Iran is widely renowned for the rich diversity of its landscape, climates, customs, and people’s lifestyles. If it had no other claim to respect, at least a continuous history of 2500 years is a distinction that few countries can exhibit. Iran is an incredible place to visit. Beautiful landscape such as lure of steep mountains, coastlines, and endless, rolling desert is fabulous. On the other hand, more than a million historical sites exist in Iran and it is obvious that even the most interesting ones can be visited only after numerous trips to this country.

Flag of islamic republic of Iran

Formerly known as Persia, Iran is a country located in southwest Asia, a huge land of mountains and deserts. Eastern Iran is dominated by a high plateau, with large salt flats and vast sand deserts. The plateau is surrounded by even higher mountains, including the Zagros to the west and the Elburz to the north. Its neighbors are Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia on the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan on the east, and Turkey and Iraq on the west. Tehran is the capital, the country’s largest city and the political, cultural, commercial and industrial center of the nation. Iran is a regional power, and holds an important position in international energy security and world economy as a result of its large reserves of petroleum and natural gas.
Iran has always played an important role in the middle east as an imperial power and nowadays because of its strategic location and abundant natural resources, such as petroleum, natural gas and cupper is still one of the most important countries in the region.
The country’s roots as a distinctive culture and society date to the Achaemenian period, which began in 550 BCE. this region that is now named Iran, traditionally known as Persia, has been influenced by waves foreign conquerors and immigrants, including the romans, the mongols, the Arabs and the Afghans. Persia’s conquest by the Muslim Arabs during 7th century CE was to leave the most lasting influence.

The 1979 Islamic revolution brought a regime to power that uniquely combined elements of a parliamentary democracy with an Islamic theocracy run by the country’s clergy as the world’s sole Shiʿi state. Iran found itself almost immediately embroiled in a long-term war with neighboring Iraq that left it economically and socially drained.

Iran elects on national level a head of government (the president), a Parliament (the Majlis), and an “Assembly of Experts” (Khobregan), which elects the Supreme Leader. all City and Village Council elections are held every four years throughout the country. The president is elected for a four-year term directly by the people. The Parliament or Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis-e Shura-ye Eslami) has 290 members, elected for a four-year term in multi- and single-seat constituencies. Elections for the Assembly of Experts are held every eight years. All candidates have to be approved by the Council of guardians of revolution.

Iran at a glance

Official Name
Islamic Republic of Iran

Head of State
Supreme leader: Ayatollah khamenei
President : Ebrahim Raisi

National Day
11th of February (Islamic Revolution of Iran-1979)

Capital
Tehran

Area
1,648,196 sq km Land

Boundaries
4,137 km

Sea Boundaries:2,700 km (Including the Caspian Sea)
River Boundaries:1,918 km

Border Countries
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan (Nakhichevan), Armenia, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan

Natural Resources
Petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Agricultural Products
Wheat, rice, barley, potato, grains, sugar-beet, cotton, fresh & dried fruits, dates, pistachio, fruits, nuts,  poultry, meat, dairy products, wool; caviar, flowers and medicinal plants.

Population
83.5 million(Growth rate 1.4%)

Religions
Muslim 99.56%, Zoroastrian, Christian & Jewish 0.44%

Literacy
Total 96%

Currency
Rial (IRR)

Railways Networks
11.760 km – Rank 25 in the world

Road Networks
198.866km – Rank 26 in the world

Inflation rate
8.4 % (2017)

Economic Growth
12.5 % (2017)

Official language(s)
Persian (Farsi)

Spoken languages
Persian, Azeri, Kurdish, Lori, Balochi, Gilaki, Arabic, Turkmen, Armenian, Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Time zone
IRST (UTC+3:30), Summer (UTC+4:30)

Drives on the
Right

Calling code
+98