IRAN IRAN REGION MIDDLE EAST NATURAL RESOURCES INDUSTRY AGRICULTURE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION GLOBAL RELATIONS DATE OF INDEPENDENCE APRIL 1 1979 DATE OF CURRENT CONSTITUTION DECEMBER 2 3 1979 POPULATION 65179752 1999 EST AREA 632457 SQ MI CAPITAL TEHRAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT THEOCRATIC REPUBLIC NATURAL RESOURCES OIL NATURAL GAS CHROMIUM COAL COPPER IRON ORE LEAD MANGANESE ZINC SULFUR MAIN INDUSTRIES PETROLEUM PROCESSING CHEMICALS TEXTILES CEMENT CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS ARMAMENTS SUGAR REFINING AGRICULTURE WHEAT RICE SUGAR BEETS FRUITS COTTON DAIRY PRODUCTS WOOL CAVIAR CURRENCY RIAL GDP 339.7 BILLION 1998 EST GDP PER CAPITA 5000 1998 EST LANGUAGES PERSIAN OFFICIAL TURKIC DIALECTS KURDISH LURI BALOCH ARABIC RELIGIONS ISLAM SHI'A SUNNISM ZOROASTRIANISM JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY LITERACY RATE 72 LIFE EXPECTANCY 68 YEARS MALE 71 YEARS FEMALE BIRTHRATE 21 PER 1000 POPULATION DEATH RATE 5 PER 1000 POPULATION
