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 7,684km; oil/gas/water 89 km; refined products 1,367 km (2006)
Railways:total: 6,458 kmnarrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km0.750-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 368,360 kmpaved: 213,649 kmunpaved: 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 DWTby type: bulk carrier 43, cargo 451, chemical tanker 21, container50, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 41,passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker 132, refrigerated cargo 2, rollon/roll off 12, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2foreign-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, Singapore56, 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 thegovernment is making efforts to incorporate it into the Departmentof 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: 60,543,028females age 18-49: 59,981,730 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 48,687,234females age 18-49: 50,252,911 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 2,201,047females 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 boundaryremain unresolved; many East Timorese refugees who left in 2003still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Indonesia andEast Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral islandof Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which hinders a decision on a northernmaritime boundary; a 1997 treaty between Indonesia and Australiasettled some parts of their maritime boundary but outstanding issuesremain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in2002 left maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea indispute, culminating in hostile confrontations in March 2005 overconcessions to the Ambalat oil block; the ICJ decision has promptedIndonesia to assert claims to and to establish a presence on itssmaller outer islands; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005 tofinalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by definingunresolved areas north of Batam Island; Indonesian secessionists,squatters, and illegal migrants create repatriation problems forPapua New Guinea; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Refugees and internally displaced persons:IDPs: 200,000-350,000 (government offensives against rebels inAceh; most IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Central SulawesiProvinces, and Maluku), 300,000 (December 2006 floods in Acehregions) (2006)
Trafficking in persons:current situation: Indonesia is a source, transit, and destinationcountry for women, children and men trafficked for the purposes ofsexual exploitation and forced labor; Indonesian victims aretrafficked to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Hong Kong,Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore; a significant number ofIndonesian women who go overseas each year to work as domesticservants or "cultural performers" are subjected to conditions ofinvoluntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; to aminimal extent, Indonesia is a destination for women from East Asia,Europe, and South America who are trafficked for sexualexploitation; there is extensive trafficking within Indonesia fromrural to urban metropolitan areas particularly for sexualexploitation and involuntary domestic servitudetier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Indonesia is placed on the Tier 2Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing effortsto combat trafficking
Illicit drugs:illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer ofmethamphetamine and ecstasy
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Iran
Introduction Iran
Background:Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forcedinto exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocraticsystem of government with ultimate political authority nominallyvested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations havebeen strained since a group of Iranian students seized the USEmbassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraqthat eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashesbetween US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iranhas been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activitiesin Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to USeconomic sanctions and export controls because of its continuedinvolvement. Following the elections of a reformist president andMajlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform inresponse to popular dissatisfaction floundered as conservativepoliticians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increasedrepressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers.Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August 2005 inauguration ofa conservative stalwart as president, completed the reconsolidationof conservative power in Iran's government.
Geography Iran
Location:Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and theCaspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:32 00 N, 53 00 E
Map references:Middle East
Area:total: 1.648 million sq kmland: 1.636 million sq kmwater: 12,000 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:total: 5,440 kmborder countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km,Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq1,458 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 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in thePersian Gulfcontinental 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 mhighest 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 rawsewage and industrial waste; urbanization
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of theSea, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, whichare 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 yearsmale: 24.6 yearsfemale: 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)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 40.3 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 40.49 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 40.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 70.26 yearsmale: 68.86 yearsfemale: 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%, Arab3%, 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 writetotal population: 79.4%male: 85.6%female: 73% (2003 est.)
Government Iran
Country name:conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iranconventional short form: Iranlocal long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iranlocal short form: Iranformer: Persia
Government type:theocratic republic
Capital:name: Tehrangeographic coordinates: 35 40 N, 51 26 Etime difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:30 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-eGharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Janubi, Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-eShemali, 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 includeRevolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925); and variousIslamic observances that change in accordance with the lunar-basedhejira calendar
Constitution:2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidencyand 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 June1989)head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August2005); First Vice President Parviz DAVUDI (since 11 September 2005)cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president withlegislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control overappointments to the more sensitive ministriesnote: also considered part of the Executive branch of government arethree oversight bodies: 1) Assembly of Experts, a popularly electedbody of 86 religious scholars constitutionally charged withdetermining the succession of the Supreme Leader, reviewing hisperformance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) ExpediencyCouncil or Council for the Discernment of Expediency is a policyadvisory and implementation board consisting of permanent andtemporary members representing all major government factions, someof whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader; the Council exertssupervisory authority over the executive, judicial, and legislativebranches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and theCouncil of Guardians disagree; 3) Council of Guardians or Council ofGuardians of the Constitution is a 12-member board of clerics andjurists serving six-year terms that determines whether proposedlegislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law; theCouncil also vets candidates for suitability and supervises nationalelectionselections: Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly ofExperts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term(eligible for a second term); election last held 17 June 2005 with atwo-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held in 2009)election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent ofvote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%
Legislative branch:unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly orMajles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats - formerly 270 seats; memberselected 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 tobe 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 revolutionarycourt, and a special administrative court
Political parties and leaders:formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iranand most conservatives still prefer to work through politicalpressure groups rather than parties; a loose pro-reform coalitioncalled the 2nd Khordad Front, which includes political parties aswell as less formal pressure groups and organizations, achievedconsiderable 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), SolidarityParty, Islamic Labor Party, Mardom Salari, Mojahedin of the IslamicRevolution Organization (MIRO), and Militant Clerics Society(Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majleselections in early 2004; following his defeat in the 2005presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General Mehdi KARRUBIformed the National Trust Party; a new apparently conservativegroup, the Builders of Islamic Iran, took a leading position in thenew 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; thenational emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in theshape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in thewhite band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script isrepeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11times 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 createmajor distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlledby the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale -workshops, farming, and services. President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD hascontinued to follow the market reform plans of former PresidentRAFSANJANI, with limited progress. Relatively high oil prices inrecent years have enabled Iran to amass nearly $60 billion inforeign exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardshipssuch as high unemployment and inflation. The proportion of theeconomy devoted to the development of weapons of mass destructionremains 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 billionexpenditures: $100.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $7.6billion (2006 est.)
Public debt:25.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairyproducts, wool; caviar
Industries:petroleum, petrochemicals, fertilizers, caustic soda, textiles,cement and other construction materials, food processing(particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), ferrousand 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 andnuts, carpets
Exports - partners:Japan 16.9%, China 11.2%, Italy 5.9%, South Korea 5.8%, Turkey5.7%, 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, militarysupplies
Imports - partners:Germany 13.9%, UAE 8.4%, China 8.3%, Italy 7.1%, France 6.3%, SouthKorea 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 managedfloating exchange rate regime since unifying multiple exchange ratesin 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 andexpanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency andincreasing the volume of the urban service but also bringingtelephone service to several thousand villages, not presentlyconnecteddomestic: the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching andexchange systems installed by Iran's state owned telecom companyhave improved and expanded the main line network greatly; main lineavailability has more than doubled to 19 million lines since 1995;additionally, mobile service has increased dramatically serving some8.5 million subscribers in 2005international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relayto Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria,Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable toUAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijanthrough the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansionto Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and4 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; liquidpetroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,521 km; refined products 7,808 km (2006)
Railways:total: 7,256 kmbroad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gaugestandard gauge: 7,162 km 1.435-m gauge (186 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways:total: 179,388 kmpaved: 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 DWTby type: bulk carrier 39, cargo 45, chemical tanker 4, container 12,liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker30, roll on/roll off 3foreign-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 airdefense); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-eEnqelab-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: 18,319,545females age 18-49: 17,541,037 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 15,665,725females age 18-49: 15,005,597 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 862,056females 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 tothe Helmand River in periods of drought; Iraq's lack of a maritimeboundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth ofthe Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE dispute TunbIslands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by Iran; Iran standsalone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of theCaspian 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 destinationcountry for women and girls trafficked for the purposes of sexualexploitation and involuntary servitude; according to foreignobservers, women and girls are trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, thePersian Gulf, and Europe for sexual exploitation, while boys fromBangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are trafficked through Iran enroute to Persian Gulf states where they are ultimately forced towork as camel jockeys, beggars, or laborers; Afghan women and girlsare trafficked to the country for forced marriages and sexualexploitation; women and children are also trafficked internally forthe purposes of forced marriage, sexual exploitation, andinvoluntary servitudetier rating: Tier 3 - Iran is downgraded to Tier 3 after persistent,credible reports of Iranian authorities punishing victims oftrafficking with beatings, imprisonment, and execution
Illicit drugs:despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a keytransshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domesticnarcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and according toofficial Iranian statistics there are at least 2 million drug usersin the country; lacks anti-money-laundering laws
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Iraq
Introduction Iraq
Background:Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britainduring the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a Leagueof Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the nextdozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A"republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series ofmilitary strongmen ruled the country until 2003, the last was SADDAMHusayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive andcostly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait,but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf Warof January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UNSecurity Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of massdestruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verificationinspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutionsover a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq inMarch 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalitionforces remain in Iraq under a UNSC mandate, helping to providesecurity and to support the freely elected government. The CoalitionProvisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq after theinvasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004 tothe Iraqi Interim Government, which governed under the TransitionalAdministrative Law for Iraq (TAL). Under the TAL, elections for a275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) were held in Iraq on30 January 2005. Following these elections, the Iraqi TransitionalGovernment (ITG) assumed office. The TNA was charged with draftingIraq's permanent constitution, which was approved in a 15 October2005 constitutional referendum. An election under the constitutionfor a 275-member Council of Representatives (CoR) was held on 15December 2005. The CoR approval in the selection of most of thecabinet ministers on 20 May 2006 marked the transition from the ITGto 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 kmland: 432,162 sq kmwater: 4,910 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries:total: 3,650 kmborder countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, SaudiArabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km
Coastline:58 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmcontinental shelf: not specified
Climate:mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudlesssummers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkishborders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows thatmelt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding incentral and southern Iraq
Terrain:mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in southwith large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran andTurkey
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 mhighest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is not GundahZhur 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 theinhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or divertingthe feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of MarshArabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has beendisplaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat posesserious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequatesupplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphratesrivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparianTurkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) anderosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Law of the Seasigned, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of thePersian 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 yearsmale: 19.6 yearsfemale: 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)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 42.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 69.01 yearsmale: 67.76 yearsfemale: 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 writetotal population: 40.4%male: 55.9%female: 24.4% (2003 est.)
Government Iraq
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Iraqconventional short form: Iraqlocal long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyahlocal short form: Al Iraq
Government type:parliamentary democracy
Capital:name: Baghdadgeographic coordinates: 33 21 N, 44 25 Etime difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 1 October
Administrative divisions:18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, AlBasrah, 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 Britishadministration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition ProvisionalAuthority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government
National holiday:Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebratedunder the SADDAM Husayn regime; the Government of Iraq has yet todeclare a new national holiday
Constitution:ratified on 15 October 2005 (subject to review by theConstitutional Review Committee and a possible public referendum in2007)
Legal system:based on European civil and Islamic law under the frameworkoutlined in the Iraqi Constitution
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); VicePresidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22 April2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise thePresidency Council)head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since20 May 2006)cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plusPrime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers BarhamSALIH and Salam al-ZUBAIelections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council ofRepresentatives
Legislative branch:bicameral Council of Representatives (consisting of 275 memberselected by a closed-list, proportional representation system) and aFederation Council (membership not established and authoritiesundefined)elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council ofRepresentatives; the Council of Representatives elected thePresidency Council and approved the Prime Ministerelection results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote byparty - Unified Iraqi Alliance 41%, Kurdistan Alliance 22%, TawafuqCoalition 15%, Iraqi National List 8%, Iraqi Front for NationalDialogue 4%, others 10%; number of seats by party - Unified IraqiAlliance 128, Kurdistan Alliance 53, Tawafuq Coalition 44, IraqiNational 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, JudiciaryOversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated inaccordance with the law
Political parties and leaders:Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yunadim KANNA]; Badr Organization[Hadi al-AMIRI]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif AliBin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa al-Islamiyya Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI];General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI]; IndependentIraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamidal-MUSA]; Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Salih al-MUTLAQ]; IraqiHizballah [Karim Mahmud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democratsor 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 NationalCouncil for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf Ulayan al-Khalifawial-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmadal-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO [AyatollahMuhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Muhammad Alial-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 fieldsindependent candidates affiliated with Muqtada al-SADR); SupremeCouncil for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Azizal-HAKIM]note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, TawafuqCoalition, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and Unified IraqiAlliance were only electoral slates consisting of therepresentatives 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-SUMAYDIchancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZADembassy: Baghdadmailing address: APO AE 09316telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 or 5635; note - ConsularSectionFAX: NA
Flag description:three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black withthree green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in thewhite band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabicscript - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to theleft of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during thePersian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria, which has twostars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and thatof Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the whiteband; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors
Economy Iraq
Economy - overview:Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which hastraditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings.Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent internationaleconomic sanctions, and damage from military action by aninternational coalition beginning in January 1991 drasticallyreduced economic activity. Although government policies supportinglarge military and internal security forces and allocating resourcesto key supporters of the regime hurt the economy, implementation ofthe UN's oil-for-food program, which began in December 1996, helpedimprove conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowedto export limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, andsome infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999, the UN SecurityCouncil authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil asrequired to meet humanitarian needs. The military victory of theUS-led coalition in March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown ofmuch of the central economic administrative structure. Although acomparatively small amount of capital plant was damaged during thehostilities, looting, insurgent attacks, and sabotage haveundermined efforts to rebuild the economy. Attacks on key economicfacilities - especially oil pipelines and infrastructure - haveprevented Iraq from reaching projected export volumes, but totalgovernment revenues have been higher than anticipated due to highoil prices. Despite political uncertainty, Iraq is making someprogress in building the institutions needed to implement economicpolicy and has concluded a debt reduction agreement with the ParisClub and a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. Iraq's economicprospects will depend on the government's ability to controlinflation, to implement structural reforms such as bankrestructuring, 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 billionexpenditures: $34.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $5billion (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 2.2million 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 liveanimals 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 2003severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq includinginternational connections; USAID repaired switching capabilities andconstructed a mobile and satellite communication facility; landlinesnow exceed pre-war levelsdomestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 havebeen completed, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switchingcapacity is improving access; cellular service is widely availablein major cities and centered on three regional GSM networks,improving country-wide connectivity. There are currently 8.7 millionusers of cellular services.international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik(Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cableand microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey;despite a new satellite gateway, international calls outside ofBaghdad 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: 77over 3,047 m: 202,438 to 3,047 m: 371,524 to 2,437 m: 5914 to 1,523 m: 6under 914 m: 9 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 33over 3,047 m: 22,438 to 3,047 m: 41,524 to 2,437 m: 4914 to 1,523 m: 13under 914 m: 10 (2006)
Heliports:8 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 2,228 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,506 km; refinedproducts 1,637 km (2006)
Railways:total: 2,200 kmstandard gauge: 2,200 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 45,550 kmpaved: 38,399 kmunpaved: 7,151 km (1999)
Waterways:5,279 kmnote: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and ThirdRiver (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)
Merchant marine:total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWTby 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 SpecialOperations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi Navy (formerIraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi Army AirCorps) (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: 5,870,640females age 18-49: 5,642,073 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 4,930,074females age 18-49: 4,771,105 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 198,518females 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 jurisdictiondisputes 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. Invasionsby Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally endedwhen King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasionsbegan in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries ofAnglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harshrepressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched offseveral years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted inindependence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern(Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1948 Ireland withdrewfrom the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification ofIreland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. Apeace settlement for Northern Ireland is being implemented with somedifficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developedand began working to implement the St. Andrew's Agreement, buildingon the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.
Geography Ireland
Location:Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland inthe North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Geographic coordinates:53 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 70,280 sq kmland: 68,890 sq kmwater: 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; mildwinters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half thetime
Terrain:mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hillsand low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest 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, AirPollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, ClimateChange-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, MarineDumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent OrganicPollutants, Marine Life Conservation