Key facts about Iran

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