bekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to
UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
4 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:
5,269 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
100 (2002)

Internet users:
4.3 million (2003)

Transportation Iran

Railways:
total: 7,203 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,109 km 1.435-m gauge (189 km electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 167,157 km
paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways)
unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)

Waterways:
850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km;
oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz,
Bandar 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni,
Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman, Chabahar
(Bandar Beheshti), Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye
Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now
Shahr

Merchant marine:
total: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,715,242 GRT/8,240,069 DWT
by type: bulk 40, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, container 7,
liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large load carrier 5, petroleum
tanker 33, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1
registered in other countries: 10 (2004 est.)

Airports:
303 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 127
over 3,047 m: 39
2,438 to 3,047 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 26

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 178
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 129

Heliports:
13 (2003 est.)

Military Iran

Military branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces,
Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Command), Islamic Revolutionary
Guards Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods