Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II Prime minister: Portia Simpson-Miller
Population
78,868,711
2,889,187
Life Expectancy
70.350 years
73.430 years
Capital City
Tehran
Kingston
Largest city
Tehran (population: 7,153,310)
Kingston (population: 937,700)
Human Development Index
0.777
0.771
GDP per capita
$13,200 US
$9,100 US
Literacy Rate
77%
87.9%
Corruption Perception Index
2.3
3.1
Percentage of Women in Parliament
2.8%
13.6%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
15.300%
12.700%
Death Penalty
Legal
Legal
Political System
theocratic republic
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Independence date
1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
6 August 1962 (from UK)
Religions
Muslim 98% (Shia 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2%
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
Languages
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
English, English patois
Exports
petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets
Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar - 9,142.8 (2008 est.), 9,407.5 (2007), 9,227.1 (2006), 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004) note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - 72.236 (2008 est.), 69.034 (2007), 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.500%
0.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
2
11
Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Area
1,648,195 km sq
10,991 km sq
Coastline
2,440 km
1,022 km
Climate
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
