“Iran” or “Persia” is a familiar word for people all around the world. Iran, which originally meant “the lands of Aryans,” has been officially named after this vast country since 1935. The ancient name Persia—the cradle of civilization—contains glorious achievements in the history of its territory with worldwide impact. Iran is a land of the world’s first charter of human rights by Cyrus the Great, who founded the most powerful empire in Persia and the world’s first monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism. After converting to Islam, the Persian Islamic polymath Avicenna—often referred to as “the influential philosopher of the pre-modern era”—along with many great Persian poets such as Rumi and Omar Khayyam, significantly impacted literature and societies.
In terms of art, from the 4th millennium B.C. until the Islamic era, the indigenous people and conquerors who had lived in Persian territory formed Persian art and architecture, also partly influenced by neighbouring borders such as Mesopotamia. The ingenuity of Iranians throughout history is exemplified by various achievements, including the invention of the dome over square chambers during the late Sassanid dynasty, the construction of underground water canals (Qanat) to transport water across deserts, and the creation of Luristan Bronze objects from the 2nd nd millennium, as well as the proud tradition of Persian Islamic calligraphy.
Iran is a four-season country with diverse nature. Thanks to its geography bordering the Caspian Sea in the North, the subtropical weather created very eye-catching views in all parts, especially the Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forest (UNESCO). After a few hours of driving from the Caspian Sea, one reaches the Alborz mountain range, which stretches from west to east and divides the forest zone in the north from Iran’s central plateau and its astonishing deserts, including the Central Desert (known as Dasht-e Markazi) and the Lut Desert (UNESCO), which is recorded as one of the hottest spots on Earth. In the west, the Zagros Mountains provide pastures in the mountainous area, while to the south, the Persian Gulf is home to many beautiful islands that shine like Persian pearls. One can ski in the heights of Alborz Mountain during winter and enjoy swimming and diving in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian hospitality is unparalleled, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the country during their unforgettable journey. Travelers not only get amazed by its beauty but also seize the chances of being hospitalized by the kind-hearted and modest people. Since ancient times, a saying in Persian culture has been, “The guest is a friend of God.” Therefore, they extend a warm welcome to strangers, defying popular belief.
Iran, the eighth-largest country in the world and the second-largest in the Middle East, is located in Western Asia. Iran’s location in Eurasia credits its geostrategic importance throughout history. Iran’s territory spans 1,648,195 km². To compare, it is the size of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland all combined. Tehran, the capital of this country, is the most populous and politically important city in Western Asia, with more than 9 million residents. Iran’s official language is Persian (58%) and the ethnic diversity has recorded Turkish and dialects at 28%, Kurdish at 9%, Lori at 2%, Baluchi at 1%, Arabic at 1% and others at 3%. Iran’s religion is Islam, which has a major population of Shiite Muslims (nearly 89%), Sunni Muslims (10%), and also 1% Christians, Zoroastrians, and others.
Iran’s economy is a mixture of state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures. The Major industries are oil, gas, agriculture, and Persian carpets. Iran ranks second in the world’s largest gas reserves and fourth in oil reserves. Iran’s exports are oil and oil products (85%), Persian Carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, and chemicals. Iran’s agriculture is the world’s largest producer of saffron, pistachios, honey, berberis and berries, and caviar and the second-largest date producer. It also has wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruit, nuts, cotton, wool, and dairy products.
