apita
(1992)
Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other building materials,
food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production),
metal fabricating
Agriculture:
accounts for about 20% of GDP; principal products - wheat, rice, other
grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, caviar; not
self-sufficient in food

*Iran, Economy

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international drug
trade; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.675 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $976 million; note - aid fell sharply
following the 1979 revolution
Currency:
1 Iranian rial (IR) = 10 tomans
Exchange rates:
Iranian rials (IR) per US$1 - 67.095 (January 1993), 65.552 (1992), 67.505
(1991), 68.096 (1990), 72.015 (1989), 68.683 (1988); black-market rate 1,400
(January 1991); note - in March 1993 the Iranian government announced a new
single-parity exchange rate system with a new official rate of 1,538 rials
per dollar
Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March

*Iran, Communications

Railroads:
4,852 km total; 4,760 km 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km 1.676-meter gauge; 480 km
under construction from Bafq to Bandar-e Abbas, rail construction from Bafq
to Sirjan has been completed and is operational; section from Sirjan to
Bandar-e Abbas still under construction
Highways:
140,200 km total; 42,694 km paved surfaces; 46,866 km gravel and crushed
stone; 49,440 km improved earth; 1,200 km (est.) rural road network
Inland waterways:
904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about
130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 meters and is in use
Pipelines:
crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km
Ports:
Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Bandar Beheshti,
Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e Torkeman
(Caspian Sea port), Khorramshahr (repaired after being largely destroyed in
fighting during 1980-88 war) has been in limited operation since November
1992
Merchant marine:
135 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,480,726 GRT/8,332,593 DWT; includes
39 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 32 oil tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3