Part 400

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point : Qolleh-ye Damavand 5,671 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Land use: arable land : 10% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures : 27% forests and woodland: 7% other: 55% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 94,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along the Western border

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; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified : Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

@Iran:People

Population: 67,540,002 (July 1997 est.) note: includes 917,078 non-nationals (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (male 15,292,783; female 14,423,911) 15-64 years : 52% (male 17,880,617; female 17,254,711) 65 years and over: 4% (male 1,378,395; female 1,309,585) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.12% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 32.51 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.39 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 50.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.82 years male: 66.47 years female: 69.23 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.52 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Iranian(s) adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Literacy: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 72.1% male: 78.4% female: 65.8% (1994 est.)

@Iran:Government

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

Data code: IR

Government type: theocratic republic

National capital: Tehran