Iran, The Islamic Republic Of Iran
Iran, known as Persia until 1935, became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling
shah was driven out by a widespread revolution. Also known as the Islamic Republic
of Iran, it borders the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea, and is located
between Iraq and Pakistan. It also shares borders with Afghanistan, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. Iranis roughly 1,648,195 square feet, the
eighteenth largest country in the world with a population size of 82,801,633. It is
governed as a theocratic republic, which is their legal system based on Islamic
law. The judiciary system of Iran follows some aspects of Sharia law, but is also
mixed with civil law that is authorized and overseen by Parliament. Alongside
Parliament is their president, Hassan Ruhani, who has held office since August
2013, however; the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is at the very top of
Iran s configuration of power. Khamenei controls Iran s domestic and foreign
policies, serves as commander in chief of their armed forces, and directs the
republic s intelligence and security operations. Iran s economy is characterized by
its reliance on oil and gasoline exports. Their Gross National Income is 1.209 trillion
per capita (PPP). Petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, and copper are some of
their largest natural resources and their biggest export is petroleum (80%) to China,
India, Turkey, and Japan. Industrial supplies, capital goods, and technical services
from the UAE, China,