General Information:

Iran, a Middle Eastern country south of the Caspian Sea and north of the Persian Gulf, is three times the size of Arizona. It shares borders with Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
The Alburz Mountains in the north rise to 18,603 ft (5,670 m) at Mount Damavand. From northwest to southeast, the country is crossed by a desert 800 mi (1,287 km) long.
Iran has been an Islamic theocracy since the Pahlavi monarchy regime was overthrown on Feb. 11, 1979.

Land area:
631,659 sq mi
(1,635,999 sq km)

Total area:
636,296 sq mi
(1,648,000 sq km)

Population :
   76,923,300 (2010 est.)
   74,700,000 (2010 census)
   growth rate: 1.1%
   birth rate: 17.0/1000
   infant mortality rate:
   40.3/1000
   life expectancy: 70.3
   density per sq mi: 116.6

Capital (2003 est.):
Tehran, 7,796,257
(largest city)

Other large cities:
   Mashhad, 2,410,800
   Isfahan, 1,583,609
   Tabriz, 1,398,060

Ethnicity/race:
   Persian 51%
   Azerbaijani 24%
   Gilaki, Mazandarani 8%
   Kurd 7%
   Arab 3%
   Lur 2%
   Baloch 2%
   Turkmen 2%
   Other 1%

Religions:
   Islam 98% (Shi'a 89%,
   Sunni 9%)
   Zoroastrian, Jewish,
   Christian, and
   Baha'i 2%

Languages:
   Persian 58%
   Turkic 26%
   Kurdish 9%
   Luri 2%
   Balochi 1%
   Arabic 1%
   Turkish 1%
   Other 2%

Communications:
Telephones:
    main lines in use:
    14,571,100 (2003);
    mobile cellular:
    3,376,500 (2003).

Radio Stations:
AM 72, FM 5,
    Shortwave 5 (1998).

Television Stations:
28 (1997).

Internet Hosts:
    5,269 (2004).

Internet Users:
    4.3 million (2003)

Transportation:
Railways:
    7,203 km (2004).

Highways: (1998)
    total: 167,157 km;
    paved: 94,109 km;
    unpaved: 73,048 km

Waterways:
850 km (on Karun River
and Lake Urmia) (2004).

Ports and Harbors:
    Assaluyeh, Bushehr.

Airports:
    305 (2004 est.).

Economics:

Monetary unit:
Rial

GDP/PPP :
$552.8 billion (2005).
per capita $8,100.

Real growth rate:
4.8%.

Inflation:
16%.

Unemployment:
11.2% (2004 est.).

Labor force:
23.68 million;
agriculture 30%,
industry 25%,
services 45% (2001).

Agriculture:
wheat, rice, other
grains, sugar beets,
fruits, nuts, cotton;
dairy products, wool;
caviar.
Arable land:
9%.

Industries:
petroleum,petrochemicals
textiles,cement and other
construction materials,
food processing, metal
fabrication, armaments.

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas,
coal, chromium, copper,
iron ore, lead, manganese,
zinc, sulfur.

Exports:
$55.4 billion f.o.b. (2005)
petroleum 80%, chemical
and petrochemical
products,fruits and nuts,
carpets.

Imports:
$42.5 billion f.o.b. (2005)
industrial raw materials
and intermediate goods,
capital goods, foodstuffs
and other consumer
goods, technical services,
military supplies.

Major trading partners:
Japan, China, Italy, Turkey
South Africa, South Korea,
Taiwan, Netherlands,
Germany, France, UAE,
South Korea, Russia.