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Iran - Country
Overview
Background:
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became
an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown
and the shah was forced into exile.
Conservative clerical forces established
a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority
nominally vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations
have been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy
in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981.
During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody,
indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf
and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between
1987-1988.
Following the elections of a reformist
president and Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political
reform in response to popular dissatisfaction have floundered as conservative
politicians have prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased
repressive measures, and consolidated their control over the government.
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian
Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Land boundaries:
total: 5,440 km
border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper
432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan
909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km
Climate:
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Terrain:
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains;
small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.1% (male 9,465,475/female 8,973,828)
15-64 years: 68% (male 23,556,970/female 22,701,065)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,637,512/female 1,683,010) (2005 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian
Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%,
Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and
Baha'i 2%
Languages:
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish
9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
local short form: Iran
former: Persia
Government type:
theocratic republic
Capital:
Tehran
Administrative divisions:
30 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi,
Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars,
Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan-e
Janubi, Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-e Shemali, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh
va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom,
Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Independence:
1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include Revolution
Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21 March; Constitutional
Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925)
Currency (code):
Iranian rial (IRR)
Exchange rates:
rials per US dollar - 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003), 6,907 (2002), 1,753.6
(2001), 1,764.4 (2000)
note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime since
unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002
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