Natural hazards: periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms;
earthquakes along western border and in the northeast

Environment - current issues: air pollution, especially in urban areas,
from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents;
deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the
Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination);
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage
and industrial waste; urbanization

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed,
but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine
Life Conservation

Geography - note: strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of
Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

People Iran

Population: 66,622,704 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 31.6% (male 10,753,218; female 10,273,015) 15-64 years:
(male 1,633,016; female 1,483,606) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.77% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 17.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 5.39 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 28.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 71.69 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Iranian(s) adjective: Iranian

Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%,
Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish,
Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects
26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 72.1% male: 78.4% female: 65.8% (1994 est.)

Government Iran

Country