Iran is a country in Western Asia that is also known as Persia and is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has a total area of 1,648,195 square kilometers. Tehran is the country’s capital and largest city. Its official language is Persian. Its official currency is the Rial (IRR). Afghanistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Iraq are its five land bordering countries.
Iran has a long history as one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations. Central Asians migrated to this land, and Cyrus the Great established the first Persian Empire from 530 to 330 BC. It was the largest empire in the world until that time, stretching from Eastern Europe in the west to India in the east. It came to an end when Alexander the Great conquered it in 330 BC. During this time, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was constructed. It was one of the Ancient World’s Seven Wonders.
Women in Iran have nearly double the unemployment rate of men.
Iran was ruled by the Seleucid Dynasty and then the Parthian Empire beginning in 323 BC. Then, for the next four centuries, it was known as the Second Persian Empire under the Sassanid Dynasty.
When the Rashidan Arabs conquered the Empire in 637 AD, Islam became the state religion, and the country and its people contributed significantly to Islam’s Golden Age through their numerous scholars, artists, scientists, and thinkers.
Despite the official prohibition on alcohol, smuggled alcohol is a $700 million-a-year industry. There is also a significant domestic bootlegging industry. Drinking has become such a problem that the political system opened 150 treatment centers in 2015 to address the growing issue.
The 1973 oil price spike flooded the country with foreign currency, resulting in high inflation and an economic recession with high unemployment. People began to organize and protests against the Shah’s regime were launched. Protests and strikes eventually paralyzed the country. Khomeini returned to form a new government after the Shah fled. Iran became an Islamic Republic with a theocratic constitution in 1979.
Despite the fact that homosexual sex is punishable by death in Iran, sex change operations are legal and frequently state-funded. Iran is only second to Thailand as the world’s sex change capital.
The Iraq-Iran War of 1980-1988 resulted in millions of casualties and billions of dollars in damage and destruction, with no real gains on either side of the conflict. Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, initiated it. It came to an end when the United Nations accepted it. 598th Resolution
Iran is the only country with both an Indian Ocean and a Caspian Sea coastline.
From 2005 to 2013, Madmoud Nmadinijad served as president. His government was divisive because of its stance on nuclear development, human rights, and the destruction of Israel. As a controversial figure, his views alienated him from both the Islamic and Western worlds. Protests by students against his government were quickly and firmly put down.
For 30 years, the largest airport in Iran had an undiscovered Star of David embedded in its roof. Then Goggle Earth noticed it.
In 2013, Hassan Rouhari was elected President of Iran. After years of negotiations, several major countries reached an agreement with Iran on nuclear activity in 2015.
A serious schism with Saudi Arabia in 2016 resulted in the suspension of diplomatic relations. The United Nations imposed economic sanctions. The sanctions that had been in place against Iran for years are being lifted this year.
Iran is a multicultural country with many ethnic and religious groups. Shia Muslims constitute the vast majority of the population (85 percent). They are linked together by Iranian culture. Azerbaijanis and Kurds are the second and third most populous groups.
In cultural contexts, the names Iran and Persia are still used interchangeably, but Iran is always used in political contexts. The official language is Persian, or Farsi, though many other dialects are spoken in various regions. Azerbaijani Turkish is Iran’s second most common language.
Iran’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This is the third highest number in any single Asian country.
The state religion of Iran is Twelver Shia Islam, which is practiced by 90 to 95 percent of the population. Sunni Muslims make up up to 8% of the population.
Girls can marry at the age of 13 and boys at the age of 15. Iranians will be able to vote at the age of 15. Polygamy is legal in Iran, but there is a four-wife limit. When a girl marries, she is no longer permitted to attend high school.
Polo was invented in Iran and used to train cavalrymen as early as the sixth century BC. Soccer is the most popular sport, and Iran’s national team is ranked first in Asia. Wrestling is considered Iran’s national sport, and Iranians have won numerous Olympic medals.
Almost 70% of the Iranian population is under the age of 30.
Iranian girls wear a lot of makeup, and everyone is obsessed with noses. In fact, nose surgeries are fairly common.
