Population: 66,128,965 (July 2001 est.)

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

Background: Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces subsequently crushed westernizing liberal elements. Militant Iranian students seized the US Embassy in...

Currency: Iranian rial (IRR, IRR (10.39 = US$1))

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.