01
Physical geography
Rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts.
Local timeTehran ·
Asia / Southern Asia · Card 015
Iran
Iran is a country in Southern Asia. Its capital is Tehran.
Find Iran
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Tehran
- Languages
- Persian (Farsi)
- Currency
- Iranian rial (IRR)
- Population
- 92.4 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 1,648,195 km²636,371 square miles
- Islamic Republic established
- 1979
Iran in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Tehran; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Persian (Farsi).
03
Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; centered in the white band is the red national emblem, a stylization of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip (a symbol of martyrdom); ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band
History & status
Iran has a long history of Persian states and empires. A constitutional revolution began in 1906. The 1979 revolution ended the monarchy and established the Islamic Republic. War with Iraq from 1980 to 1988 caused widespread destruction and remains a major historical turning point.
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Constitutional revolution
-
Islamic Republic established
-
Iran–Iraq War begins
Economy
Main activities
Oil and gas, petrochemicals, manufacturing, agriculture and services are major activities. Sanctions and constraints on international finance have affected investment and trade.
Industry and production
petroleum, petrochemicals, gas, fertilizer, caustic soda, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), ferrous and nonferrous metal fabrication, armaments
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people92.42025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 29,145,100 | 29.145 |
| 1980 | 39,842,324 | 39.842 |
| 1990 | 58,380,092 | 58.380 |
| 2000 | 66,418,659 | 66.419 |
| 2010 | 77,420,842 | 77.421 |
| 2020 | 87,723,443 | 87.723 |
| 2025 | 92,417,681 | 92.418 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars519.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 188,112,392,401 | 188.112 |
| 1991 | 212,033,043,458 | 212.033 |
| 1992 | 219,025,854,894 | 219.026 |
| 1993 | 215,803,959,420 | 215.804 |
| 1994 | 212,138,990,733 | 212.139 |
| 1995 | 217,232,542,413 | 217.233 |
| 1996 | 231,027,951,540 | 231.028 |
| 1997 | 234,147,751,321 | 234.148 |
| 1998 | 239,018,052,132 | 239.018 |
| 1999 | 243,804,857,657 | 243.805 |
| 2000 | 258,056,537,598 | 258.057 |
| 2001 | 264,229,695,673 | 264.230 |
| 2002 | 285,576,361,692 | 285.576 |
| 2003 | 310,248,155,731 | 310.248 |
| 2004 | 323,702,581,949 | 323.703 |
| 2005 | 334,028,060,139 | 334.028 |
| 2006 | 350,728,779,263 | 350.729 |
| 2007 | 379,333,424,182 | 379.333 |
| 2008 | 380,285,006,936 | 380.285 |
| 2009 | 384,115,942,794 | 384.116 |
| 2010 | 406,386,748,165 | 406.387 |
| 2011 | 417,138,595,177 | 417.139 |
| 2012 | 401,507,697,046 | 401.508 |
| 2013 | 395,396,833,391 | 395.397 |
| 2014 | 415,106,476,158 | 415.106 |
| 2015 | 409,191,686,497 | 409.192 |
| 2016 | 445,262,288,195 | 445.262 |
| 2017 | 458,739,730,635 | 458.740 |
| 2018 | 441,546,348,306 | 441.546 |
| 2019 | 431,119,516,584 | 431.120 |
| 2020 | 450,269,020,579 | 450.269 |
| 2021 | 468,869,169,368 | 468.869 |
| 2022 | 489,278,157,563 | 489.278 |
| 2023 | 515,368,187,077 | 515.368 |
| 2024 | 534,246,745,198 | 534.247 |
| 2025 | 519,149,083,729 | 519.149 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.799High human developmentRank 75 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.626
20000.710
20100.778
20200.775
20230.799
77.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
10.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Islamic republic combining elected institutions with religious oversight. The supreme leader holds extensive constitutional powers; an elected president leads the executive, while Parliament legislates subject to review by the Guardian Council.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Iran.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Iran?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.