Encompassing
a 1,648,000 sq. km area, Iran is located in the strategic Middle East
region. Turkey and Iranq neighbour Iran in the west, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan Republics in the north, and Afghanistanand
Pakistan in the east.
Iran has access to the warm and pleasant waters of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea through a 1,880 km long coastal strip which extends from the Arvand river by the Iraqi border to the Strait of Hormoz-- and thereafter, to the Indian Ocean via the Oman Sea. This whole region is exceptionally strategic since major portion of the world's crude oil production is exported through the Strait of Hormoz. A 630 km long strip by the Caspian Sea in the north exposes Iran to an overall 2,500 km of coastlines. Iran's unique geographical features have produced a spectacular region in this part of the world.
The high Alborz mountain rangein the north and the Zagross range in both the west as well as the south-west of the country prevent the flow of damp air currents from the CaspianandMediterranean regionentering the mainland Iran. Thus, the country's climate is kmown to be generally dry. Howerver, it is large enough to portray a variety of climates all year round.
As the world's largest inland water basin, the Caspian Sea with an area of 380,000 sq. km is linked to the Black Sea via Volga-Don Canal.
The Caspian Sea, for instance, is the habitat of the Sturgeon Fish which produces the worl's most famousPersian Caviar. Forests cover only 7.7% of the overall land area in Iran. The forests in Gilan, Mazandaranand Azerbaijan provinces constitute about 19 percent of this figure.
Iran has been divided into 25 provinces. About 10 million people reside in the capital city Tehran and its suburbs. Isfahan, Mashad, Shiraz, Tabriz, Rasht, Kerman and Ahwaz are centers of the largest and most populous Iranian Provinces.
Government
In the course of a referendum in April 1979 --
following the victory of the Islamic Revolutionin Iran -- 98.2%
of the Iranian people voted in favour of the Islamic Republic.
Religion
According to Article 12 of the Islamic Republic
of Iran's Constitution, the Shi'a sect of islam which is faith in
Tweleve Imams is the country's official religion.
Over 98.5% of the country's 63 million (Approx.) population are Muslims.
Banking System
All Iranian Banks are national and come in three
major categories namely, Commercial, Specialized and Provincial.
The Iranian currency unit is 'Rial'.Ten Rials make one 'Tooman'
which is the people's every-day llife monetary unit.
Membership at International Organizations
The Islamic Republic of Iran is a member of many
international organizations, associations, conventions and conferences
including:
CCC, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILQ, IMF, IMO, INTERSAT,
IPU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UNIDOand WHO.
Transportation
Roads are the country's most common way of transportation.
There are, however, other means of transportation like shipping lines,
railways and airlines.