Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Country Name: conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local short form: Iran
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
former: Persia

Nationality: noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian

Capital: Tehran

Flag Description: The flag of Iran has three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band. The colors of the flag are traditional, probably dating from at least the 18th century and they can be interpreted as representing the Islamic religion (green), peace (white), and courage (red). The national emblem consists of four crescents and a sword in a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip. The five parts of the emblem symbolize the five principles of Islam. Above the sword (central part) is a "tashdid" (looks a bit like a W). In Arabic writing this is used to double a letter, here it doubles the strength of the sword. The shape of the emblem is chosen to represent a tulip. It is an ancient belief in Iran, dating back to mythology, that if a young soldier dies patriotically, a red tulip will grow on his grave. In recent years it is considered as the symbol of martyrdom.
http://www.fotw.net/flags/ir.html

Government Type: theocratic republic

Administrative Divisions: 28 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Independence: April 1, 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

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

Ethnic Groups: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

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

Population: 66,622,704 (July 2002 est.)

Population Growth Rate: .77% (2002 est.)
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 31.6% (male 10,753,218; female 10,273,015)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 21,383,542; female 21,096,307)
65 years and over: 4.7% (male 1,633,016; female 1,483,606) (2002 est.)
Life Expectancy: male: 69 years ; female: 72 years (2002 est.)
Literacy rate: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 72.1%
male: 78.4%
female: 65.8% (1994 est.)
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $456 billion (2001 est.)
Currency: Iranian rial (IRR; 7,900IRR=1USD)

Area: 636,296 sq. miles (slightly larger than Alaska)

Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

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