December 2006 floods in Aceh
regions) (2006)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Indonesia is a source, transit, and destination
country for women, children and men trafficked for the purposes of
sexual exploitation and forced labor; Indonesian victims are
trafficked to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore; a significant number of
Indonesian women who go overseas each year to work as domestic
servants or "cultural performers" are subjected to conditions of
involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; to a
minimal extent, Indonesia is a destination for women from East Asia,
Europe, and South America who are trafficked for sexual
exploitation; there is extensive trafficking within Indonesia from
rural to urban metropolitan areas particularly for sexual
exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Indonesia is placed on the Tier 2
Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
to combat trafficking

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of
methamphetamine and ecstasy

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@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 floundered as conservative
politicians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased
repressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers.
Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August 2005 inauguration of
a conservative stalwart as president, completed the reconsolidation
of conservative power in Iran's 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: 9.78%
permanent crops: 1.29%
other: 88.93% (2005)

Irrigated land:
76,500 sq km (2003)

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:
68,688,433 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,204,785/female 8,731,429)
15-64 years: 69% (male 24,133,919/female 23,245,255)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,653,827/female 1,719,218) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.8 years
male: 24.6 years
female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.1% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 40.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 40.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 40.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.26 years
male: 68.86 years
female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.8 children born/woman (2006 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:
name: Tehran
geographic coordinates: 35 40 N, 51 26 E
time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

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); and various
Islamic observances that change in accordance with the lunar-based
hejira calendar

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 Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June
1989)
head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August
2005); First Vice President Parviz DAVUDI (since 11 September 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over
appointments to the more sensitive ministries
note: also considered part of the Executive branch of government are
three oversight bodies: 1) Assembly of Experts, a popularly elected
body of 86 religious scholars constitutionally charged with
determining the succession of the Supreme Leader, reviewing his
performance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency
Council or Council for the Discernment of Expediency is a policy
advisory and implementation board consisting of permanent and
temporary members representing all major government factions, some
of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader; the Council exerts
supervisory authority over the executive, judicial, and legislative
branches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and the
Council of Guardians disagree; 3) Council of Guardians or Council of
Guardians of the Constitution is a 12-member board of clerics and
jurists serving six-year terms that determines whether proposed
legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law; the
Council also vets candidates for suitability and supervises national
elections
elections: Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly of
Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 17 June 2005 with a
two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of
vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats - formerly 270 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004
(by-elections next to be held in December 2006; general election to
be held in 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; following his defeat in the 2005
presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General Mehdi KARRUBI
formed the National Trust Party; 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 Office of Strengthening Unity
(OSU); 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:
ABEDA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA,
SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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 Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 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 nearly $60 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):
$610.4 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$194.8 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 41.7%
services: 47.1% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
24.36 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2006 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%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
30% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $104.6 billion
expenditures: $100.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $7.6
billion (2006 est.)

Public debt:
25.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% excluding oil (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
155.7 billion kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
145.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
1.837 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
2.17 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
3.979 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.51 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

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

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
132.5 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:
83.9 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
85.54 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
3.56 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
5.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
26.62 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$13.13 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$63.18 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Japan 16.9%, China 11.2%, Italy 5.9%, South Korea 5.8%, Turkey
5.7%, Netherlands 4.6%, France 4.4%, South Africa 4.1%, Taiwan 4.1%
(2005)

Imports:
$45.48 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.9%, UAE 8.4%, China 8.3%, Italy 7.1%, France 6.3%, South
Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.9% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$58.46 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$14.8 billion (2006 est.)

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

Currency (code):
Iranian rial (IRR)

Currency code:
IRR

Exchange rates:
rials per US dollar - 9,246.94 (2006), 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004),
8,193.9 (2003), 6,907 (2002), 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:
18.986 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.5 million (2005)

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: the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and
exchange systems installed by Iran's state owned telecom company
have improved and expanded the main line network greatly; main line
availability has more than doubled to 19 million lines since 1995;
additionally, mobile service has increased dramatically serving some
8.5 million subscribers in 2005
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:
5,242 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
100 (2002)

Internet users:
7.5 million (2005)

Transportation Iran

Airports:
321 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 129
over 3,047 m: 41
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 31
under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 192
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 140
under 914 m: 43 (2006)

Heliports:
15 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 397 km; gas 17,099 km; liquid
petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,521 km; refined products 7,808 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 7,256 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,162 km 1.435-m gauge (186 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 179,388 km
paved: 120,782 km (including 878 km of expressways)
unpaved: 58,606 km (2003)

Waterways:
850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia)
(2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 141 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,086,702 GRT/8,878,829 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 39, cargo 45, chemical tanker 4, container 12,
liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker
30, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 22 (Bolivia 1, Cyprus 2, Malta 14,
Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Assaluyeh, Bushehr

Military Iran

Military branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces,
Navy, Air Force (Niruye Havayi Jomhuriye Islamiye Iran; 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 (2006)

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
females age 18-49: 17,541,037 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,665,725
females age 18-49: 15,005,597 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 862,056
females age 18-49: 808,044 (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 dispute Tunb
Islands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by Iran; 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): 662,355 (Afghanistan), 54,000 (Iraq)
(2006)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Iran is a source, transit, and destination
country for women and girls trafficked for the purposes of sexual
exploitation and involuntary servitude; according to foreign
observers, women and girls are trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, the
Persian Gulf, and Europe for sexual exploitation, while boys from
Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are trafficked through Iran en
route to Persian Gulf states where they are ultimately forced to
work as camel jockeys, beggars, or laborers; Afghan women and girls
are trafficked to the country for forced marriages and sexual
exploitation; women and children are also trafficked internally for
the purposes of forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and
involuntary servitude
tier rating: Tier 3 - Iran is downgraded to Tier 3 after persistent,
credible reports of Iranian authorities punishing victims of
trafficking with beatings, imprisonment, and execution

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 2 million drug users
in the country; lacks anti-money-laundering laws

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@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 until 2003, the last 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 led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in
March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition
forces remain in Iraq under a UNSC mandate, helping to provide
security and to support the freely elected government. The Coalition
Provisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq after the
invasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004 to
the Iraqi Interim Government, which governed under the Transitional
Administrative Law for Iraq (TAL). Under the TAL, elections for a
275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) were held in Iraq on
30 January 2005. Following these elections, the Iraqi Transitional
Government (ITG) assumed office. The TNA was charged with drafting
Iraq's permanent constitution, which was approved in a 15 October
2005 constitutional referendum. An election under the constitution
for a 275-member Council of Representatives (CoR) was held on 15
December 2005. The CoR approval in the selection of most of the
cabinet ministers on 20 May 2006 marked the transition from the ITG
to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half-century.

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: 13.12%
permanent crops: 0.61%
other: 86.27% (2005)

Irrigated land:
35,250 sq km (2003)

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: Biodiversity, 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:
26,783,383 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,398,645/female 5,231,760)
15-64 years: 57.3% (male 7,776,257/female 7,576,726)
65 years and over: 3% (male 376,700/female 423,295) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.6 years
female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.66% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
31.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.01 years
male: 67.76 years
female: 70.31 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.18 children born/woman (2006 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:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Baghdad
geographic coordinates: 33 21 N, 44 25 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 1 October

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; the Government of Iraq has yet to
declare a new national holiday

Constitution:
ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by the
Constitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum in
2007)

Legal system:
based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework
outlined in the Iraqi Constitution

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Vice
Presidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22 April
2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise the
Presidency Council)
head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May
2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since
20 May 2006)
cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus
Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham
SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
Representatives

Legislative branch:
bicameral Council of Representatives (consisting of 275 members
elected by a closed-list, proportional representation system) and a
Federation Council (membership not established and authorities
undefined)
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
Representatives; the Council of Representatives elected the
Presidency Council and approved the Prime Minister
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - Unified Iraqi Alliance 41%, Kurdistan Alliance 22%, Tawafuq
Coalition 15%, Iraqi National List 8%, Iraqi Front for National
Dialogue 4%, others 10%; number of seats by party - Unified Iraqi
Alliance 128, Kurdistan Alliance 53, Tawafuq Coalition 44, Iraqi
National List 25, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue 11, others 14

Judicial branch:
the Iraq Constitution calls for the Federal Judicial Authority,
comprised of the Higher Juridical Council, Supreme Federal Court,
Federal Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary
Oversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated in
accordance with the law

Political parties and leaders:
Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yunadim KANNA]; Badr Organization
[Hadi al-AMIRI]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali
Bin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa al-Islamiyya Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI];
General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI]; Independent
Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid
al-MUSA]; Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Salih al-MUTLAQ]; Iraqi
Hizballah [Karim Mahmud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats
or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP
[Tariq al-HASHIMI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI];
Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Iraqi National
Council for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf Ulayan al-Khalifawi
al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad
al-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO [Ayatollah
Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Muhammad Ali
al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI];
Kurdistan Islamic Union [Salah ad-Din Muhammad BAHA al-DIN];
National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI];
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Sadrist Trend
[Muqtada al-SADR] (not an organized political party, but it fields
independent candidates affiliated with Muqtada al-SADR); Supreme
Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz
al-HAKIM]
note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Tawafuq
Coalition, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and Unified 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 Government of Iraq and Coalition forces
is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas north, northeast,
and west of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency consists
principally of Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared
desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq; a number
of predominantly Shia militias, some of which are associated with
political parties, challenge governmental authority in Baghdad and
southern 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, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD
embassy: Baghdad
mailing address: APO AE 09316
telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 or 5635; 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

Economy - overview:
Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has
traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings.
Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international
economic sanctions, and damage from military action by an
international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically
reduced economic activity. Although government policies supporting
large military and internal security forces and allocating resources
to key supporters of the regime hurt the economy, implementation of
the UN's oil-for-food program, which began in December 1996, helped
improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed
to export limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and
some infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999, the UN Security
Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as
required to meet humanitarian needs. The military victory of the
US-led coalition in March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of
much of the central economic administrative structure. Although a
comparatively small amount of capital plant was damaged during the
hostilities, looting, insurgent attacks, and sabotage have
undermined efforts to rebuild the economy. Attacks on key economic
facilities - especially oil pipelines and infrastructure - have
prevented Iraq from reaching projected export volumes, but total
government revenues have been higher than anticipated due to high
oil prices. Despite political uncertainty, Iraq is making some
progress in building the institutions needed to implement economic
policy and has concluded a debt reduction agreement with the Paris
Club and a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. Iraq's economic
prospects will depend on the government's ability to control
inflation, to implement structural reforms such as bank
restructuring, and to develop the private sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$94.1 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$46.5 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.3%
industry: 66.6%
services: 26.1% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
7.4 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Unemployment rate:
25% to 30% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
50% (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $30.8 billion
expenditures: $34.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $5
billion (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep,
poultry

Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials,
food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
31.7 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.4%
hydro: 1.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
33.3 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:
2.02 billion kWh (2005)

Oil - production:
2.093 million bbl/day; note - prewar production (in 2002) was 2.2
million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
351,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
1.42 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:
112.5 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:
1.75 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.75 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.115 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$8.134 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$32.19 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels 8%, food and live
animals 5%

Exports - partners:
US 49.7%, Italy 10.4%, Spain 6.3%, Canada 5.6% (2005)

Imports:
$20.76 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, medicine, manufactures

Imports - partners:
Turkey 23.3%, Syria 23%, US 11.6%, Jordan 6.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$15.65 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$81.48 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004)

Currency (code):
New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004

Currency code:
NID, IQD prior to 22 January 2004

Exchange rates:
New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,477.17 (2006), 1,475 (2005),
1,890 (second half, 2003), 0.3109 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Iraq

Telephones - main lines in use:
1.547 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.7 million (2006)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the aftermath of the liberation of Iraq in 2003
severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including
international connections; USAID repaired switching capabilities and
constructed a mobile and satellite communication facility; landlines
now exceed pre-war levels
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 have
been completed, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switching
capacity is improving access; cellular service is widely available
in major cities and centered on three regional GSM networks,
improving country-wide connectivity. There are currently 8.7 million
users of cellular services.
international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable
and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey;
despite a new satellite gateway, international calls outside of
Baghdad are sometimes problematic

Radio broadcast stations:
after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are
approximately 80 radio stations on the air inside Iraq (2004)

Radios:
4.85 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
21 (2004)

Televisions:
1.75 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.iq

Internet hosts:
5 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
36,000 (2005)

Transportation Iraq

Airports:
110 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 77
over 3,047 m: 20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 33
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Heliports:
8 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 2,228 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,506 km; refined
products 1,637 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,200 km
standard gauge: 2,200 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 45,550 km
paved: 38,399 km
unpaved: 7,151 km (1999)

Waterways:
5,279 km
note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third
River (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)

Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT
by type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr

Military Iraq

Military branches:
Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Regular Army (includes Iraqi Special
Operations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi Navy (former
Iraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi Army Air
Corps) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
all volunteer force; the Iraqi Government is creating a new
professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend
Iraq from external threats and the current insurgency (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 5,870,640
females age 18-49: 5,642,073 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,930,074
females age 18-49: 4,771,105 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 198,518
females age 18-49: 289,879 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.34 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Iraq

Disputes - international:
coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security;
Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction
disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf;
Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 22,698 (Palestinian Territories),
13,382 (Iran), 13,332 (Turkey)
IDPs: 1.6 million (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return)
(2006)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@Ireland

Introduction Ireland

Background:
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions
by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended
when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions
began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of
Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh
repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off
several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in
independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern
(Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1948 Ireland withdrew
from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in
1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of
Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A
peace settlement for Northern Ireland is being implemented with some
difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed
and began working to implement the St. Andrew's Agreement, building
on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.

Geography Ireland

Location:
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in
the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Geographic coordinates:
53 00 N, 8 00 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 70,280 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: UK 360 km

Coastline:
1,448 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild
winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the
time

Terrain:
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills
and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum,
limestone, dolomite

Land use:
arable land: 16.82%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 83.15% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North
America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides
within 100 km of Dublin

People Ireland

Population:
4,062,235 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.9% (male 437,903/female 409,774)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 1,373,771/female 1,370,452)
65 years and over: 11.6% (male 207,859/female 262,476) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 34 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 34.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.15% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
14.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
4.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.73 years
male: 75.11 years
female: 80.52 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,800 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish

Ethnic groups:
Celtic, English

Religions:
Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%,
other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)

Languages:
English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official)
(Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western
seaboard

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

Government Ireland

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland
local long form: none
local short form: Eire

Government type:
republic, parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Dublin
geographic coordinates: 53 20 N, 6 15 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway,
Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth,
Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary,
Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province

Independence:
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)

National holiday:
Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

Constitution:
adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937

Legal system:
based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous
concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination
by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 31 October 1997
(next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to
a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004
presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) nominated by the
House of Representatives and appointed by the president
election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote -
Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%
note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive
Democrats