Iran factfile

• The Observer, Sunday March 16 2008 guardian online
  

· Iran was known as Persia until 1935. On 1 April, 1979, it became an Islamic republic after the Shah was toppled.

· In 1908 oil was discovered. A British company (later British Petroleum) was established to develop the oilfields. In 1951 Iran nationalised the industry.

· The Persians built the world's longest road, at 1,500 miles, introduced the first coinage, and produced the landmark book The Canon of Medicine

· The ancient capital of Persepolis was destroyed in 331BC by Alexander the Great's soldiers.

· About 70 per cent of Iran's population are under 30. In 2002 female students in universities outnumbered male students for the first time.

· Nearly 90 per cent of people are Shias. Most of the rest are Sunni Muslims.

· In 1979 militants seized the US embassy in Tehran. The hostage crisis which followed lasted 444 days.

· On 26 December, 2003, an earthquake devastated the city of Bam. More than 40,000 people lost their lives.