The Islamic Republic of Iran is a unique country in terms of geo-economics and geo-politics. As the largest nation in the Middle East and Central Asia, Iran is an economic powerhouse in terms of international trade, industry and agriculture, energy and natural resources, science and technology, and tourism and logistics. In spite of all unprecedented global pressures in the past three decades, Iran is a land of resources and opportunity. Among the many features of Iranian economy, we can point to:
• A population of 80 million with progressive improvement of human development (HDI reported to be 0.749 in 2014)
• Highly developed human capital in the form of a young educated workforce
• Second globally in terms of natural gas reservoirs (34,020 billion cubic metres) and third in terms of production (1.626 trillion cubic metres in 2013)
• Fourth global place in terms of proven oil reservoirs (157,530 million barrels) and fifth in terms of production (3.4 million barrels per day of petroleum and other liquids in 2014)
