Iran

Iran

Type of government: Islamic republic

Current head of state: Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Total population: 72,903,921

% of population living in poverty:18%

GDP: $331.01

Capital: Tehran

Largest city: Tehran

Major bodies of water: The Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, and The Gulf of Oman

Coasts: Anzali lagoon, and the Amol beach

Major rivers: The Karun River

Bordering countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, and Turkmenistan

Largest religion: Islam

Climate: Iran has a variable climate. In the northwest, winters are cold with heavy snowfall and subfreezing temperatures during December and January. Spring and fall are relatively mild, while summers are dry and hot. In the south, winters are mild and the summers are very hot, having average daily temperatures in July exceeding 38° C.

Geographical features: Iran is located in southwest Asia and borders the Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Caspian Sea. Its mountains have helped to shape both the political and the economic history of the country for several centuries.

Iran's news had announced that seven protesters were killed when a massive rally against the re-election of Mahmoud Amhadinejad turned violent. A spokesman for the European Commission urged Iranian authorities to allow peaceful protests in the country where civil unrest appears to have reached levels unseen since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.