<hdr>The World Factbook 1994: Iran<nl>Communications</hdr><body>
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<item><hi format=bold>Railroads:</hi> 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
<item><hi format=bold>Highways:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>total:</hi> 140,200 km
<item>• <hi format=ital>paved:</hi> 42,694 km
<item>• <hi format=ital>unpaved:</hi> gravel, crushed stone 46,866 km; improved earth 49,440 km; unimproved earth 1,200 km
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<item><hi format=bold>Inland waterways:</hi> 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
<item><hi format=bold>Pipelines:</hi> crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km
<item><hi format=bold>Ports:</hi> Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Bandar Beheshti, Bandar-e 'Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e Torkeman (Caspian Sea port), Khorramshahr (repaired after being largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war) has been in limited operation since November 1992
<item><hi format=bold>Telecommunications:</hi> microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones (35 telephones per 1,000 persons); broadcast stations—77 AM, 3 FM, 28 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber optic cable to UAE