Country Profile-- Iran

Country Profile

Physical Geography

1. Official Name of Country: Islamic Republic of Iran
   
2. Climate: mostly arid or semiarid. Subtropical along the Caspian Coast.
   
3. Map
   
   1. Absolute Location: 32 00N, 53 00E
      
   2. Relative location: In the Middle East, between Iraq and Pakistan.
      

Political Geography

1. Type of government: Theocratic Republic.
   
2. Major political parties: Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran), Solidarity Party, Islamic Labor Party, Mardom Salari, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO), and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun);
   
3. Capital: Tehran
   

1. International Organization participation: CP, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SAARC (observer), SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
   
2. Size of armed forces: males age 16-49: 20,212,275
   

Females age 16-49: 19,638,751 (2008 EST.)

Cultural Geography

1. Official language: no official language.
   

1. other languages spoken: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
   
2. ethnic composition: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
   
3. major religions: Muslim 98% (Shia 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2%
   
4. Population: 66,429,284 (July 2009 est.)
   
   1. Population growth: 0.883% (2009EST)
      
   2. Infant mortality rate and average life expectancy: 35.78 deaths / 1000live births. 71.1 average expectancy age.
      

Economic Geography

1. GDP (Gross Domestic Product): 843.7 billion
   
2. Percent of arable land used for agriculture: 9.78%
   

1. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
   
2. Major agricultural and industrial products: wheat, rice, sugar beets, sugar cane, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar. Petroleum, fertilizers, textiles, food processing, armaments
   
3. Major exports: petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets
   
4. Major imports: industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services
   
   1. Currency (include exchange rate vs. TWD)9142.8 Iranian Rials(IRR) per US dollar
      
   2. Balance of trade: 335.2 billion (2008 EST.)
      
   3. Historical events (Timeline format from 1980 to present; give your teacher 10 major events):
      

   
   

1220 - Invasion by Mongol forces of Genghis Khan.

1639 - Treaty of Qasr-e Shirin (or Treaty of Zuhab) ends about 150 years of war against Ottoman Empire.

1914-1918 - Iran declares neutrality but is scene of heavy fighting during World War I.

1935 - Formerly known as Persia, Iran is adopted as the country's official name.

1980 22 September - Start of Iran-Iraq war which lasts for eight years.

1988 July - Iran accepts a ceasefire agreement with Iraq following negotiations in Geneva under the aegis of the UN.

1990 September - Iran and Iraq resume diplomatic ties.

2002 September - Russian technicians begin construction of Iran's first nuclear reactor at Bushehr despite strong objections from US.

2003 September - UN nuclear watchdog, IAEA, gives Tehran weeks to prove it is not pursuing an atomic weapons programme.

2004 June - Iran is rebuked by the IAEA for failing to fully cooperate with an inquiry into its nuclear activities.

2006 January - Iran breaks IAEA seals at its Natanz nuclear research facility.

2007 May - IAEA says Iran could develop a nuclear weapon in three to eight years if it so chooses.

References: CIA world factbook

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html

BBC Time Line- Iran http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/806268.stm