Iran

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جمهوری اسلامی ايران Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān Islamic Republic of Iran
Flag Emblem
Motto (official) Esteqlāl, āzādī, jomhūrī-ye eslāmī 1  (Persian) "Independence, freedom, Islamic Republic" (ancient) Kerdār-e nīk, pendār-e nīk, goftār-e nīk   (Persian) "Noble deeds, noble thoughts, noble words"
Anthem Sorūd-e Mellī-e Īrān 2
Capital (and largest city)		Tehran 35?1′N, 51?5′E
Official languages		Persian
Government		Islamic Republic
-	Supreme Leader	Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
-	President	Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Establishment
-	Proto-Elamite Period	8000 BC
-	Middle-Elamite Period	3400-550 BC
-	Creation of first Iranian dynastic empire (Median)	728-550 BC
-	Achaemenid dynastic empire (unification)	550-330 BC
-	Parthian (Arsacid) dynastic empire (first reunification)	248 BC-224 AD
-	Sassanid dynastic empire	224-651 AD
-	Safavid dynasty (second reunification)	May 1502
-	First Constitution	1906
-	Islamic Revolution	1979
Area
-	Total	1,648,195 km?/a> (18th) 636,372 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.7
Population
-	2006 census	70,049,2623 (17th)
-	Density	42 /km?nbsp;(158th) 109 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$610.4 billion4 (19th)
-	Per capita	$8,9004 (71st)
HDI (2004)		0.746 (medium) (96th)
Currency		Iranian rial (ريال) (IRR)
Time zone		IRST (UTC+3:30)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+3:30)
Internet TLD		.ir
Calling code		+98
1	bookrags.com
2	iranchamber.com
3	Statistical Center, Government of Iran. "سرشماری ۱۳۸۵". Retrieved on 2006-12-03.
4	CIA Factbook

Iran, (Persian: ايران, Īrān; pronunciation: [iːˈɾɒn]), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: جمهوری اسلامی ايران, transliteration: Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān), formerly known internationally as Persia, is a Southwest Asian country located in the geographical territories of the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus. The 18th largest country in the world, Iran is approximately the size of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany combined and has a population of over 70 million people. Iran borders Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, and Turkey and Iraq to the west. In addition, it borders the Persian Gulf, an important oil-producing area, and the Caspian sea. Shi'a Islam is the official state religion and Persian the official language.^[1] The political system of Iran comprises several intricately connected governing bodies and is based on the 1979 Constitution. The highest state authority is the Supreme Leader, currently served by Ali Khamenei.

Iran has one of the oldest histories in the world, extending nearly 6,000 years,^[2] and throughout history, Iran has been of geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia. Iran is a founding member of the UN, NAM, OIC, OPEC, and ECO. Iran is a regional power in Southwest Asia and occupies an important position in the world economy due to its large reserves of petroleum and natural gas.^[3] Iran is also one of the few states that comprise the Cradle of Humanity. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and literally means "Land of the Aryans."^{[citation needed]}