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.
Iran-US relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, and held it until January 20, 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Gulf and led to clashes between the US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988.
- Total area: 1.648 million sq/km.
- Population: 68,688,433 (July 2006 estimate)
- Chief of state: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (since June 4, 1989)
- Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
- Religions: Shiites 89%, Sunnis 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian and Bahai 2%
- GDP (purchasing power parity): $552.8 billion (2005 estimate)
- Labour force: 23.68 million
- Unemployment rate: 11.2% (2004 estimate)
- Population below poverty line: 40% (2002 estimate)
- Airports: 310 (2005)
- Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited during the Iran-Iraq War.
Source: CIA.gov
