In 1979, the state of Iran, or more precisely, the Islamic Republic of Iran, was formed in Western Asia. Tehran became the capital of the new country. Previously, this territory was called Persia. The country has a common border with Iraq in the west, a little to the north with Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia, the north of the country borders on Turkmenistan, and the east on Pakistan and Afghanistan. In addition, Iran’s neighbor on the map (in the northwest) is the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is not recognized by the world community. Iran has access to the Caspian Sea, and in addition, its shores are washed by the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, which belong to the Indian Ocean.
A little about the history of Iran
The first chronicle information about Iran goes back almost five thousand years. The state that then existed on its territory was called Elam. It arose in the third millennium BC. After Iran belonged to the huge Persian Empire, which under Darius I Achaemenid occupied the area from Greece to the Tarim River. For more than two thousand years, Iran has been depicted on geographical maps as part of a powerful state. It was one of the most influential cultural, scientific and political centers in the world. Before the arrival of Islam in the country in the 16th century, the main religion was Zoroastrianism.
Iran today
Today, Iran is the fourth largest economy by GDP (in PPP terms) in the Islamic world, or the second in Western Asia. The country is a leader in technology development among the countries of the Arab world. In addition, Iran is rich in natural resources that are in demand today: oil and natural gas.
Iran's legal system is based on Islamic law, and government agencies work closely with the clergy. This is the reason for the oppression of human rights, primarily freedom of religion. Thus, in Iran there is a special body called the “Council of Guardians of the Constitution”, which does not allow people who do not profess Islam to occupy leadership positions in the state apparatus.
The Islamic Republic of Iran (before 1935 - Persia) is a state in Asia. The area of Iran is 1,648,195 sq. km, population about 8 million people, capital Tehran. In the west, Iran has a common border with, in the north-west it borders with, and unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh. In the north of Iran there is a border with Turkmenistan, with and - in the east. In the north of Iran are the shores of the Caspian Sea, in the south are the Persian and Oman Gulfs of the Indian Ocean.
Iran is characterized by the predominance of mountains and hills. In the north, the Elbrus Mountains stretch along the border. Volcano Damavand is the highest point (5,604 m). In the western part there is the Kotur mountain range, in the southwestern part - the Zagros Mountains. The Iranian Plateau rises in the center of the country. In the eastern part of Iran are the large deserts of Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, surrounded by the Iranian Plateau. The area of these deserts is 200 thousand square meters. km and 166 thousand sq. km. The lowest point in Iran is 28 m above sea level. There are few large rivers in Iran, the largest are Karun and Sefivrud. There is also a large salt lake called Urmia. Water reserves in reservoirs depend on the amount of precipitation.
The climate of Iran is subtropical in the north and tropical in the south. On the southern coast of the country, the temperature in winter averages +16–18 °C, in the summer months +24–30 °C. There is little precipitation: up to 1,000 mm on mountain slopes, up to 600 mm on the plain. Most of Iran is very dry - there is no rain for 2–4 months or longer. In the north, in the mountains, precipitation is mainly in the form of snow; in some places the snow remains for 4-5 months. This is the main source of irrigation for the country's agriculture. In the center of Iran in winter +3–8 °C, in summer +30–32 °C, often up to +40 °C. Precipitation no more than 250 mm. In the mountains of Elbrus and Zagros it is cooler: in summer +16–26 °C, in winter from −4 °C to +12 °C.
(Islamic Republic of Iran)
General information
Geographical position. Iran is a country in southwest Asia. In the north it borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, in the east with Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the west with Iraq and Turkey. In the north it is washed by the Caspian Sea, in the south by the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
Square. The territory of Iran occupies 1,648,000 square meters. km.
Main cities, administrative divisions. The capital is Tehran. Largest cities: Tehran (6,830 thousand people), Mashhad (2,011 thousand people), Isfahan (1,915 thousand people), Tabriz (994 thousand people), Shiraz (848 thousand people). Administrative-territorial division of the country: 24 ostans (provinces).
Political system
Iran is an Islamic republic. The spiritual head of state is the Ayatollah. The secular head of state is the president. Legislative power lies with the unicameral Assembly of the Islamic Council (Majlis).
Relief. Most of Iran is occupied by a central plateau, approximately 1,200 m above sea level and almost entirely surrounded by mountain ranges.
In the north, parallel to the shore of the Caspian Sea, are the Elburz Mountains, where the highest point of the country is located - Mount Damavand (5,604 m). The Zagros Mountains stretch along the western border to the southeast towards the Persian Gulf. To the east of the plateau lie lower mountains. The flat areas lie along the coastal strip near the Caspian Sea. In the center of the state there are two vast deserts: the sandy-rocky Dasht-i-Lut and the salty Dasht-i-Kavir.
Geological structure and minerals. The country's subsoil contains rich reserves of oil and natural gas, and less significant reserves of coal, iron ore, chromium, copper, zinc, lead, manganese, and sulfur.
Climate. Based on climatic characteristics, Iran can be divided into three regions: the very hot coast of the Persian and Oman Gulfs; temperate but arid climate of the central highlands; cold climate in the Elborz mountains region. The average January temperature in Tehran is from -3°C to +7°C, in July - from +22°C to +37°C. In Abadan (on the coast of the Persian Gulf) - from +7°C to +17°C in January and from +28°C to +44°C in July. The average annual precipitation in Tehran is about 250 mm, in Abadan - less than 200 mm.
Inland waters. In winter and spring, small rivers flow into the Dasht-i-Kavir desert. Most Iranian rivers dry up during the dry season. The main, non-drying rivers, mostly short, originate in the foothills in the north or south of the country and flow into the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman. The Karun River is the country's main navigable river. There are few large lakes in Iran; they mostly dry up during the dry season. The largest lake that lies entirely within Iran is Lake Urmia (Rezaie) in the north of the country.
Soils and vegetation. In the Zagros Mountains there are forest areas where oak, walnut, elm, and pistachio trees grow. On the seaward slopes of the Elborz Mountains and in the Caspian Valley, the vegetation is very rich: a large number of ash, elm, elm, oak, birch, and some evergreens. Cacti and thorns grow in desert areas.
Animal world. The fauna is represented quite widely: rabbit, fox, wolf, hyena, jackal, leopard, deer, porcupine, ibex (mountain goat), bear, tiger, badger. Among the birds in the center of the country there are a large number of pheasants and partridges, on the coast of the Persian Gulf - flamingos and pelicans. The Caspian Sea is home to beluga, herring, and sturgeon.
Population and language
Iran's population is about 68.96 million people, with an average population density of about 49 people per square kilometer. km. Ethnic groups: Persians - 51%, Azerbaijanis - 24%, Gilaks and Mazandarans - 8%, Kurds - 7%, Arabs - 3%, Lurs - 2%, Balokhi - 2%), Turkmens - 2%. Languages: Farsi (New Persian) (state), Turkic, Kurdish.
Religion
Shiites - 95% (state religion), Sunnis - 4%, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Baha'is.
Brief historical sketch
In the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. Cyrus the Great created the Persian Empire, which lasted until 333 BC. e., when it was conquered by Alexander the Great. In the next century, Persia regained its independence, and the Persian kingdom lasted until the 7th century. n. e. With the advent of Islam on the territory of Persia, the country was included in the Medina, and later in the Damascus Caliphate. The old Zoroastrian religion of Persia practically disappeared, completely suppressed by Islam. In the 11th century Iran was captured by the Turks, and later by the Seljuks, the Mongols of Genghis Khan, the army of Tamerlane and the Turkmens, who stayed in Iran the longest - until 1502. In 1502, Iran regained its independence with the coming to power of the Persian Safavid dynasty, which ruled the country until 1722. Shah Abbas I, who ruled in the second quarter of the 17th century, is considered the most powerful ruler of this dynasty. After his death, the gradual decline of the country began, leading to the conquest of Iran by the Afghan army in 1722. However, within a few years a new dynasty was founded, leading Iran to relative prosperity.
In 1906, a constitutional monarchy was proclaimed in Iran, which lasted until 1979, when Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was dethroned. In January of the same year, Ayatollah Khomeini declared Iran an Islamic republic. Khomeini's rule was marked by brutality and was marked by an international scandal when American diplomats were taken hostage in Tehran in November 1979, as well as the death sentence of the British writer of Indian origin Salman Rushdie, who wrote the book The Satanic Verses, which was offensive to Islam. In 1993, Rafsanjani confirmed the verdict.
Brief Economic Sketch
Iran is an agrarian-industrial country with a developed oil industry. Extraction of oil, gas, coal, chromite, lead-zinc, copper, manganese and iron ores. Oil refining and petrochemical enterprises. Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Mechanical engineering and metalworking. Food-flavoring and textile industries. Handicraft production (carpets, hardware). The main food crops are grains (wheat, barley), rice, legumes; industrial cotton, sugar beets, sugar cane, tobacco, tea. Fruit growing, melon growing, viticulture, planting nut and pistachio trees. Extensive livestock farming (sheep, goats, cattle, camels). Sericulture. Marine fishing. Export: oil and oil products (95-99% of cost), carpets, caviar. (
The currency is the Iranian rial.
Brief sketch of culture
Art and architecture. Tehran. Bastan Museum with archeological exhibits from ancient Persian cities; imam mosque; Aka Shrine; Apiyabad is the burial place of Ayatollah Khomeini; the 45 m high Shahiyad Tower, built in 1971; Negarestan Museum with a collection of Iranian art from the period of the Persian Empire; Ethnographical museum; Carpet Museum; National Art Museum. Shiraz. Masjid-i-Jama Mosque (IX century); tombs of the Persian poets Hafez and Saadi; Kom Museum and Pars Museum. Urmia (homeland of the prophet Zoroaster). Jama Mosque; Mosque of the Three Domes. Tabriz. Blue Mosque (XIII century); Citadel (XIV century). Hamadan. Tomb of Esther and Tomb of Avicenna. Esfahan. Royal Masjid-i-Shah Mosque (XVII century); Masjid-i-Sheikh-Lutfullah Mosque; royal garden with a throne room on 40 columns; Shah Hussain school of dervishes, founded in 1710 Nishair. Tomb of Omar Khayyam. Mashhad (holy city of Shia Muslims). Tomb of Ali ar-Rida and tomb of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
Literature. Omar Khayyam (c. 1048-after 1122) - poet, author of world-famous philosophical quatrains - rubai; Saadi (between 1203 and 1210-1292) - writer and thinker (poem “Bustan”, collection of parables “Gulistan”).