GEOGRAPHY/CLIMATE/ROADS/TRAVEL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500420169-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 26, 1999
• Sequence Number: 169
• Publication Date: April 30, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2001/09/11: CIA-RDP80-008
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
Iran - #aat and South
I
/Roads/Travel
SUBJECT Geography/Clism
PLACE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
DATE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
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LATIOS Or ITS C05T4'ST1 10 02 SECCIPT Sv AN U,AUTHOSIACO .&5205 IS
150,1111[9 1v LA5. 1152 SC.RDDUCTIOM 01 1,11. 1C-051 11 ! 5QQt21129_
2. North Eastern Iran
The area east of Teheran has a typical, temperate, desert
climate. in December there was snow on the'~hiah mountains.
i I
(b) Topography H
This eastern area is all folded, rugged, steep, bare mountains
xi-.h absolutely no vegetation. The valleys/ are small and
alluvial. The stream beds are used as roads when dry. The
streams are ordinarily dry beds except in spring. They, arc
subject to flash floods. The rainfall is about 10 to 15
inches per year and is confined to the winter months.
l__I 1
is only one main road to the east.
It is graveled with shoulders and is wide
enough for three care to pose.
Thet railroad from Teheran to Shahroud is
singlQ track, f'8a" gauge. They roadbed
Farming
There are a few farms in this area, in the
The in crops are cotton and tobacco.
Transportation
PAGE P, n '
This report is for the use within the USA of the intelligence components of the Departments or
Agencies indicated above. It is not to be transmitted overseas without the concurrence of the
originating office through the Assistant Director of the Orrice of Collection and Dissemination, CIA.
 Approved For Release 2001/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500420169-25X1A
Cc FID"r'NTL4'.
L" OFFICLA:r ON'.Y
is in excellent condition. There are
several tunnels. ?.11 bridges are steel.
Fuel is coal. The equipment is in fair
condition. Between .-hahroud and ;/..ashad
a roadbed has been graded. Negotiations
are being carried on at the present time
between Iran and the Germans to provide
rails and complete this railroad as well
as the line Teher-.n to Yazd which is also all
ready for track la-ying. I understand that
a loan is being or has been negotiated -with
T.gupps of Gernany for $200,000,000 to complete
these two lines.
(3)
There is P. considerable movement of oil from
Teheran to Mechad which is handled by trucks
beyond Damghan.
3. Iran - Teheran to Bandar-Abbass on south coast
(a)
(b) Topo$rIPhy
(1)
The country south of Teheran is a plateau at an
elevation of about 4000 feet. It is cut on the
south by rivers which are seasonal, dry for most
of the year. Approaching Bandar-Abbass, the
road is very winding. There are no bridges and
in crossing one stream bad we were stuck for several
hours in the loose sand.
(2) There are several large marshes which are nhown on
the mt%p of Teheran.
(3) There is no vegetation nor any buildings on the
hills which could afford shelter or hiding for
observers.
(c)
Climate
1) south of Teheran
The temperature during the summer was hot
in the daytime but cold at night; 55-600 at
Kerman. The temperature within 150 kilo-
meters of Bandar-lbbass is about au hot as any
inhab:.ted place on the globc,from June to
October, 120-130? F in the shade and 16u- 25X1X
'1800 in the sun. The day I was there in
it was 2180F. The night temperature dro
about 608. The humidity is high and oppressive.
(2) As far as T know there are no fogs and no clouds.
It is impossible to drive a car against the
glare of the sun in the summer.
(3) In the sumac: there is a fairly constant wind
from the Fast. I do not know the direction
during the '..inter.
Farms
(1)
(2)
Cotton, tobacco and rice are grown in the uame
areas, notably north of Yaad. The fields are
not fenced.
The country is irrigated from deep cells, a program which
has been aided by Point 4 to a large extent.
The water is'distributed by irrigation canals.
Mounds of earth marking the wells can fre-
quently be seen.
-(NFI DENTIAL
U! OFFICIALS ONT.Y
 Approved For Release 2001/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500420169-6
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COKFIflENTIAL.
U" OFFICTALS ON[ Y
(d) Population
The people live in small villages and travel 'tack and
forth to their farms. Y,erman has a population of
about 160,000 and Y?zd 75,000.
(e) Transportation
There Le only one main road southeast of Teheran to
Kerman. From Kerman there is a road south to Bandar-
Abbaos and another southeast to Afghanistan and south
to the port of Guatar. These roads are graveled with
shoulders for three cars. The road between Kerman
and Bandar-,bbass is a rough, winding mountain road.
It is located in passes between the hills.
(f) Bandar-Abbas s Harbor
(i)
At Bander-^.bbasu there is a small
betty that is not strong enough to
support
a truck. There are some- rails
and one
ton cars on hand but they had 25X1X
not been
installed The
ore that
is shipped is brought down from
the mine by truck, dumped at the jetty,
loaded into cans which men and women
carry to a lighter. The lighter is towed
by a launch to the steamer which, on account
of the shallow shore, must anchor about
seven or eight kilometers off shore.
The loading rate for ore wt about 300 tone
per day An the great hest, -1380. :3inoe
then they have loaded 500 tons a day.
There is an electric light plant and telo-
grr,ph facilities.
(4)
(5)
Health, I em told, has boon very much
improved by a water syutcm and other
improvements carried out with Point 4 help.
There in no mrr.lnrir..
There are three shipping a4enta who h'ndlo
all chipping details: Cray, Mackenzie,
Mountnin rxpreoo and one other whose name
I don't recall.
(a) I had marvelous treatment from all government officials and
(b) Teheran was full of anti-Americen posters but in the villages
I encountered nothing but pleasant treatment. At Ouboibar
I fell and cracked three ribs. When I goc to the village,
they brought all the doctors in the village and I was not
left alone night or day.
CONFIDr^..NTIAL
'1$; OFF' '.IALS ONLY
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25X1A
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CONFIDENTLAL
U.? OFFICLti'~" ONLY
2. Photostat and white print area 2 Abbassabad Area
Map of Iran, Jajarm Sheet, J-4+0-U, scale 1:253,440.
3. Photostat and white print of Area 3, Abbaseabad Area
Map of Iran, Sabzawar sheet, J-40-V, scale 1:253,440.
L j r
CONFIDE1{TIAL
US OF 1CIALS ONLY
621.42 5K
754.2 5K
755.211 5K
755.213 5K
755.31 5K
722 5K
(c) I knew that I needed a permit to travel in Iran, but, on
account of lack of time, I did not secure one. I was
stooped once or twice by policemen but when I explained
what I was doing, they pleasantly waved me on.
(d) The only knowledge of L*: accistcusce that I found outside
of Teheran was that the deep irrigation wells throughout
the country and water supply in Kerman, Bander-Abbasa and
Teheran were due to U:, aid. There is a definite apprecia-
tion for all the f.mericans have done.
(e) Dr. Mucaagar (:) has done a marvellous job an head of the
health program. He is about 40 yearn old, a Cornell
graduate and is a brilliant scientist. He is largely
responsible for the success of the irrigation, water supply
and lowering of malaria incidence. He is interested in the
compsny that operates coal mines.
(f)
(g)
Labor
Labor is abundant but not very efficient. They neel tech-
nicKl assistance on how to do things. They would take
advice providing it was tactfully given.
Customs
Customs examinationa are not strict. Currency control is
very strict. They do not went people dealing in the black
market and I was fined double the difference between the
small sari ut od U:3 currency I brought in and .the amount I
took out.
jivailable on loan from CIA May Library are:
Photostat and white print of Road Map of Iran by the
government of Iran, the Ministry of Health, Public
Health Cooperative Organization, Sanitary Engineering
Services Division Central Office, scale 1:2,000,000
showing chrome areas.
 Approved For Release 2001/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500420169-6
Approved For Release 2001/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500420169-6