Fast Facts About Iran

Geography

Land Area:
1.636 million square kilometers (631,496 square miles) (slightly larger than Alaska)

Terrain:
Rugged, mountainous rim. High, central basin with deserts, mountains. Small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Arable Land:
10%


People

Population:
65,875,223 (July 2008)

Population Density:
42 per square kilometer (2004)

Age Structure:
0-14 years: 22.3%
15-64: 72.3%
65 years and older: 5.4%

Population Growth:
.792% annually (2008)

Major Cities:
Capital is Tehran 11 million. Other major cities: Mashhad 2.15 million, Isfahan 1.63 million, Tabriz 1.28 million, Shiraz 1.13 million, Qom 880,000. Urbanites number 61%

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

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

Literacy:
77% (male=83.5%, female=70.4%) (2002)

Languages with Scriptures:
3 Bibles, 2 New Testaments, 4 portions, 12 work in process

Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Other (Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian and Baha’i) 2%

Shi’a Islam is the state religion but Sunni Islam is respected and is followed by the Turkomen, Kurd and Baluch populations.  All defections from Islam are severely dealt with, and Christian proselytism is forbidden.  The rights of Jews, Zoroastrians and Christians are guaranteed by the Constitution but are closely monitored.


Communications

Telephones:
21,981 (2006)

Mobile Telephones:
13,659 million (2006)

Radio Stations:
AM 72, FM 5, short wave 5 (1998)

Radios:
17 million (1997)

Television Stations:
28 plus 450 low-power repeaters (1997)

Televisions:
4,61 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers:
6,111 (2007)

Internet Users:
18 million (2006)

Data Sources:
World Factbook 2008 and Operation World 2001