Sources: CIA World Factbook, www.citypopulation.de, GlobalSecurity, 1996 Iran Census, Petroleum Economist, Times AtlasImage: BBC
| Sources: CIA World Factbook, www.citypopulation.de, GlobalSecurity, 1996 Iran Census, Petroleum Economist, Times Atlas Image: BBC |
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Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Country profile: Iran |
Iran, which is building its first atomic power station with Russian help, says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
In 2006 the government announced that it had succeeded in enriching uranium.
President Ahmadinejad said Iran has an "inalienable right" to produce nuclear fuel.
The country has an abundance of energy resources — substantial oil reserves and natural gas reserves second only to those of Russia.
Iran has been led by a conservative elite since 1979, but appeared to be entering another era of political and social transformation with the victory of the liberals in parliamentary elections in 2000.
But the reformists, kept on the political defensive by powerful conservatives in the government and judiciary, failed to make good on their promises.
Former President Mohammad Khatami's support for greater social and political freedoms made him popular with the young — an important factor as around half of the population is under 25.
But his liberal ideas put him at odds with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and hardliners reluctant to lose sight of established Islamic traditions.
The elections of June 2005 dealt a blow to the reformists when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran's ultra-conservative mayor, became president.
Persia, as it was, had been one of the greatest empires of the ancient world, and has long maintained a distinct cultural identity within the Islamic world by retaining its own language and adhering to the Shia interpretation of Islam.
The supreme leader — the highest power in the land — appoints the head of the judiciary, military leaders, the head of radio and TV and Friday prayer leaders.
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Moreover, he selects six members of the Guardian Council, an influential body which has to pass all legislation and which can veto would-be election candidates.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was appointed for life in June 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic. He served two consecutive terms as president in the 1980s.
He has intervened on behalf of conservatives, coming into conflict with former president Mohammad Khatami and other reformists.
President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran's ultra-conservative mayor, won a run-off vote in elections in June 2005, defeating his rival, the former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to become Iran's first non-cleric president for 24 years.
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Promising an administration of "peace and moderation", he said his government would press on with Iran's controversial nuclear programme.
Local elections in December 2006 — his first major test at the polls since coming to power — saw his allies trailing moderate conservatives and reformists.
But parliamentary elections in March 2008 - in which many pro-reform candidates were disbarred from standing - saw a strong showing not only by the president's supporters but also by more pragmatic conservatives who oppose his confrontational style of dealing with western countries.
In March 2008 Mr Ahmadinejad made an unprecedented official visit to Iraq. He said the presence of foreign forces in Iraq was a humiliation and insult to the region.
Born near Tehran in 1956, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a former provincial governor and Revolutionary Guards officer.
He was actively involved in the Islamic revolution and was a founding member of the student union that took over the US embassy in Tehran in 1979. But he denies being one of the hostage-takers.
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The relatively free press, a tangible achievement of former President Khatami's government, has been targeted by conservatives.
Many pro-reform publications have been closed and reformist writers and editors jailed.
The conservative judiciary has also campaigned against the liberal media.
There are some 20 major national dailies, but few Iranians buy a newspaper every day.
Sports titles are the biggest sellers.
Broadcasters are more restricted than the press.
Despite a ban on owning dishes, foreign satellite TV channels are widely watched; this is largely tolerated by the authorities.
Stations operated by exiles in the US were said to have played a role in student protests in 2003.
State-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting — IRIB — operates national and provincial networks.
Its Jaam-e Jam international TV channels are available worldwide via satellite.
IRIB targets Arabic speakers in Iraq and the Middle East via the Al-Alam and Al-Kawthar TV networks.
It launched an English-language satellite station, Press TV, in 2007.
President Ahmadinejad said its mission would be "to stand by the oppressed of the world".
Television is very popular, with more than 80% of Iranians being regular viewers.
The most-watched network is the third state channel, the youth channel.
IRIB's radio channels include a parliamentary network and Radio Koran.
The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, an external radio service, broadcasts via shortwave and the internet.
Millions of Iranians have access to the internet, which has been used as a way of circumventing censorship.
Internet service providers are prevented from allowing access to sites deemed to be pornographic or anti-Islamic, but the web remains the main forum for dissident voices.
Access is easy to arrange and affordable for middle-class households.
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There are said to be tens of thousands of weblogs, with bloggers active both in Iran and among the diaspora.
Government officials, including President Ahmadinezhad, have launched blogs under their own names.
Foreign broadcasters target audiences in Iran; they include the Washington-backed Radio Farda, a music-based station aimed at younger audiences.
The press
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Thursday, 3 November 2005
Country profile: Iran |
Iran was one of the first countries to be occupied by the early Islamic armies which burst out from Arabia in the seventh century.
Persia, as it was, had been one of the greatest empires of the ancient world, and has long maintained a distinct cultural identity within the Islamic world by retaining its own language and adhering to the Shia interpretation of Islam.
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But the reformists, kept on the political defensive by powerful conservatives in the government and judiciary, failed to make good on their promises.
Former President Mohammad Khatami's support for greater social and political freedoms made him popular with the young — an important factor as around half of the population is under 25.
But his liberal ideas put him at odds with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and hardliners reluctant to lose sight of established Islamic traditions.
Iran has come under strong pressure from the US since President Bush declared it part of an "axis of evil" in 2002. That pressure intensified after the US-led war against Iraq, with Washington accusing Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons and of trying to subvert US efforts in Iraq. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. With a diplomatic showdown looming over its nuclear programme, Iran resumed its uranium conversion process in 2005. Months later it removed seals placed by the UN's nuclear watchdog at some of its research plants. President Ahmadinejad says Iran has an "inalienable right" to produce nuclear fuel. Iran has an abundance of energy resources, with reserves of natural gas second only to those of Russia and substantial oil reserves. But it faces the challenge of providing hundreds of thousands of new jobs for its youthful population.
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Moreover, he selects six members of the Guardian Council, an influential body which has to pass all legislation and which is able to veto would-be election candidates.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was appointed for life in June 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic.
He served two consecutive terms as president in the 1980s.
He has intervened on behalf of conservatives, coming into conflict with former president Mohammad Khatami and other reformists.
President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran's ultra-conservative mayor, won a run-off vote in elections in June 2005, defeating his rival, the former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to become Iran's first non-cleric president for 24 years.
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Promising an administration of "peace and moderation", Mr Ahmadinejad said his government would press on with Iran's controversial nuclear programme.
Months into his presidency, a furore erupted over Mr Ahmadinejad's comment at a conference that Israel should be "wiped off the map".
The UN secretary-general rebuked Tehran for the statement.
Born near Tehran in 1956, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a former provincial governor and Revolutionary Guards officer.
He was actively involved in the Islamic revolution and was a founding member of the student union that took over the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
But he denies being one of the hostage-takers.
His predecessor, the reformist Mohammad Khatami, was often frustrated in his attempts to deliver political and social changes.
Hardline conservatives repeatedly blocked legislation during his eight years in office and the disqualification of moderates from parliamentary elections left him politically isolated.
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The broadcast media have seen some changes but remain more restricted than the press.
Despite a ban on owning satellite dishes, viewing of satellite TV is widespread and largely tolerated by the authorities.
Satellite TV stations operated by exiles in the US were said to have played a role in student protests in 2003.
State-run IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) national networks are supplemented by provincial channels.
The Jaam-e Jam international TV networks are available on most continents via satellite.
Iran targets Arabic-speaking audiences in Iraq and the Middle East via its Al-Alam and Sahar TV networks.
Television is very popular in Iran; more than 80% of the population watch TV. The most popular network is the third state channel, the youth channel.
IRIB's radio services include a parliamentary network and Radio Koran, which carries programmes on Islamic and Koranic subjects including recitation and interpretation.
The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (VIRI) external radio service is available via shortwave and the internet.
Many foreign broadcasters target listeners in Iran; they include the Washington-backed Radio Farda, an entertainment-based station aimed at younger audiences.
The press
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Wednesday, 2 July, 2003
Country profile: Iran |
Iran was one of the first countries to be occupied by the early Islamic armies which burst out from Arabia in the seventh century.
Persia, as it was, had been one of the greatest empires of the ancient world, and has long maintained a distinct cultural
identity within the Islamic world by retaining its own language and adhering to the Shi'i interpretation of Islam.
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President: Hojjat ol-Eslam val-Moslemin Hajj Seyyed Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami was born in 1943, the son of the cleric Ayatollah Hajj Ruhollah Khatami.
He studied theology in Qom and Esfahan and holds degrees in education and philosophy.
He served as a parliamentary deputy, chief editor of the pro-government newspaper Keyhan and as a moderate cleric.
From 1982, he held the post of Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance but was forced to resign a decade later over accusations that he was too permissive in sanctioning books, magazines and films which hard-liners considered subversive.
He became director of the National Library, a teacher and presidential adviser.
His landslide win in the presidential elections in May 1997 represented a major setback for the conservative clergy who had
held power since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
He was re-elected for a second term in June 2001 after winning just under 77% of the vote.
First vice-president: Mohammad Reza Aref
There are around seven commercial internet service providers (ISPs), including NRI (Neda Rayaneh Institute), the largest. By December 2001 more than 420,000 people were estimated to have access to the internet. There are many internet cafes.
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Sources: CIA World Factbook, www.citypopulation.de, GlobalSecurity, 1996 Iran Census, Petroleum Economist, Times Atlas
Sources: CIA World Factbook, www.citypopulation.de, GlobalSecurity, 1996 Iran Census, Petroleum Economist, Times Atlas
