_#_Ethnic divisions: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 25%, Kurd 9%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Lur 2%, Baloch 1%, Arab 1%, other 3%
_#_Religion: Shia Muslim 95%, Sunni Muslim 4%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Bahai 1%
_#_Language: 58% Persian and Persian dialects, 26% Turkic and Turkic dialects, 9% Kurdish, 2% Luri, 1% Baloch, 1% Arabic, 1% Turkish, 2% other
_#_Literacy: 54% (male 64%, female 43%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 15,400,000; agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%; shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Iran
_#_Type: theocratic republic
_#_Capital: Tehran
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (ostanha,
singular—ostan); Azarbayjan-e Bakhtari,
Azarbayjan-e Khavari, 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