The Islamic Republic of Iran (formerly known as Persia until 1935)is a country in south west Asia. It has a total area of 1,648,000 km2. The climate is mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along the Caspian coast. The terrain is comprised of a rugged, mountainous rim; a high, central basin with deserts and mountains and small, discontinuous plains along both coasts. Natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulphur. The religion is 95% Shia Muslim, 4% SunniMuslim, 2% Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Bahai. The language is 58% Farsi (Persian), 26% Turkic and Turkic dialects, 9% Kurdish, 2% Luri, 1% Baloch, 1% Arabic, 1% Turkish,and 2% other. Iran underwent a revolution in 1979 during which the shah or king was overthrown by Shi'ites led by Ayatollah Khomeini who declared Iran an Islamic republic. Research Iran
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