t.)
commodities: machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs,
pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products
partners: Germany, Italy, Japan, UAE, UK, Belgium

Debt-external: $21.9 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $40 million (1993)

Currency: 10 Iranian rials (IR) = 1 toman; note-domestic figures are
generally referred to in terms of the toman

Exchange rates: Iranian rials (IR) per US$1-1,752.14 (January 1998),
1,750.76 (1996), 1,752.92 (1997), 1,747.93 (1995), 1,748.75 (1994),
1,267.77 (1993); black market rate: 4,600 rials per US$1 (March 1997);
note-as of May 1995, the "official rate" of 1,750 rials per US$1 is
used for imports of essential goods and services and for oil exports,
whereas the "official export rate" of 3,000 rials per US$1 is used for
non-oil exports and imports not covered by the official rate

Fiscal year: 21 March-20 March

Communications

Telephones: 3.02 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system
centered in Tehran
international: satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); HF radio and
microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE

Radio broadcast stations: AM 77, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: 14.3 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 28

Televisions: 3.9 million (1992 est.)

@Iran:Transportation

Railways:
total: 7,286 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,192 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (1996
est.)

Highways:
total: 162,000 km
paved: 81,000 km (including 470 km of expressways)
unpaved: 81,000 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime
traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in
use

Pipelines: crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural
gas 4,550 km

Ports and harbors: Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during
1980-88 war), Ahvaz, Bandar 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr, Bandar-e
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: 135 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,465,226 GRT/6,128,443
DWT
ships by type: bulk 47