au Batek/Fatu Sinai, which
hinders a decision on a northern maritime boundary; numbers of East
Timor refugees in Indonesia refuse repatriation; a 1997 treaty
between Indonesia and Australia settled some parts of their maritime
boundary but outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and
Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002 prompted Indonesia to assert
claims to and to establish a presence on its smaller outer islands;
Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants create
repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 535,000 (government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most
IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Maluku, and Central Sulawesi
Provinces) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; possible
growing role as transshipment point for Golden Triangle heroin

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Iran

Introduction Iran

Background:
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced
into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic
system of government with ultimate political authority nominally
vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have
been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US
Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January
1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq
that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes
between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran
has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities
in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US
economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued
involvement. Following the elections of a reformist President and
Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in
response to popular dissatisfaction have floundered as conservative
politicians have prevented reform measures from being enacted,
increased repressive measures, and consolidated their control over
the government.

Geography Iran

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the
Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakist