Coor din ates: 3 2 °N 5 3 °E Iran Irān [ʔiːˈɾɒːn] ( listen)), also known اﯾﺮان :Iran (Persian [11] [12] Islamic Republic of Iran as Persia (/ˈpɜːrʒə/), officially the Islamic (Persian) ﺟﻣﮫوری اﺳﻼﻣﯽ اﯾران Jomhuri-ye ﺟﻤﮭﻮری اﺳﻼﻣﯽ اﯾﺮان :Republic of Iran (Persian Eslāmi-ye Irān ( listen)),[13] is a sovereign state in Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān Western Asia.[14][15] With over 81 million inhabitants,[7] Iran is the world's 18th-most-populous country.[16] Comprising a land area of 1,648,195 km2 (636,37 2 sq mi), it is the second-largest country in the Middle East and the 17 th-largest in the world. Iran is Flag Emblem bordered to the northwest by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan,[a] to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the Motto: اﺳﺗﻘﻼل، آزادی، ﺟﻣﮫوری اﺳﻼﻣﯽ northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan Esteqlāl, Āzādi, Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi and Pakistan, to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf ("Independence, freedom, the Islamic of Oman, and to the west by Turkey and Iraq. The Republic") [1] country's central location in Eurasia and Western Asia, (de facto) and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, give it Anthem: ﺳرود ﻣﻠﯽ ﺟﻣﮫوری اﺳﻼﻣﯽ اﯾران geostrategic importance.[17] Tehran is the country's capital and largest city, as well as its leading economic Sorud-e Melli-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān ("National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran") and cultural center. 0:00 MENU Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations,[18][19] beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BCE. It was first unified by the Iranian Medes in the seventh century BCE,[20] reaching its greatest territorial size in the sixth century BCE, when Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire, which stretched from Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley, becoming one of the largest empires in history.[21] The Iranian realm fell to Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE and was divided into several Hellenistic states. An Iranian rebellion culminated in the establishment of the Parthian Empire, which was succeeded in the third century CE by Capital Tehran the Sasanian Empire, a leading world power for the next and largest city 35°41′N 51°25′E four centuries.[22][23] Official languages Persian Arab Muslims conquered the empire in the seventh Recognised List of languages regional languages century CE, displacing the indigenous faiths of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism with Islam. Iran made Ethnic groups List of ethnicities major contributions to the Islamic Golden Age that Religion State religion: followed, producing many influential figures in art and Islam (Twelver Shia) science. After two centuries, a period of various native Constitutionally Muslim dynasties began, which were later conquered by recognized minorities: Islam (Hanafi, Shafi'i, the Turks and the Mongols. The rise of the Safavids in the Maliki, Hanbali, Zaydi), 15th century led to the reestablishment of a unified Christianity Iranian state and national identity,[5] with the country's (Armenian, Assyrian, conversion to Shia Islam marking a turning point in Chaldean), Judaism, Iranian and Muslim history.[6][24] Under Nader Shah, Zoroastrianism Iran was one of the most powerful states in the 18th century,[25] though by the 19th century, a series of Demonym Iranian, Persian (historically) conflicts with the Russian Empire led to significant territorial losses.[26][27] Popular unrest led to the Government de jure: Unitary presidential establishment of a constitutional monarchy and the Islamic republic country's first legislature. A 1953 coup instigated by the de facto: United Kingdom and the United States resulted in greater Theocratic-republican totalitarian unitary autocracy and growing anti-Western resentment.[28] presidential republic Subsequent unrest against foreign influence and political subject to a Supreme repression led to the 197 9 Revolution and the Leader[3] [29] establishment of an Islamic republic, a political • Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei system that includes elements of a parliamentary • President Hassan Rouhani democracy vetted and supervised by a theocracy • Parliament Ali Larijani Speaker governed by an autocratic "Supreme Leader".[30] During • Chief Justice Sadeq Larijani the 1980s, the country was engaged in a war with Iraq, • Upper house Expediency which lasted for almost nine years and resulted in a high Discernment number of casualties and economic losses for both sides. Council[4] Guardian Council According to international reports, Iran's human rights • Lower house Islamic Consultative Assembly record is exceptionally poor. The regime in Iran is undemocratic,[31] and has frequently persecuted and Unification arrested critics of the government and its Supreme • Median Empire c. 678 BC Leader. Women's rights in Iran are described as seriously • Achaemenid 550 BC Empire inadequate,[32] and children's rights have been severely • Parthian Empire 247 BC violated, with more child offenders being executed in • Sasanian Empire 224 AD[5] [33][34] Iran than in any other country in the world. Since • Buyid Empire 934 AD the 2000s, Iran's controversial nuclear program has • Safavid Empire 1501[6] raised concerns, which is part of the basis of the • Islamic Republic 1 April 1979 international sanctions against the country. The Joint • Current 24 October 1979 constitution Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement reached • Constitution 28 July 1989 between Iran and the P5+1, was created on 14 July 2015, amended aimed to loosen the nuclear sanctions in exchange for Area Iran's restriction in producing enriched uranium. • Total 1,648,195 km2 (636,372 sq mi) (17th) Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, NAM, OIC, and • Water (%) 7.07 OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power,[35][36] and Population its large reserves of fossil fuels – which include the • 2018 estimate 81,672,300[7] (18th) world's largest natural gas supply and the fourth-largest • Density 48/km2 (124.3/sq mi) [37][38] proven oil reserves – exert considerable influence (162nd) in international energy security and the world economy. GDP (PPP) 2018 estimate • Total $1.749 trillion[8] (18th) The country's rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by • Per capita $21,241[8] its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the third-largest GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate [39] number in Asia and eleventh-largest in the world. Iran • Total $438.3 billion[8] (27th) is a multicultural country comprising numerous ethnic • Per capita $5,383[8] and linguistic groups, the largest being Persians (61%), Gini (2013) 37.4[9] [2] Azeris (16%), Kurds (10%), and Lurs (6%). medium HDI (2014) 0.766[10] high · 69th (IRR) (رﯾﺎل) Contents Currency Rial Name Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30) Pronunciation • Summer (DST) IRDT (UTC+4:30) History Date format yyyy/mm/dd (SH) Prehistory Classical antiquity Drives on the right Medieval period Early modern period Calling code +98 From the 1800s to the 1940s ISO 3166 code IR Contemporary era Internet TLD Geography .ir .اﯾﺮان Climate Fauna Regions, provinces and cities Government and politics Leader Guardian Council President Legislature Law Foreign relations Military Economy Tourism Energy Education, science and technology Demographics Languages Ethnic groups Religion Culture Art Architecture Weaving Literature Philosophy Mythology Music Theater Cinema and animation Observances Public holidays Cuisine Sports Media See also Notes References Bibliography External links Name The term Iran derives directly from Middle Persian Ērān, first attested in a third-century inscription at Rustam Relief, with the accompanying Parthian inscription using the term Aryān, in reference to the Iranians.[40] The Middle Iranian ērān and aryān are oblique plural forms of gentilic nouns ēr- (Middle Persian) and ary- (Parthian), both deriving from Proto-Iranian *arya- (meaning "Aryan", i.e. "of the Iranians"),[40][41] recognized as a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *ar-yo-, meaning "one who assembles (skilfully)".[42] In the Iranian languages, the gentilic is attested as a self-identifier, included in ancient inscriptions and the literature of the Avesta,[43][b] and remains also in other Iranian ethnic names Alan (Ossetian: Ир Ir) and Iron (Ирон).[41] Historically, Iran has been referred to as Persia by the West, due mainly to the writings of Greek historians who referred to all of Iran as Persís (Ancient Greek: Περσίς; from Old Persian Pārsa),[44] meaning "land of the Persians", while Persis itself was one of the provinces of ancient Iran that is today defined as Fars.[45] As the most extensive interaction the Ancient Greeks had with any outsider was with the Persians, the term persisted, even long after the Persian rule in Greece. In 1935, Reza Shah requested the international community to refer to the country by its native name, Iran. As The New Y ork Times explained at the time, "At the suggestion of the Persian Legation in Berlin, the Tehran government, on the Persian New Y ear, Nowruz, March 21, 1935, substituted Iran for Persia as the official name of the country." Opposition to the name change led to the reversal of the decision, and Professor Ehsan Y arshater, editor of Encyclopædia Iranica, propagated a move to use Persia and Iran interchangeably.[46] Today, both Iran and Persia are used in cultural contexts, while Iran remains irreplaceable in official state contexts.[47] Historical and cultural usage of the word Iran is not restricted to the modern state proper.[48][49][50] "Greater Iran" (Irānzamīn or Irān e Bozorg)[51] refers to territories of the Iranian cultural and linguistic zones. In addition to modern Iran, it includes portions of the Caucasus, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.[52] Pronunciation The Persian pronunciation of Iran is [ʔiːˈɾɒːn]. Common English pronunciations of Iran are listed in the [53] Oxford English Dictionary as /ɪˈrɑːn/ and /ɪˈræn/, in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary as /ɪˈrɑːn, [54] -ˈræn, aɪˈræn/, and in Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary as /ɪˈræn, ɪˈrɑːn, aɪˈræn/.