The Economy

Gross Domestic product: US$ 1.459 trillion (2016)

Gross Domestic product per capita: US$ 100.18 (2016)

Unemployment: 10.7% (2016 estimate)

Natural resources: Oil, natural gas, coal, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, and sulfur.

Main exported commodities: Oil, carpets, fruit, dryers (pistachios/currants and dates), leather, caviar, petrochemical products, textiles, clothes, food products, fish and salmon.

Important commodities: Machinery, metallurgy, food, medicine, technical services, chemical products, petrochemicals, textiles, cement, and building materials.

Agricultural crops: Wheat, rice, seeds, sugar beet, fruit, pistachio and other nuts, saffron, cotton, dairy products, wool, and caviar.

Currency: Iranian riyals (1 dollar constitutes approximately 37,000 Iranian riyals).

Length of rail: 97,99 kilometers

Length of road network: 158,000 kilometers

Oil pipes: 39,000 kilometers

Gas pipes: 255 kilometers

Main ports: Abadan, Ahwaz, Bandar Abbas, Anzali, Bushehr, Imam Khomeini, Maheshahr, Turkmen, Khoramshahr,  and Nushehr.

Investment

 Investors interested in investing in Iran can view the regulations, laws, and investment opportunities available by visiting the Iranian Investment Corporation website in Arabic, through the following link: Click here

Or by directly calling the office for Foreign Investment:

Telephone: 339067075-39902115 (009821)

Fax: 33967864 (009821)

Email: fisc@investiniran.ir

The Community

Population: Approximately 80 million (July 2016)

Middle Age: 29.4 years

Ethnic groups: Farsi, Azeri, Kurdish, Llor, Baluchi, Arabic, and Turkmen.

Religion: Islam (official) 99.4%, others (among them Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity) 0.3%, not specified 0.4% (2011).

Culture and Heritage

Iran is one of the world's oldest civilizations, and is home to many cultures made up of many different ethnicities and religions.

People and politics

Government system: Islamic Republic

Highest authority: Ali Khamenei

Head of the Republic (elected by popular vote every four years): Ibrahim Raeesi

Official language: Farsi

Official religion: Islam (Shia sect)

National Day: 22 Bahman (the following February 11)

Capital: Tehran

Geographic Information

Iran is located in the southwestern part of the continent of Asia, northeast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered to the north by Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf to the south and by Turkey and Iraq to the west.

Area: 1,648,195 kilometers square

 

Land borders

A. Total length of land borders: 5440 km

B. Length of land borders with neighboring countries

1) land boarders with Afghanistan: 936Km

2) land boarders with Armenia: 35Km

3) land boarders with Azerbaijan: 432Km

4) land boarders with the province of Nakhjuan ( in Azerbaijan): 179Km

5) land boarders with Iraq: 1458

6) land boarders with Pakistan: 909Km

7) land boarders with Turkey: 499Km

8) land boarders with Turkmenistan: 992Km

Coastal strip: 2440 km

Note: Iran also bordered with the Caspian Sea from the north, with a length of 740 km.

Number of governorates: 31 governorates

Number of large cities: 397 city

Number of provinces: 98 province

Number of small cities: 1154 city

Number of villages: 2499 village

 

Climate

Iran's climate  is dry or semi-dry in general. The climate varies from region to region. Temperatures in the mountainous regions of the north-west are low, but the winter is long and harsh and the summer is mild. In contrast, the summer in the Khuzestan plains is extremely hot and humid while winter is mild. The climate of the internal plateau is very dry, and temperatures in winter reaches freezing degrees in the desert. As for the coast of the Caspian Sea, it is moderately hot in summer and has heavy rainfall in the autumn and winter seasons.

 

Terrains

Iran has rugged mountainous terrain.  Most of the country consists of rugged, mountainous terrain. The central basin contains vast deserts and mountains. Iran has small, unconnected plains along both coasts. In terms of terrain, Iran can be divided into (4) key regions:

A. Western Highlands: Located north of the Gulf, between the Iraqi border and Zagros Mountains, a region that includes oil fields and is considered an important agricultural area.

B. Northern Highlands: Most of the inner plateau bordered with two large mountain range, which form a huge wall between the Caspian coast and the interior plateau. The two mountain ranges are the Elbers mountain range, located on the northern Iran border and the Zagros mountain range which is located  east and south of Turkey's and (Formerly) Soviet Union boarders and towards the Gulf.  The southern part is very dry and rugged. smaller mountain ranges lie along the Gulf of Oman and the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

C. Eastern Highlands Region: This region is characterized by extreme poverty, covered by gravel and sand dunes. It has an extremely harsh weather and often has strong winds. It is, therefore, characterized by economic poverty and low population.

D. Inner Plateau (Central): Located in the center and west of Iran, occupies about half of Iran's territory, surrounded by mountains and includes the Great Salt Desert and the Dasht-e Loot.

 

 

 

Minimum Altitude: The Caspoan sea, 28 meters below surface level

Maximum Altitude: Damazand Mountain, 5671 meters above sea level

Longest River: Karun River 950Km ( the only navigable river)

Biggest Lack in Iran: Lake Urmia 2828Km

Biggest Island: Qeshm Island 1291 meter