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Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar. A group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq over disputed territory. Over the past decade, popular dissatisfaction with the government, driven by demographic changes, restrictive social policies, and poor economic conditions, has been pressuring for political reform.
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Country
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Surface Area: 1,648,000 square km
Population: 69,018,924 (July 2004 est.)
Located in: Asia (Middle East)
Capital City: Tehran
Head of State: Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI
Prime Minister: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani
Independent since: 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
Currency: Iranian rial (IRR)
Flag (image): 
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