Liberation Movement of Iran and the Nation of Iran party; armed
political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the
government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's
Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan; the Society for the
Defense of Freedom

International organization participation: CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO,
G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

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

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; the national emblem (a stylized representation of
the word Allah) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR
(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

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.
President KHATAMI has continued to follow the market reform plans of
former President RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue
diversification of Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made
little progress toward that goal. The strong oil market in 1996
helped ease financial pressures on Iran and allowed for Tehran's
timely debt service payments. Iran's financial situation tightened
in 1997 and deteriorated further in 1998 because of lower oil
prices. The subsequent zoom in oil prices in 1999-2000 afforded Iran
fiscal breathing room but does not solve Iran's structural economic
problems, including the encouragement of foreign investment.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $413 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 24%

industry: 28%

services: 48% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: 53% (