Following the Line of the Imam; armed political groups that have been almost
completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq
Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Kurdish Democratic Party; the Society
for the Defense of Freedom

:Iran Government

Member of:
CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
none; protecting power in the US is Pakistan - Iranian Interests Section,
2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200
US:
protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national
emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red is centered in
the white band; Allah Alkbar (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along
the top edge of the red band

:Iran Economy

Overview:
Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and
other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private
trading and service ventures. After a decade of economic decline, Iran's GNP
grew roughly 4% in FY90 and 10% in FY91. An oil windfall in 1990 combined
with a substantial increase in imports contributed to Iran's recent economic
growth. Iran has also begun implementing a number of economic reforms to
reduce government intervention (including subsidies) and has allocated
substantial resources to development projects in the hope of stimulating the
economy. Nevertheless, lower oil revenues in 1991 - oil accounts for more
than 90% of export revenues and provides roughly 65% of the financing for
the five-year economic development plan - and dramatic increases in external
debt are threatening development plans and could prompt Iran to cut imports,
thus limiting economic growth in the medium term.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - $90 billion, per capita $1,500; real growth rate
10% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
18% (FY91 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (1989)
Budget:
revenues $63 billion; expenditures $80 billion, including capital
expenditures of $23 billion