A GENERAL VIEW OF IRAN   Human geography The population in 1996 was 60 million, 60% of which resided in urban areas and less than 40% in rural areas. Annual population growth during a 5-year period (1991-96) was below 2%. The capital city's population in 1996 was 7 million. Other major cities according to the population size are respectively Mashad (2 million), Isfahan (1.3 million), Tabriz (1.2 million), Shiraz (1.1 million), Ahwaz (800 thousand), Qom (below 800,000), Kermanshah (700 thousand), Urumieh (400 thousand), Zahedan (420 thousand) and Rasht (The largest city in the North). Twenty-eight provinces comprise the country. The major provinces include Tehran, Markazi, Kurdestan, Khuzistan, Khorassan, East and West Azerbaijans, Chahar Mahal Bakhtiyari, Hormozgan, Gilan, Mazandaran etc. Races: Indo-European, Turk (inclusive of Turkmen), Arab etc live in Iran. Major nomadic tribes who have now mostly chosen to live in urban areas include Kurdish, Qashqaee, Bakhtiyari and Lore. Religion: Christian (13%: mainly Armenian), Zorostrian (5%) and Jews. Farsi (Persian) is the formal language, but Turkish (the local Azari version), Kurdish, Arabic, Baluchi, Armenian and other languages are spoken by the natives of specific regions. Newspapers in English and all above languages are published daily. Four English morning dailies are being published in Iran. Economy The Iranian currency is rial. One toman equals 10 rials. The exchange rate is one dollar to 8,000 rials. In 1996 GNP exceeded 229,000 billion rials, out of which 21% belonged to farming sector, 15.5% to oil production, 21% to mining and industries and 42% to services. Agriculture: The major Iranian farming products include: Wheat, puppy, vegetables, fruits (variety of oranges family in particular), grains (cereals), cotton, tobacco, sugar cane, dates, rice, beets, tea and corn. Great significance is attached to animal husbandry. Poultry is also important. Fishing, a key industry, is exclusively managed by Iran Fisheries Organization, Shilat Co. Export of Caspian caviar and the Persian Gulf Shrimp are two of Iran's lucrative business in this industry. Fishing is carried out merely in autumn and spring seasons in the Caspian Sea and in fall and winter in the Persian Gulf. Although there are factories in Bandar Abbas producing canned food from tuna and sardine, shrimp is the main item caught in the south. As shrimp has a great potential, it seems to be playing a leading role in the non-oil exports in the future. Only 400 thousand tons of diverse fishes including shrimps were caught in 1996, this figure is expected to triple in not too far future, due to great investments by private and public sector in raising shrimp, trout and other marine creatures.   Mining: According to a 1995 report, the major mines respectively include coal, copper, iron ore, lead and zinc, gold, chromate, manganese, bauxite, sulfate sodium, plaster, salt, construction material and various metallic ingredients. Industries: Oil with a long-lasting history is the main industry. Production, refining of oil is now carried own by Iranian experts. One of the major subsidiaries of oil is petrochemical industry, the flourishing of which was launched in 1988 in the beginning of post war reconstruction era. Shiraz, Razi, Abadan, Khark, and Farabi petrochemical complexes are currently operational and their products rank first among non-oil exports. Steel production is another one of the key industries. Steel is produced in Fulad Mubarakeh and Ahwaz plants. Other products include foodstuff, textile, paper and wood, metals and chemicals. Sugar, cooking oil, milk and other dairy products, machine-made rugs, tires, cigarettes, lubricating oil, detergents, cardboards, cement, ceramics tiles and sanitary equipment and glass. Also, heaters, water heaters, gas cookers, water coolers, refrigerators, freezers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, telephone sets, colored and B&W TV sets and variety of vehicles mostly sedan cars are also produced in Iran. Handicrafts including diversified hand-woven rugs, pistachio, almond, dates walnut and saffron are some of the major non-oil export products. Energy and Fuel In 1996 1,417 million barrels of crude oil were produced, 930 million of which were exported. Also, 498 million barrels of oil were refined for domestic consumption in the same year. This amount was refined in Abadan, Isfahan, Tehran, Arak, Tabriz, Shiraz, and Kermanshah Refineries. During the same year 91-million mega watts of electricity was generated. The following is a list of Iran's dams according to a 1993 report: According to the name of the Dam, River, Province and the year completed: Abshineh, Hamedan 1375 Ardalan, Alanchie, E.Azerbaijan, 1364 Arass, E.Azerbaijan, 1350 Ekbatan, Yelfan, Hamedan 1342 Amir Kabir, Karaj 1340 Baron (Maku), Zangmar, W. Azerbaijan, 1374 Brenjestanak, Ab Aptijoon, 1374 Panzdah Khordad, Qom-Rood, Central, 1373 Pishin, Sistan Balu chestan,1372 Jaafar Mashadi, khorasan,1376 Jiroft, Kerman1370 Choqakhore, Bakhtiyari 1372 Hana. Isfahan 1375 Khamiran, Isfahan 1371 Doroodzan, Fars 1350 Dareh Bid Tabass, Khorassan 1371 Dez, Khuzestan 1341 Zayandeh-Rood,Isfahan 1349 Zarineh-Rood, w Azerbaijan 1350 Zarivar, Kordestan1375     Sagh, Khorasan1366, Saveh, Markazi1372 Sabalan II, Ardabil 1365 Sad va Tunnel Sevom Kuhrang, Bakhtiyari 1374 sad va makhazene chah nimeh, sistan-baluchestan 1361 sefid-rood,gilan 1341 shah Qasem, kohkiluyeh va boyer ahmad1375 shams abad,kerman1371 shahid bahonar,khorasan1362 shahid parsa,khorasan1365 shahid dehghan, khorasan 1375 shahid rajaie, mazandaran1376 shahid abbas-poor,khuzestan1356 toroq,khorasan1367 alavian, E azerbaijan1374 qarakh-arkhaj, E Azerbaijan Qeshlagh, kurdestan1362 qourichie, ardabil1373 kardeh, khorasan1366 karkheh I, Karkheh River, Khuzestan,1376 ?????? golpaigan, Isfahan, 1336 gilarlow, ardabil1373 lar, mazandaran1361 latian, tehran1346 maari Maroon, Maroon, Khuzestan, 1376 malajiq shoorchie, E. Azerbaijan mahabad, Mahabad, W. Azerbaijan, 1350 minab, Hurmuzgan, 1362 naghan, Talab Ali Abad, Chahar Mahal Bakhtiyari, 13670 nowruzabad E. Azerbaijan, 1365 nomel, Mazandaran, 1372 nahand, Ajichie, E. Azerbaijan, 1374 voshmgir, Gorgan-rood, Mazandaran, 1349, Yangjeh Neishabour, 1372 Tangooyeh Sirjan, Kerman Masjed Soleyman (Karkheh II) Karoon II