Iran September 22, 1996 Iran is 65 degrees E latitude and 35 degrees longitude. Iran is north of the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf, directly south of the Caspian Sea, west of Afganistan and Pakistan, and east of Iraq. The Elburz Mountains are north of Tehran, the capital city. The Zayandh River is in the southwest. The Kavir Desert is east of Tehran. The official name of this country is Islamic Republic of Iran. It has an area of 636,296 square miles and 50.3 mollion people live there. People in Iran speak Farsi (Persian), Afgani, Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Lur, Bakhtiar, and Baluchi. Some of the most important holidays are Now Ruz (Persian New Year) on the first day of Spring, Char Shambeh Soori on the Tuesday evening before the Persian New Year, and Sizdaeh Bedar on the 13th day after Persian New Year. Iran is very hot and dry, except near the Caspian Sea. People in Iran adapt to their climate by building dome-shaped roofs, which provide protection from the heat of the sun. The majority of the people in Iran are farmers and herders. Two people are very well known: Hafez, the most famous poet of Iran, who lived about 600 years ago, and Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran during the revolution against the last Shah (king). Most of the people living in Iran live in or near Tehran, the capital. Other cities are: Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz, Mashad, Kerman, Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khomeini, Ahvaz, and Kermanshah. People in Iran travel by railroad, airplane, and bus between cities. Most families have cars or motorbikes. The government of Iran is an Islamic republic, with a parliamentary system controlled by religious parties, councils, and courts. Iran has many oil wells. It also exports caviar and pistachios. Most of Iran is a high desert plateau. Iran has many tourist attractions. Darius' palace (built about 2300 years ago) is in Persepolis, near Shiraz. Many mosques (islamic places of worship) are found, but the most famous one is in Isfahan. Isfahan also has many famous buildings from the days of King Abbas (about 1600).