iran history & education system

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Iran

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Coordinates: 32N 53E"Persia" redirects here. For other uses, seePersia (disambiguation).

For a topic outline on this subject, seeList of basic Iran topics.

Islamic Republic of Iran

Jomhuri-ye Islmi-ye Irn

Flag Emblem

Motto:Esteqll, zdi, jomhuri-ye eslmi1 (Persian)"Independence, freedom, Islamic Republic"

Anthem: Sorud-e Melli-ye Irn

Capital(and largest city)

Tehran3541N 5125E

Official languages Persian

Recognised regional languages

constitutional recognition of theregional languages such as Azeri,Kurdish, and Mazandarani, andGilaki[1]

Demonym Iranian

Government Islamic Republic
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- Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khamenei

- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

- First Vice President Parviz Davoodi

-Chairman of the Assemblyof Experts and ExpediencyDiscernment Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

- Speaker of the Majlis Ali Larijani

Unification[2]

- Mediankingdom 625 BC[2]

-Safavid dynasty

(reestablishment)

1501[3]

- Islamic Republic declared 1 April 1979

Area

- Total1,648,195 km2 (18th)636,372 sq mi

- Water(%) 0.7

Population

- 2007 (1385 AP) census 70,472,846 (17th)

- Density42/km2 (163th)109/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate

- Total $816.839 billion[4] (18th)

- Per capita $11,209[4] (71st)

GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate

- Total $382.328 billion[4] (29th)

- Per capita $5,246[4] (85th)

Gini (2006) 44.5 (medium)

HDI (2008) 0.777 (medium) (84th)
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Currency Iranian rial () (IRR)

Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30)

- Summer (DST)Iran Daylight Time

(IRDT) (UTC+4:30)Drives on the right

Internet TLD .ir

Calling code 98

1bookrags.com

2iranchamber.com

3

Statistical Center of Iran. " " (in Persian).http://www.sci.org.ir/content/userfiles/_sci/sci/SEL/f02/2.1.html.Retrieved on 2009-02-13.

4CIA Factbook

Iran portal

Iran (Persian: /, /irn [in] (helpinfo)), officially the Islamic Republic ofIran[5] and formerly known internationally as Persia until 1935, is a country in CentralEurasia,[6] located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulfand the southern shore ofthe Caspian Sea. Since 1949, both the names "Persia" and "Iran" are used, however, Iran

is used for an official and political context.[7][8]

The name Iran is a cognate ofAryan, andmeans "Land of the Aryans".[9][10][11]

The 18th largest country in the world in terms of area at 1,648,195 km, Iran has apopulation of over seventy million. It is a country of special geostrategic significance dueto its central location in Eurasia. Iran is bordered on the north by Armenia,Azerbaijanand Turkmenistan. As Iran is a littoral state of the Caspian Sea, which is an inland seaand condominium, Kazakhstan and Russia are also Iran's direct neighbors to the north.Iran is bordered on the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the south by the Persian Gulfand the Gulf of Oman, and on the west by Turkey and Iraq. Tehran is the capital, thecountry's largest city and the political, cultural, commercial, and industrial center of the

nation. Iran is a regional power,[12][13]

and occupies an important position in internationalenergy security and world economy as a result of its large reserves ofpetroleum andnatural gas.

Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous majorcivilizations, with historicaland urban settlements dating back to 7000 BC.[14][15][16] The first Iranian dynasty formedduring the Elamite kingdom in 2800 BC. The Iranian Medes unified Iran into an empirein 625 BC.[2] They were succeeded by three Iranian Empires, the Achaemenids, Parthians
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and Sassanids, which governed Iran for more than 1000 years. Iranian post-Islamicdynasties and empires expanded the Persian language and culture throughout the Iranianplateau. Early Iranian dynasties which re-assereted Iranian independence included theBuyids, Samanids, Tahirids and Saffarids. The blossoming ofPersian literature,philosophy, medicine, astronomy, mathematics and art became major elements of

Muslim civilization and started with the Saffarids and Samanids. Iran was once againreunified as an independent state in 1501 by the Safavid dynasty[17] who promotedTwelverShi'a Islam[18] as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the mostimportant turning points in the history of Islam.[19]"Persia's Constitutional Revolution"established the nation's first parliament in 1906, within a constitutional monarchy. Iranofficially became an Islamic republic on 1 April 1979, after the Iranian 1979 Revolution.[20][21]

Iran is a founding member of the UN,NAM,OIC and OPEC. Thepolitical system ofIran, based on the 1979 Constitution, comprises several intricately connected governingbodies. The highest state authority is the Supreme Leader. Shia Islam is the official

religion and Persian is the official language.

[22]

Contents

[hide]

1 Etymology 2 Geography and climate

o 2.1 Provinces and cities 3 History

o 3.1 Early history (3200 BC625 BC)o

3.2 Pre-Islamic statehood (625 BC651 AD)o 3.3 Middle Ages (6521501)o 3.4 Early Modern Era (15011921)o 3.5 Recent history (1921)

4 Government and politics 5 Foreign relations and military 6 Economy

o 6.1 Energy 7 Demography 8 Culture

o 8.1 Language and literature

o 8.2 Art and Architecture 9 Science and technology 10 Sports 11 References 12 Further reading

13 External links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassanid_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyidshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samanidshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahiridshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffaridshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_philosophyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffaridshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samanidshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-16%23cite_note-16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi'a_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-savoryeiref-17%23cite_note-savoryeiref-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-savoryeiref-17%23cite_note-savoryeiref-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-islamic1600-18%23cite_note-islamic1600-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-islamic1600-18%23cite_note-islamic1600-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Constitutional_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-britannica1-19%23cite_note-britannica1-19http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-Britannica-20%23cite_note-Britannica-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_of_the_Islamic_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Islamic_Republic_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Leader_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-21%23cite_note-21http://toggletoc%28%29/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Etymology%23Etymologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Geography_and_climate%23Geography_and_climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Provinces_and_cities%23Provinces_and_citieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#History%23Historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Early_history_.283200.C2.A0BC.E2.80.93625.C2.A0BC.29%23Early_history_.283200.C2.A0BC.E2.80.93625.C2.A0BC.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Pre-Islamic_statehood_.28625.C2.A0BC.E2.80.93651_AD.29%23Pre-Islamic_statehood_.28625.C2.A0BC.E2.80.93651_AD.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Middle_Ages_.28652.E2.80.931501.29%23Middle_Ages_.28652.E2.80.931501.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Early_Modern_Era_.281501.E2.80.931921.29%23Early_Modern_Era_.281501.E2.80.931921.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Recent_history_.281921.E2.80.93.29%23Recent_history_.281921.E2.80.93.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Government_and_politics%23Government_and_politicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Foreign_relations_and_military%23Foreign_relations_and_militaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Economy%23Economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Energy%23Energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Demography%23Demographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Culture%23Culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Language_and_literature%23Language_and_literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Art_and_Architecture%23Art_and_Architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Science_and_technology%23Science_and_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Sports%23Sportshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#References%23Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Further_reading%23Further_readinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#External_links%23External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassanid_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyidshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samanidshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahiridshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffaridshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_philosophyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffaridshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samanidshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-16%23cite_note-16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi'a_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-savoryeiref-17%23cite_note-savoryeiref-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-islamic1600-18%23cite_note-islamic1600-18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Constitutional_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-britannica1-19%23cite_note-britannica1-19http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-Britannica-20%23cite_note-Britannica-20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_of_the_Islamic_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Islamic_Republic_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Leader_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-21%23cite_note-21http://toggletoc%28%29/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Etymology%23Etymologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Geography_and_climate%23Geography_and_climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Provinces_and_cities%23Provinces_and_citieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#History%23Historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Early_history_.283200.C2.A0BC.E2.80.93625.C2.A0BC.29%23Early_history_.283200.C2.A0BC.E2.80.93625.C2.A0BC.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Pre-Islamic_statehood_.28625.C2.A0BC.E2.80.93651_AD.29%23Pre-Islamic_statehood_.28625.C2.A0BC.E2.80.93651_AD.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Middle_Ages_.28652.E2.80.931501.29%23Middle_Ages_.28652.E2.80.931501.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Early_Modern_Era_.281501.E2.80.931921.29%23Early_Modern_Era_.281501.E2.80.931921.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Recent_history_.281921.E2.80.93.29%23Recent_history_.281921.E2.80.93.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Government_and_politics%23Government_and_politicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Foreign_relations_and_military%23Foreign_relations_and_militaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Economy%23Economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Energy%23Energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Demography%23Demographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Culture%23Culturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Language_and_literature%23Language_and_literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Art_and_Architecture%23Art_and_Architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Science_and_technology%23Science_and_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Sports%23Sportshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#References%23Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Further_reading%23Further_readinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#External_links%23External_links


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Etymology

Main article:Etymology of IranSee also:Iran naming convention

The termIran () in modern Persian derives from the Proto-Iranian termAryn, firstattested in Zoroastrianism's Avesta tradition.[23]Ariya- andAiriia- are also attested as anethnic designator in Achaemenid inscriptions. The termrn, from Middle Persianrn(written asyr n ) is found on the inscription that accompanies the investiture relief ofArdashir I atNaqsh-e Rustam.[24] In this inscription, the king's appellation in MiddlePersian contains the term rn (Pahlavi ry n ), while in the Parthian language inscriptionthat accompanies it, the term aryn describes Iran. In Ardashir's time, rn retained thismeaning, denoting the people rather than the state.

Notwithstanding this inscriptional use ofrn to refer to the Iranian peoples, the use ofrn to refer to the geographical empire is also attested in the early Sassanid period. An

inscription relating to Shapur I, Ardashir's son and immediate successor, includes regionswhich were not inhabited primarily by Iranians inrn regions, such as Armenia and theCaucasus."[25] In Kartir's inscriptions the high priest includes the same regions in his listof provinces of the antonymicAnrn.[25] Both rn and aryn come from the Proto-Iranian termArynm, (Land) of the (Iranian) Aryas. The word and concept ofAiryanemVaejah is present in the name of the country Iran (Lit. Land of the Aryans) inasmuch asIran (rn) is the modern Persian form of the wordAryn.

The country has always been known to its own people as Iran, however to the outsideworld, the official name of Iran from the 6th century BC until 1935 wasPersia or similarforeign language translations (La Perse,Das Persien,Perzie, etc.).[7] In that year, Reza

Shah asked the international community to call the country by the name "Iran". A fewyears later, some Persian scholars protested to the government that changing the namehad separated the country from its past, so in 1949 [7][8]Mohammad Reza Shah announcedthat both terms could officially be used interchangeably. Now both terms are common,but "Iran" is used mostly in the modern political context and "Persia" in a cultural andhistorical context. Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the official name of the countryhas been the "Islamic Republic of Iran."

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Iran

See also:Agriculture in Iran andWildlife of Iran
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_naming_conventionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Iranianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avestahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-Bailey_Arya-22%23cite_note-Bailey_Arya-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Persianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pahlavihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardashir_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naqsh-e_Rustamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-MacKenzie-23%23cite_note-MacKenzie-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_peopleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapur_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armeniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-Gignoux_Aneran-24%23cite_note-Gignoux_Aneran-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-Gignoux_Aneran-24%23cite_note-Gignoux_Aneran-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Iranianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Iranianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airyanem_Vaejahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airyanem_Vaejahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-artarena-6%23cite_note-artarena-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Shahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Shahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-artarena-6%23cite_note-artarena-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-iranian-7%23cite_note-iranian-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-iranian-7%23cite_note-iranian-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Shahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_naming_conventionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Iranianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avestahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-Bailey_Arya-22%23cite_note-Bailey_Arya-22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Persianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pahlavihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardashir_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naqsh-e_Rustamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-MacKenzie-23%23cite_note-MacKenzie-23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_peopleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapur_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armeniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-Gignoux_Aneran-24%23cite_note-Gignoux_Aneran-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-Gignoux_Aneran-24%23cite_note-Gignoux_Aneran-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Iranianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Iranianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airyanem_Vaejahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airyanem_Vaejahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-artarena-6%23cite_note-artarena-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Shahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Shahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-artarena-6%23cite_note-artarena-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-iranian-7%23cite_note-iranian-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Shahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_of_Iran


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Satellite image of Iran

Mount Damavand, Iran's highest point, is located in Mazanderan.

Iran is the eighteenth largest country in the world.[26]Its area roughly equals that of theUnited Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany combined, or slightly less than the state ofAlaska.[27][28] Its borders are with Azerbaijan (432 km/268 mi) and Armenia(35 km/22 mi) to the north-west; the Caspian Sea to the north; Turkmenistan(992 km/616 mi) to the north-east; Pakistan (909 km/565 mi) and Afghanistan(936 km/582 mi) to the east; Turkey (499 km/310 mi) and Iraq (1,458 km/906 mi) to thewest; and finally the waters of the Persian Gulfand the Gulf of Oman to the south. Iran'sarea is 1,648,000 km (approximately 636,300 sq mi).[29]

Eurasian Lynx

Iran consists of the Iranian Plateau with the exception of the coasts of the Caspian Seaand Khuzestan. It is one of the world's most mountainous countries, its landscapedominated by rugged mountain ranges that separate variousbasins orplateaux from oneanother. The populous western part is the most mountainous, with ranges such as the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Damavandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazanderanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-25%23cite_note-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-25%23cite_note-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-25%23cite_note-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-26%23cite_note-26http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-27%23cite_note-27http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armeniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Omanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-CIA-28%23cite_note-CIA-28http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-CIA-28%23cite_note-CIA-28http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Lynxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khuzestanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_rangehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lynx_lynx_poing.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lynx_lynx_poing.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Damavand3.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Damavand3.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iran_BMNG.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iran_BMNG.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Damavandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazanderanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-25%23cite_note-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-26%23cite_note-26http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-27%23cite_note-27http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armeniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Omanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#cite_note-CIA-28%23cite_note-CIA-28http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Lynxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khuzestanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_rangehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plateau


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Caucasus,Zagros and Alborz Mountains; the latter contains Iran's highest point, MountDamavand at 5,610 m (18,405 ft), which is not only the country's highest peak but alsothe highest mountain on the Eurasian landmass west of the Hindu Kush.[30] The Northernpart of Iran is covered by dense rain forests called Shomal or the Jungles of Iran. Theeastern part consists mostly ofdesert basins such as the Dasht-e Kavir, Iran's largest

desert, in the north-central portion of the country, and the Dasht-e Lut, in the east, as wellas some salt lakes. This is because the mountain ranges are too high for rain clouds toreach these regions. The only largeplains are found along the coast of the Caspian Seaand at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, where Iran borders the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab (or the Arvand Rd) river. Smaller, discontinuous plains are found along theremaining coast of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.

Iran's climate ranges from arid orsemiarid, to subtropical along the Caspian coast and thenorthern forests. On the northern edge of the country (the Caspian coastal plain)temperatures nearly fall below freezing and it remains humid for the rest of the year.Summer temperatures rarely exceed 29 C (85 F).[31][32] Annual precipitation is 680 mm

(27 in) in the eastern part of the plain and more than 1,700 mm (67 in) in the westernpart. To the west, settlements in the Zagros basin experience lower temperatures, severewinters with below zero average daily temperatures and heavy snowfall. The eastern andcentral basins are arid, with less than 200 mm (eight in) of rain, and have occasionaldeserts.[32] Average summer temperatures exceed 38 C (100 F). The coastal plains ofthe Persian Gulfand Gulf of Oman in southern Iran have mild winters, and very humidand hot summers. The annual precipitation ranges from 135 to 355 mm (five to fourteeninches).[32]

Iran's wildlife is composed of several animal species including bears, gazelles, wild pigs,wolves, jackals, panthers, Eurasian lynx, and foxes. Other domestic animals include,

sheep, goats, cattle, horses, water buffalo, donkeys, and camels. The pheasant, partridge,stork, eagles and falcon are also native to Iran.

Provinces and cities

Main articles:Provinces of Iran andCounties of IranSee also:List of Iran cities by population

After the revolution, Shahyad Tower was renamed Freedom Tower
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ArdabilBushehr

Chaharmahalan d Bakhtiari

Esfahan

FarsGilan

GolestanHamadan

HormozganIlam

KermanKermanshahKhuzestan

Kohgiluyeh andBoyer-Ahmad

KordestanLorestanMarkazi

MazandaranQazvinQom

RazaviKhorasan
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SemnanSi stan and

BaluchestanTehranYazd

ZanjanNorthKhorasan

SouthKhorasan

WestAzarbaijan

EastAzarbaijan

Iran is divided into thirtyprovinces (ostn), each governed by an appointed governor (, ostndr). The provinces are divided into counties (shahrestn), and subdividedinto districts (bakhsh) and sub-districts (dehestn).

Iran has one of the highest urban growth rates in the world. From 1950 to 2002, the urbanproportion of the population increased from 27% to 60%.[33]The United Nations predictsthat by 2030 80% of the population will be urban.[34] Most internal migrants have settlednear the cities ofTehran, Isfahan, Ahvaz, and Qom. The listed populations are from the2006/07 (1385 AP) census.[35]Tehran, with population of 7,705,036, is the largest city inIran and is the Capital city. Tehran is home to around 11% of Iran's population. Tehran,

like many big cities, suffers from severe air pollution. It is the hub of the country'scommunication and transport network.

Mashhad, with a population of 2.8 million, is the second largest Iranian city and thecentre of the province ofRazavi Khorasan. Mashahd is one of the holiest Shi'a cities inthe world as it is the site of the Imam Reza shrine. It is the centre of tourism in Iran andbetween 15 and 20 million pilgrims go to the Imam Reza's shrine every year.[36][37]

Another major Iranian city is Isfahan (population 1,986,542), which is the capital ofIsfahan Province. TheNaghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan has been designated byUNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city contains a wide variety ofIslamicarchitectural sites ranging from the eleventh to the 19th century. The growth of suburbarea around the city has turned Isfahan to the second most populous metropolitan area(3,430,353).[38] The other major Iranian cities are Karaj (population 1,732,275), Tabriz(population 1,597,312) and Shiraz (population 1,227,331). Karaj is located in Tehranprovince and is situated 20 km west ofTehran, at the foot ofAlborz mountains; however,the city is increasingly becoming an extension of metropolitan Tehran.

History
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Main articles:History of Iran andPersian Empire

Early history (3200 BC625 BC)

Main articles: Tappeh Sialk,Jiroft civilization, Elamite kingdom, andMannaeans

19th century reconstruction of a map of the world by Eratosthenes, c.200 BC. The nameAriana (Aryn) was used to describe the region where the Iranian Plateau is found.

Dozens ofpre-historic sites across the Iranian plateau point to the existence of ancientcultures and urban settlements in the fourth millennium BC,[39][40][41] centuries before the

earliest civilizations arose in nearby Mesopotamia.[42] Proto-Iranians first emergedfollowing the separation ofIndo-Iranians, and are traced to the Bactria-MargianaArchaeological Complex.[43]Aryan, (Proto-Iranian) tribes arrived in the Iranian plateau inthe third and second millennium BC, probably in more than one wave of emigration, andsettled as nomads. Further separation of Proto-Iranians into "Eastern" and "Western"groups occurred due to migration. By the first millennium BC, Medes,Persians,Bactrians and Parthianspopulated the western part, while Cimmerians, Sarmatians andAlans populated the steppes north of the Black Sea. Other tribes began to settle on theeastern edge, as far as on the mountainous frontier of north-western Indian subcontinentand into the area which is now Balochistan. Others, such as the Scythian tribes spread asfar west as the Balkans and as far east as Xinjiang. Avestan is an eastern Old Iranian

language that was used to compose the sacred hymns and canon of the ZoroastrianGathas in c. 1000 BC.

Pre-Islamic statehood (625 BC651 AD)

The Cyrus Cylinderis considered the first recorded declaration of human rights inhistory.Main articles: Median Empire,Achaemenid Empire, Seleucid Empire,Parthian Empire,andSassanid EmpireSee also: Greco-Persian Wars,Roman-Persian Wars, andRoman relations with theParthians and Sassanids
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//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seleucid_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthian_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassanid_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Persian_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman-Persian_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_relations_with_the_Parthians_and_Sassanidshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_relations_with_the_Parthians_and_Sassanids


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The Medes are credited with the unification[2] of Iran as a nation and empire (625[2]559BC), the largest of its day, until Cyrus the Great established a unified empire of theMedes and Persians leading to the Achaemenid Empire (559330 BC), and furtherunification between peoples and cultures. After Cyrus' death, his son Cambysescontinued his father's work of conquest, making significant gains in Egypt. Following a

power struggle after Cambyses' death, Darius I was declared king (ruled 522486 BC).UnderCyrus the Great and Darius the Great, the Persian Empire eventually became thelargest and most powerful empire in human history up until that point.[44] The borders ofthe Persian empire stretched from the Indus and Oxus Rivers in the east to theMediterranean Sea in the west, extending through Anatolia (modern day Turkey) andEgypt.

The Achaemenid Empire at its greatest extent, at about 500 BC

In 499 BC Athens lent support to a revolt in Miletus which resulted in the sacking ofSardis. This led to an Achaemenid campaign against Greece known as the Greco-PersianWars which lasted the first half of the 5th century BC. During the Greco-Persian warsPersia made some major advantages and razed Athens in 480 BC, But after a string ofGreek victories the Persians were forced to withdraw. Fighting ended with thepeace ofCallias in 449 BC.

Persepolis, ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid dynasty

The rules and ethics emanating from Zoroaster's teachings were strictly followed by the

Achaemenids who introduced and adopted policies based on human rights,equality andbanning ofslavery. Zoroastrianism spread unimposed during the time of theAchaemenids and through contacts with the exiled Jewishpeople in Babylon freed byCyrus, Zoroastrian concepts further propagated and influenced into otherAbrahamicreligions. The Golden Age of Athens marked by Aristotle, Plato and Socrates also cameabout during the Achaemenid period while their contacts with Persia and the Near Eastabounded. The peace, tranquility, security and prosperity that were afforded to the peopleof theNear East and Southeastern Europe proved to be a rare historical occurrence, an
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unparalleled period where commerce prospered, and the standard of living for all peopleof the region improved.[45]

In 334 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Achaemenid Empire, defeating the lastAchaemenid EmperorDarius III at the Battle of Issus in 333 BC. He left the annexed

territory in 328327. In each of the former Achaemenid territories he installed his ownofficers as caretakers, which led to friction and ultimately to thepartitioning of theformer empire after Alexander's death.

A bust from theNational Museum of Iran ofQueen Musa

The Parthian Empire (238 BC226 AD), led by the Arsacid Dynasty, was the thirdIranian kingdom to dominate the Iranian plateau, after defeating the GreekSeleucidEmpire, beginning in the late 3rd century BC, and intermittently controlled Mesopotamiabetween ca. 150 BC and 224 AD. These were the third native dynasty of ancient Iran andlasted five centuries. After the conquests ofMedia, Assyria, Babylonia and Elam, the

Parthians had to organize their empire. The former elites of these countries were Greek,and the new rulers had to adapt to their customs if they wanted their rule to last. As aresult, the cities retained their ancient rights and civil administrations remained more orless undisturbed.

Parthia was the arch-enemy of the Roman Empire in the east, limiting Rome's expansionbeyond Cappadocia (central Anatolia). By using a heavily armed and armouredcataphract cavalry, and lightly armed but highly mobile mounted archers, the Parthians"held their own against Rome for almost 300 years".[46] Rome's acclaimed general MarkAntony led a disastrous campaign against the Parthians in 36 BC, in which he lost 32,000men. By the time of Roman emperorAugustus, Rome and Parthia were settling some oftheir differences through diplomacy. By this time, Parthia had acquired an assortment ofgolden eagles, the cherished standards of Rome's legions, captured from Mark Antony,and Crassus, who suffered a defeat at Carrhae in 53 BC.[47]
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Rock-face relief atNaqsh-e Rustam of Iranian emperor Shapur I (on horseback) capturingRoman emperor Valerian (kneeing) and Philip the Arab (standing)

The end of the Parthian Empire came in 224 AD, when the empire was loosely organizedand the last king was defeated by Ardashir I, one of the empire's vassals. Ardashir I thenwent on to create the Sassanid Empire. Soon he started reforming the country botheconomically and militarily. The Sassanids established an empire roughly within thefrontiers achieved by the Achaemenids, referring to it asErnshahrorIranshahr,

, "Dominion of the Aryans", (i.e. ofIranians), with their capital at Ctesiphon.[48]Unlike the diadochic Seleucids and the succeeding Arsacids, who used a vassalarysystem, the Sassanidslike the Achaemenidshad a system of governors (MP:shahrab)personally appointed by the Emperor and directed by the central government. TheRomans suffered repeated losses particularly by Ardashir I,Shapur I, and Shapur II.[49]

During their reign, Sassanid battles with the Roman Empire caused such pessimism inRome that the historian Cassius Dio wrote:

Here was a source of great fear to us. So formidable does the Sassanid kingseem to our eastern legions, that some are liable to go over to him, and others

are unwilling to fight at all.[50]

In 632 raiders from the Arab peninsula began attacking the Sassanid Empire. Iran wasdefeated in the Battle of al-Qdisiyah, paving way for the Islamic conquest of Persia.

During Parthian, and laterSassanid era, trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor inthe development of the great civilizations of China, Egypt,Mesopotamia, Persia, Indiansubcontinent, and Rome, and helped to lay the foundations for the modern world.Parthian remains display classically Greek influences in some instances and retain theiroriental mode in others, a clear expression of the cultural diversity that characterized

Parthian art and life.

[51]

The Parthians were innovators of many architecture designs suchas that ofCtesiphon, which later influenced European Romanesque architecture.[52][53]

Under the Sassanids, Iran expanded relations with China. Arts, music, and architecturegreatly flourished, and centers such as the School of Nisibis and Academy ofGundishapurbecame world renowned centers of science and scholarship.

Middle Ages (6521501)
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Main articles:Islamization in Iran,Abbasid Caliphate,Tahirid Empire, Saffarid Empire,Samanid Empire, Ziyarid dynasty, Buyid Empire, Ghaznavid Empire, Seljuk Empire, andKhwarezmian Empire

Map of Iranian Dynasties c. 1000

Iranians continued those governmental, social, and scientific systems which had beenestablished by the Sassanids, but significantly expanded in both scale and scope.[54] Thislead to a blossoming ofPersian literature,philosophy, medicine and art which becamemajor elements of the newly forming Muslim civilization. The Islamic Golden Age owedmuch to the vital contributions of Iranians,[55] and reached its peak in the 10th - 11thcenturies, a period in which Persia was the main theatre of scientific activities.[54] In factthis influential Persian presence that relied heavily upon achievements ofSassanidswhose identity and continuity had to be assumed by the educated, has made the Muslimworld itself long since come to accept Islamic civilization as aPerso-Islamic civilizationand had the latter as the continuous uprising culture from eleventh century on. [56] Even indeveloping the scientific Arabic prose itself which differs in style from that ofQuran,Persian scholars like Ibn al-Muqaffa had a major role. And the whole class of clerks andcivil administrators which was so responsible for the cultivation of the sciences in theearly Islamic centuries consisted mostly of Persians.[57] The contributions of Iranians inArabic language is however not limited to scientific prose needed by themselves, but alsoin Arabic poetry. These contributions by Iranians are characterised as "the lively andgraceful fancy, elegance of diction, depth and tenderness of feeling and a rich store ofideas"[58]

Abu Moslem, an Iranian general, expelled the Umayyads from Damascus and helped theAbbasid caliphs to conquerBaghdad. The Abbasid caliphs frequently chose their"wazirs" (viziers) among Iranians, and Iranian governors acquired a certain amount oflocal autonomy. Thus in 822, the governor of Khorasan, Tahir, proclaimed hisindependence and founded a new Persian dynasty ofTahirids. And by the Samanid era,

Iran's efforts to regain its independence had been well solidified. [59]
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Illustration from Jami"Rose Garden of the Pious", dated 1553. The image blends Persianpoetry and Persian miniature into one, as is the norm for many works of the Timurid era.

Attempts ofArabization thus never succeeded in Iran, and movements such as theShuubiyah became catalysts for Iranians to regain their independence in their relationswith the Arab invaders. The cultural revival of the post-Abbasid period led to aresurfacing of Iranian national identity. The resulting cultural movement reached its peakduring the 9th and 10th centuries. The most notable effect of the movement was thecontinuation of the Persian language, the language of the Persians and the officiallanguage of Iran to the present day. Ferdowsi, Iran's greatest epic poet, is regarded todayas the most important figure in maintaining the Persian language. After an interval ofsilence Iran re-emerged as a separate, different and distinctive element within Islam.Iranian philosophy after the Islamic conquest, is characterized by different interactions

with the Old Iranian philosophy, the Greek philosophy and with the development ofIslamic philosophy. The Illumination School and the Transcendent Philosophy areregarded as two of the main philosophical traditions of that era in Persia. The movementcontinued well into the 11th century, when Mahmud-a Ghaznavi founded a vast empire,with its capital at Isfahan and Ghazna. Their successors, the Seljuks, asserted theirdomination from the Mediterranean Sea to Central Asia. As with their predecessors, thedivan of the empire was in the hands of Iranian viziers, who founded theNizamiyya.During this period, hundreds of scholars and scientists vastly contributed to technology,science and medicine, later influencing the rise of European science during theRenaissance[60] (for instance under the influence of Pers

iran history & education system

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