16,803,943)
65 years and over: 4% (female 1,197,869; male 1,276,885) (July 1995
est.)

Population growth rate: 2.29% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 34.85 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.85 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 54.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.97 years
male: 65.77 years
female: 68.22 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian

Ethnic divisions: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani
8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 95%, Sunni Muslim 4%, Zoroastrian, Jewish,
Christian, and Baha'i 1%

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic
dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Baloch 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%,
other 2%

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991)
total population: 66%
male: 74%
female: 56%

Labor force: 15.4 million
by occupation: agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%
note: shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)

@Iran:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
local short form: Iran

Digraph: IR

Type: theocratic republic

Capital: Tehran

Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan);
Azarbayjan-e Bakhtari (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Khavari (East
Azerbaijan), Bakhtaran, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan,
Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Khorasan, Khuzestan,
Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran,
Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
note: there may be a new province named Ardabil formed from a part of
Azarbayjan-e Khavari (East Azerbaijan) which may have been renamed
Azarbayjan-e Markazi (Central Azerbaijan); the name Bakhtaran may have
been changed to Kermanshahan

Independence: 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

National holiday: Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

Constitution: 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the
presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

Legal system: the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of
government

Suffrage: 15