Part 399

Merchant marine: total: 465 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,185,353 GRT/3,191,792 DWT ships by type: bulk 30, cargo 267, chemical tanker 8, container 9, liquefied gas tanker 5, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 102, passenger 6, passenger-cargo 12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8, short-sea passenger 6, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 4 (1996 est.)

Airports: 413 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 386 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 36 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m : 297 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 23 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 4 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 58,556,503 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 34,439,340 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 2,295,832 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.3 billion (FY97/98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (FY97/98)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Portugal and not recognized by the UN; two islands in dispute with Malaysia

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

IRAN

@Iran:Geography

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

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 53 00 E

Map references: Middle East

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

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries: total: 5,440 km border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km

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

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

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