What kind of country is Iran?
Iran is the largest country in the Middle East with 66 million people living in an area slightly smaller than Alaska. Ethnically, the people are Persian, not Arab. Religiously, most are Shi'ite Muslims. The country's government and legal system have been Islamic since 1979 when a secular, pro-American dictatorship was overthrown. The country has a limited democracy. President Mohammed Khatami, a reformist, was reelected in 2001 by a landslide. His powers are formally limited by religious authorities who have thwarted his efforts to support a free press and develop a more tolerant version of Islam. The economy is dependent on oil. Iran has 9 percent of the world's known oil reserves. About half the population lives in poverty.
Economy | Human Rights