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Country name:
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conventional long form:
Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local short form: Iran
former: Persia
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
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Government type:
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theocratic republic |
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Capital:
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Tehran
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Administrative divisions:
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28
provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil,
Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr,
Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan,
Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,
Kermanshah, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer
Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran,
Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran,
Yazd, Zanjan |
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Independence:
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1 April
1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
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National holiday:
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Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
note: additional holidays celebrated widely
in Iran include Revolution Day, 11 February (1979);
Noruz (New Year's Day), 21 March; Constitutional
Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925) |
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Constitution:
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2-3
December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the
presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
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Legal system:
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the
Constitution codifies Islamic principles of
government |
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Suffrage:
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15
years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since
4 June 1989)
elections: leader of the Islamic Revolution
appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts;
president elected by popular vote for a four-year
term; election last held 24 May 2005
election results: Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad
elected president;
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the
president with legislative approval; the Supreme
Leader has some control over appointments to the
more sensitive ministries
head of government: President Mahmoud Ahmadi
Nejad (since 3 August 2005); First Vice
President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-YAZDI (since 26
August 2001) |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats, note - changed
from 270 seats with the 18 February 2000 election;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 18 February 2000 with a
runoff held 5 May 2000 (next to be held February
2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%;
seats by party - reformers 189, conservatives 54,
independents 42, seats reserved for religious
minorities 5 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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a loose
pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad front
achieved considerable success at elections to the
sixth Majles in early 2000, and groups in the
coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation Front
(IIPF); Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran);
Solidarity Party; Mojahedin of the Islamic
Revolution Organization (MIRO); and Militant Clerics
Society (Ruhaniyun); a new apparently conservative
group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, emerged at the
local level in early 2003 |
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International organization participation:
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CP,
ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO |
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Diplomatic representation in other countries:
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Directory of the
Iranian Diplomatic
Representations
in other countries |
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Diplomatic representation from other countries:
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Directory of the
Foreign Diplomatic
Representations
in Iran |
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Flag description:
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three
equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and
red; the national emblem (a stylized representation
of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol
of martyrdom) in red is centered in the white band;
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
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