geographic coordinates: 35 40 N, 51 25 E
time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins fourth Monday in March; ends fourth Wednesday in September
Administrative divisions:
31 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Alborz, Ardabil,
Azarbayjan-e Gharbi (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Sharqi (East
Azerbaijan), Bushehr, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars,
Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah,
Khorasan-e Jonubi (South Khorasan), Khorasan-e Razavi (Razavi
Khorasan), Khorasan-e Shomali (North Khorasan), Khuzestan,
Kohgiluyeh va Bowyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi,
Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran,
Yazd, Zanjan
Independence:
1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed); notable earlier dates: ca. 625 B.C. (unification of Iran under the Medes); ca. A.D. 1501 (Iran reunified under the Safavids); 12 December 1925 (modern Iran established under the Pahlavis)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Constitution: