$23.7 billion (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
commodities:
machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs,
pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products
partners:
Germany, Japan, Italy, UK, France
External debt:
$30 billion (December 1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3% (1993 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP, including
petroleum
Electricity:
capacity:
15,649,000 kW
production:
43.6 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
710 kWh (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
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international
drug trade; net opiate importer but also a key transshipment point for
Southwest Asian heroin to Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $1 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 - 1,748.86 (January 1994), 1,267.77
(1993), 65.552 (1992), 67.505 (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; there is also a black
market rate of 2200 rials per US$1 (December 1993)
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:
total:
140,200 km
paved:
42,694 km
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone 46,866 km; improved earth 49,440 km; unimproved
earth 1,200 km
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