Source: Wikipedia
Flag of Iran
Capital: Tehran 35°40′N 44°26′E Official language: Persian Government: Islamic Republic Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Establishment 550 BCE Cyrus the Great overthrows Median overlords and establishes Persian Empire :
- Revolution February 11, 1979 Overthrew monarchy

Area :
- Total 1,648,195 km² (18th) 636,372 sq mi
- Water (%) 0.7

Population :
- 2005 estimate 68,467,413[1] (17th)
- 1996 census 60,055,488 [2]
- Density 42/km² (158th) 109/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate :
- Total $561.6 billion (19th)
- Per capita $8,300 (71th)

HDI (2006): 0.746 (medium) (96th)

Currency: Rial (ريال ) (IRR)

Time zone: (UTC+3.30)
- Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+3.30)

Internet TLD: .ir

Calling code: +98 Iran (help·info) (Persian: ايران‎ , Īrān , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: جمهوری اسلامی ايران‎ transliteration: Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān ), is a country located in west Asia , once known as Persia to the Western world. Iran borders Armenia , Azerbaijan (including its Nakhichevan exclave), and Turkmenistan to the north, Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east, and Turkey and Iraq to the west. In addition, it borders the Persian Gulf , across which lie Kuwait , Iraq , Saudi Arabia , Bahrain , Oman , Qatar , and the United Arab Emirates . Shi'a Islam is the official state religion and Persian is its official language.

Throughout history, Iran has been of great geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia . Iran is a member and co-founder of the United Nations, NAM , the OIC, and OPEC. Iran is also significant in international politics on account of its large supply of petroleum. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and literally means "Land of the Aryans".