IRAN

National name: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

Government
Iran has been an Islamic theocracy since the Pahlavi monarchy regime was overthrown on Feb. 11, 1979.

Geography
Iran, a Middle Eastern country south of the Caspian Sea and north of the Persian Gulf. The Elburz Mountains in the north rise to 18,603 ft (5,670 m) at Mount Damavend. From northwest to southeast, the country is crossed by a desert 800 mi (1,287 km) long.

Historical Background
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf. Following the elections of a reformist president and Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction floundered as conservative politicians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased repressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers. Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August 2005 inauguration of a conservative stalwart as president, completed the reconsolidation of conservative power in Iran's government

Facts & Figures

Name

Iran

Capital

Tehran

Government

Islamic republic

Language

Persian

Area

1,648,195 km2

Population

76,923,300

Currency

Rial & (IRR)