1. Geography
   • Location:
     Middle East, between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea

   • Area:
     -total area: 1.648 million km2
     

   • Land boundaries:
     total 5,065 km, Afghanistan 850 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan (north) 430 km, Azerbaijan (Nakhjavan, northwest) 180 km, Iraq 1,280 km, Pakistan 830 km, Turkey 470 km, Turkmenistan 990 km

   • Coastline:
     Persian Gulf and Oman Sea (2,440 km)
     Caspian Sea (740 km)
     

   • Time:
     +3.5 GM
     +8.5 U.S. Eastern Standard
     

2. People
   • Population:
     64,878,000 (1994 est.)
     

   • Population growth rate:
     1.75% (1995 est.)
     

   • Average Life Expectancy (years):
     67.2 years (1990-95)
     Male 66.6 years (1990-95); Female 67.8 years (1990-95)
     

   • Age Distribution: (1990)
     

     below 14:	45.9%
     15-64:	50.6%
     over 65:	03.5%

3. Government
   • Names:
     Iran which is officially called Islamic Republic of Iran (Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran).
     Digraph: IR
     

   • Capital: Tehran
     

   • Administrative divisions:
     26 provinces
     Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharghi, Bakhtaran, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Golestan, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

   • Leader:
     Supreme Leader, functional Chief of State, and head of military forces, The Senior Messenger of God SEYED ALI KHAMENEI. The Supreme Leader is elected by the Experts Council (Majles-e-Khobregan) whose members are elected by direct vote of Iranians.

   • Head of the State:
     The President, Junior Messenger of God SEYED MOHAMMAD KHATAMI. The President is elected by direct vote of Iranians.

   • Flag:
     Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the new national emblem in red is centered in the white band; The former national emblem was lion and sun that has been changed to God is Great since 1980.

4. Logistics
   • Railroads:
     4,852 km total; 4,760 km 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km 1.676-meter gauge; 480 km under construction from Bafq to Bandar-e Abbas (completed March of 1995), rail construction from Bafq to Sirjan has been completed and is operational; section from Sirjan to Bandar-e Abbas still under construction

   • Roads:
     140,200 km total; 42,694 km paved surfaces; 46,866 km gravel and crushed stone; 49,440 km improved earth; 1,200 km (est.) rural road network

   • Inland waterways:
     904 km; the Arvandroud (Shat al Arab) is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km;

   • Pipelines:
     crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km

   • Ports:
     Abadan, Bandar Beheshti, Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e Torkeman (Caspian Sea port), Khorramshahr.

   • Merchant marine:
     135 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,480,726 GRT/ 8,332,593 DWT; includes 39 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 32 oil tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 48 bulk, 2 combination bulk, 1 liquefied gas

   • Airports:
     total: 219 [including those under construction]
     usable: 194
     with permanent-surface runways: 83
     with runways over 3,659 m: 16
     with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 20
     with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 70