Iran
 

Iran

جمهوری اسلامی ايران
Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān
Islamic Republic of Iran
Flag of Iran Emblem of Iran
Flag Emblem
MottoEsteqlāl, āzādī, jomhūrī-ye eslāmī 1  (Persian)
"Independence, freedom, Islamic Republic"
AnthemSorūd-e Mellī-e Īrān ²
Location of Iran
Capital
(and largest city)
Tehran
35°41′N, 51°25′E
Official languages Persian, Constitutional status for regional languages such as Azeri and Kurdish [1]
Demonym Iranian
Government Islamic Republic
 -  Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
 -  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Establishment
 -  Median Empire 728 BC 
 -  Safavid dynasty
(reestablishment)
May 1502 
Area
 -  Total 1,648,195 km² (18th)
636,372 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 0.7
Population
 -  2007 (1385 AP) census 71,208,000³ (17th)
 -  Density 42/km² (163th)
109/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2007 estimate
 -  Total $852 billion (2007)[2]
 (15th)
 -  Per capita $12,300 [2]
 (65th)
GDP (nominal) 2005/2006 estimate
 -  Total $278 billion [3]
 (29th)
 -  Per capita $3,920 (89th)
Gini (1998) 43.0 (medium) 
HDI (2007) 0.759 (medium) (94th)
Currency Iranian rial (ريال) (IRR)
Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30)
 -  Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+3:30)
Internet TLD .ir
Calling code +98
1 bookrags.com
2 iranchamber.com
3 Statistical Centre of Iran. تغییرات جمعیت کشور طی سال‌های ۱۳۳۵-۱۳۸۵ (Persian). Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
4 CIA Factbook

Iran, (Persian: ايران,[ʔiˈɾɒn] ĭrănˈ), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI, Persian: جمهوری اسلامی ايران, pronounced [dʒomhuɾije ʔeslɒmije ʔiɾɒn]), formerly known internationally as Persia until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia. Iran is bounded by the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south and the Caspian Sea to its north. Shi'a Islam is the official religion, and Persian is the official language.[4] The 18th largest country in the world in terms of area at 1,648,195 km², Iran has a population of over seventy million. Iran borders Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, and Turkey and Iraq to the west. Being a littoral state of the Caspian sea (an internal sea and condominium), also Kazakhstan and Russia are Iran's direct neighbours.

Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BC.[5][6][7] Throughout history, Iran has been of geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia and is a regional power.[8][9] Iran is a founding member of the UN, NAM, OIC, and OPEC. The political system of Iran, based on the 1979 Constitution, comprises several intricately connected governing bodies. The highest state authority is the Supreme Leader, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran occupies an important position in international energy security and world economy as a result of of its large reserves of petroleum and natural gas. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan, and means "Land of the Aryans".[10][11][12] "Land of Kindness" (سرزمين مهر) is used as an alternative name for Iran in Persian literature and Iranian media.[13][14]

Summary Provided Under GNU Free Documentation License


Recent Videos

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Revealed: Iranians Threaten to Shoot Down U.S. Helicopters in Standoff 10-07-2008 5:46 pm   -  Fox News

Fox News: On Sept. 6, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard threatened to shoot down U.S. helicopters flying cover aboard the USS Peliliu patrolling in the area, according to a classified military transcript of the radio exchange.

Kissinger Disputes Obama Debate Claim Regarding Negotiations with Iran 09-28-2008 10:56 am   -  Fox News

"I have argued that, at some point, negotiations with Iran are important. But it is my view that they should be on the working level, and that the President should not be involved until we know that we are close to an agreement, or that we know what the nature of the agreement is."

Massive Protests Held Outside U.N. Against Iran 09-23-2008 12:07 am   -  WCBS-TV

AP: Holocaust survivors, students and activists by the thousands protested outside the U.N. against Ahmadinejad.

South Floridians Indicted On Weapons Sale To Iran 09-18-2008 7:52 pm   -  WFOR Miami

WFOR: According to the US Attorney, the purchases were from suppliers in South Florida. These suppliers had no idea the chips were being used for terrorism. They were duped with fake documents and aliases and thought they were trading with Europe, China, and Malaysia.

Clinton Backs Out of Anti-Iran Rally After Organizers Also Invite Palin 09-17-2008 12:27 pm   -  Fox News

AP: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has canceled an appearance at a New York rally next week after organizers blindsided her by inviting Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, aides to the senator said Tuesday.

Iran Continues To Stonewall IAEA On Nuclear Ambitions 09-16-2008 1:40 pm   -  Fox News

AFP: Tensions over Iran's nuclear work rose again on Monday after the IAEA said Tehran was defying international demands to suspend uranium enrichment, a process that makes nuclear fuel but can be diverted to make the fissile material for an atomic bomb.

Scores Dead as Flight From Kyrgyzstan to Iran Goes Down After Takeoff 08-25-2008 12:05 am   -  BBC News

NYT: The plane was built in 1979, which is considered relatively old for a commercial jet.

Raw: Iran Test Launches Space Rocket 08-18-2008 12:32 am   -  Al-Alam/AP

Iran appears to have test-launched a rocket it plans to use to carry a research satellite into orbit. Iranian state TV says yesterday's launch was successful.

Lack Of Nuke Deal Means New Sanctions For Iran 08-06-2008 3:01 pm   -  AP

AP: Six major nations agreed to seek new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program after the country failed to meet a weekend deadline to respond to an offer intended to defuse the dispute, the United States said.

‘One Iota’: Iran Firm On Nuclear Deadline 08-04-2008 2:11 pm   -  BBC

BBC: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his country will not retreat "one iota" on its nuclear programme.

Obama: Iran Must Resolve Nuclear Dispute Before US Vote 07-28-2008 2:20 pm   -  AP

AP: White House hopeful Barack Obama said in Paris on Friday that Iran should not wait for the new US president to be elected to resolve its dispute with the West over its nuclear programme.

Obama: Iran Is A ‘Paramount Concern’ 07-23-2008 1:39 pm   -  MSNBC

In Israel, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he would offer "big sticks and big carrots" to Iran in an effort to halt that country's nuclear program.

Rice: Iran Gives Envoys the Runaround During Weekend Nuke Talks 07-21-2008 9:41 am   -  AP

AP: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Iran on Monday of not being serious at weekend talks about its disputed nuclear program despite the presence of a senior U.S. diplomat, and warned it may soon face new sanctions.

Iran’s President Backs Stronger U.S. Relations 07-14-2008 10:06 am   -  AP

Iran's president said that the country would consider a U.S. request to set up a diplomatic office in Tehran.

Raw: Iran Carries Out Missile Test for Second Day in a Row 07-10-2008 11:35 am   -  AP

AP: For the second day in a row, Iranian state television is reporting the Middle Eastern country has carried out long and medium range missile tests. Thursday's report says the missiles have "special capabilities" but did not elaborate.

Obama: Iran Is A ‘Grave Threat’ 07-09-2008 11:11 am   -  ABC's 'Good Morning America'

"We have to make sure we are working with our allies to apply tightened pressure on Iran."

Raw: Iran Test Fires Long-Range Missiles That Put Israel Within Reach 07-09-2008 10:19 am   -  AP

Iranian state television reports the Revolutionary Guards have tested nine new long- and medium-range missiles during war games. The tests come one day after the Iran's president said there is no chance of war with the United States or Israel.

State Department: Sanctions Not Aimed at Iran’s People 07-08-2008 7:26 pm   -  AP

AP: The U.S. State Department responds to an Associated Press investigation showing that exports to Iran have grown tenfold since President Bush took office. A spokesman says the items are designed to help the people of Iran, not the government.

Cigarettes, Bull Semen Top U.S. Exports to Iran 07-08-2008 11:32 am   -  AP

AP: The value of U.S. exports to Iran grew more than tenfold during President Bush's years in office even as he pressed for tougher international limits on trade and accused Iran of nuclear ambitions and helping terrorists.

Bio-Warfare Fears: Is Iran Using Monkeys To Test Weapons Program? 07-07-2008 12:23 pm   -  Fox News

AKI: More than 215 endangered monkeys have been sold to Iran by a Tanzanian dealer and sent to a laboratory known for conducting experiments into biological weapons, according to a British media report.



Live From The Blogosphere!

Iran: A prisoners' rights advocate was freed
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Iran: Tehran's metro in photos
Thanks to Akhbari, an Iranian blogger, we can discover Tehran's metro in photos.

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