Islamic Republic of Iran

Capital: Tehran

Total Area: 636,296.36 sq mi, 1,648,000.00 sq km, (slightly larger than Alaska)

Population: 66,128,965 (July 2001 est.)

Estimated Population in 2050: 100,198,725

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Literacy: 72.1% total, 78.4% male, 65.8% female (1994 est.)

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Life Expectancy: 68.61 male, 71.37 female (2001 est.)

Government Type: theocratic republic

Currency: 10 Iranian rials (IR) = 1 toman

GDP (per capita): $6,300 (2000 est.)

Industry: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments

Agriculture: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar

Arable Land: 10%

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

Where is Iran?