Iran, officially Islamic Republic of Iran, republic in the Middle East, bordered to the north by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea; to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan; to the south by the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Persian Gulf; and to the west by Iraq and Turkey. The nation was a constitutional monarchy governed by a shah from 1906 until 1979, when a popular uprising led by Islamic religious leaders resulted in the establishment of an Islamic republic. The area of Iran is 1,648,000 sq km (636,296 sq mi). Until the 1930s Iran was known abroad as Persia. The capital and largest city is Tehran.

Population
	66,231,000
	(1996 estimate)
Population Density
	38 people/sq km
	(98 people/sq mi)
	(1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
	58% Urban
	42% Rural
Largest Cities
	Tehran6,475,527
	Mashhad1,759,155
	Esfahan1,127,050
	Tabrìz1,088,985
	Qom681,253
	(1991 census)
Ethnic Groups
	51% Persian
	21% Other
	20% Azeri
	8% Kurdish
	including Afghani refugees, Gilaki, Lur, Mazandarani, Balochi, Arabs,
Languages
Official Language
	Farsi (Persian)
Other Languages
	Azeri Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Balochi, Turkmen,
Religions
	90% Shiite Islam
	9% Sunni Islam
	1% Other
	including Armenian Eastern Orthodoxy, Judaism, Bahai, Zoroastrianism