Iran – GENERAL INFORMATION – Facts and Figures

Facts and Figures

Full name: Islamic Republic of Iran

Nationality 

        noun: Iranian(s)         adjective: Iranian

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Area        total: 1.648 million sq km         land: 1.636 million sq km         water: 12,000 sq km

Population: 68,017,860 (July 2005 est.)

Ethnic groups
        Persian 51%

        Azeri 24%        Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%        Kurd 7%        Arab 3%        Lur 2%        Baloch 2%        Turkmen 2%        other 1%

Capital: Tehran, population – 6,760,000

Largest Cities
        Meshhad – 1,900,000

        Esfahan – 1,270,000        Tabriz – 1,200,000

Official Language
        Persian and Persian dialects 58%

        Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%        Kurdish 9%        Luri 2%        Balochi 1%        Arabic 1%        Turkish 1%        other 2%

Religion
        Shi’a Muslim 89%

        Sunni Muslim 9%        Zoroastrian 2%        Jewish 2%        Christian 2%        Baha’i 2%

Political system: theocratic republic

GDP: purchasing power parity – $516.7 billion (2004 est.)  

GDP per head: purchasing power parity – $7,700 (2004 est.)

Annual growth: 6.3% (2004 est.) 

GDP – composition by sector
        agriculture: 11.2% 

        industry: 40.9%         services: 48.7% (2004 est.) 

Inflation: 15.5% (2004 est.)