Iran

Iran (Persian language: ايران, meaning "land of the Aryans"), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian language: جمهوری اسلامی ايران), is a Middle Eastern Islamic Republic. It is seen as the descendant of the Ancient Persian Empire and Persians make up an ethnic majority of the Iranian population. The official language of the country is Persian. The official religion of the country is Twelver Shi'a Islam.

Geography

Iran borders the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, Iraq and the Persian Gulf to the west and south, and Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east. Much of Iran is situated on the Iranian Plateau. Much of Iran is mountainous. The center of Iran is occupied by two large deserts which contain very little life. Much of the population lives in the western half of the country.

History

Iran is one of the world's most ancient civilizations. Iranians, called Persians by the Greeks, built a huge empire in the 6th and 5th centuries BC before being conquered by the Greeks under Alexander the Great and then by the Romans. Iran regained part of its empire under the Sassanids before they were conquered by the Arabs, who introduced Islam and greatly influenced the Iranian culture and language. Iran was ruled by the Arabs for several hundred years, then by a succession of tribal dynasties after the Arab empire under the Caliphs broke up. The Safavids gained control of Iran in the 16th century and brought a new golden age to Iran. The Safavid empire collapsed in 1722, and Iran increasingly came under the influence of various European powers. In the early 20th century, the Pahlavi dynasty consolidated power. It ruled until 1979, when the Iranian revolution established the current Islamic Republic.

Politics and Government

Structure of the government

The Iranian Government is a complex theocratic republic, with a powerful head of state, the Supreme Leader or faqh, who is a cleric and derives his authority from the principle of Wilayat al-faqih. The Supreme Leader directs the Iranian Security Forces, although the President directs of the Ministry of Interior and the police. He is appointed, and in principle could be removed, by the Assembly of Experts.

The President is the head of government (not including the military). He is directly elected, but candidates are approved by the Council of Guardians.

There is an elected Parliament, the Majlis.

The Council of Guardians approves all candidates for direct election, including the Parliament, Assembly of Experts, and President. It consists of six clerics and six jurists who determine if the legislation approved by the Majlis. They determine if legislation from the Majlis is correct according to religious principles.

The Expediency Council is in charge of mediating disputes between the parliament and the Council of Guardians, and also serves as an advisory council to the Supreme Leader.

Economy

Section will contain information on the Iranian economy.

Demographics

The majority of Iranians are ethnically Persian. Other ethnic groups, such as Azeris, make up significant minorities of the population.

Culture

See also: Iranian cuisine

Iranian culture is a rich combination of Persian and Arabic influences. Islam plays an important role.

Languages

The main language of Iran is Persian, also called Farsi. Many other languages are spoken by members of different ethnic groups.