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 | Islamic Republic of Iran |
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| Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
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| Area: |
1.648 million sq km |
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| Climate: |
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast |
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| Terrain: |
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts |
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| Population: |
65,179,752 (July 1999 est.) |
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| Religions: |
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1% |
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| Languages: |
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% |
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| Capital: |
Tehran |
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