Iran
Islamic Republic of Iran جمهوری اسلامی ايران Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān | |
|---|---|
| Motto: Persian: Esteqlāl, āzādī, jomhūrī-ye eslāmī (English: "Independence, freedom, (the) Islamic Republic") | |
| Anthem: Sorūd-e Mellī-e Īrān | |
 | |
| Capital and largest city | Tehran |
| Official languages | Persian (Farsi) |
| Government | Islamic Republic |
| Ali Khamenei | |
| Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | |
| Revolution Overthrew Monarchy | |
• Declared | February 11, 1979 |
• Water (%) | 0.7% |
| Population | |
• 2005 estimate | 68,467,413 [1] (18th) |
• 1996 census | 60,055,488 [2] |
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
• Total | $561,600,000,000 (19th) |
• Per capita | $8,065 (74th) |
| HDI (2006) | 0.736 high (99th) |
| Currency | Rial (ريال) (IRR) |
| Time zone | UTC+3.30 |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3.30 (not observed) |
| Calling code | 98 |
| ISO 3166 code | IR |
| Internet TLD | .ir |
Iran (Template:PerB, Īrān also known in the international community as Persia), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Template:PerB transliteration: Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān), is a country located in Southwest Asia. Iran borders Armenia, Azerbaijan (including its Nakhichevan exclave), and Turkmenistan to the north, Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east, and Turkey and Iraq to the west. In addition, it borders the Persian Gulf, across which lie Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Shi'a Islam is the official state religion.
Throughout history, Iran has been of great geostrategic importance due to its central location in Eurasia. Iran is a member and co-founder of the United Nations, the OIC, and OPEC. Iran is also significant in international politics on account of its large supply of petroleum and other resources. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and literally means "Land of the Aryans."
Name
In former ages, the names Ariana and Persis were used to describe the region which is today known as the Iranian plateau. The earliest Iranian reference to the word (airya/arya/aryana etc), however, predates the Iranian prophet Zoroaster (est. anywhere between 1000 to 7000 BC.) and is attested in non-Gathic Avesta; it appears as airya, meaning noble/spiritual/elevated; as airya dainhava (Yt.8.36, 52) meaning the land of the Aryans; and as airyana vaejah, the original land of the Aryans. This term, it seems, was adopted in remote antiquity by Iranians as their national identity [2]; hence other peoples were called Anairya and later Aniranian, meaning un-aryan or non-Aryan, probably a derogatory racial designation.
During the Achaemenid dynasty (550-330 BC), the Persian people called their provincial homeland Pārsa, the Old Persian name for Cyrus the Great's kingdom which belonged to the Persian tribe of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranians and which can still be found in the term Pars or Fars as part of the heartland of Iran and for example in the map by Eratosthenes and other historical or modern maps.
However, the country as a whole was called Aryanam. The word Ariya, noble/spiritual/elevated, is attested in the Inscriptions of Darius the Great and his son, Xerxes; it is used both as a linguistic and a racial designation as Darius refers to this at the Behistun inscription (DBiv.89), which is written in Aryan language/airyan, also known as Old Persian. Both Darius and Xerxes state in Naqsh-i Rustam (DNa.14), Susa (DSe.13), and Persepolis (XPh.13):
Adam Pārsa, Pārsahyā puça; Ariya, Ariya ciça...
I am Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, belonging to the Aryan race." --Darius the Great (549 BC - 486 BC)
In Parthian times (248 BC–224 AD) Aryanam was modified to Aryan. In the early Sassanid Period (224–651 AD) it had already evolved to Middle Persian Ērān or Ērān Shahr which finally resulted in New Persian Iran or Iran Shahr.
The Greeks called the country Persis; this passed into Latin and became Persia, the name widely used in Western countries. [3][4][5]
In the twentieth century, a dispute arose over whether Iran or Persia is the correct name for the country. On 21 March 1935, the ruler of the country, Reza Shah Pahlavi, issued a decree asking foreign delegates to use the term Iran in formal correspondence in accordance with the fact that "Persia" was a term used by Western peoples for the country called "Iran" in Persian. After some scholars protested, his successor, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, announced in 1959 that both Persia and Iran were acceptable, and could be used interchangeably. The 1979 Revolution led to the establishment of the present day theocracy that is officially called the Islamic Republic of Iran, but the noun Persia and the adjective Persian are still commonly used.
History
Iran has been inhabited by humans since pre-historic times and recent discoveries have begun to shed light upon what ancient culture was like in Iran, centuries before the earliest civilizations arose in nearby Mesopotamia. [6] The written history of Persia (Iran) begins around 3200 BCE with the Proto-Elamite civilization, followed by the Elamites. The arrival of the Aryans and the establishing of the Median dynasty culminated in the rise of the world's "largest and most powerful empire ever known in human history up until that point" [1], namely the Achaemenid Empire. They in turn were followed by two more vast empires that shaped the pre-Islamic identity of Iran and Central Asia: the Parthian and Sassanid dynasties.
Exchanges such as that of the silk road were significant not only for the development and flowering of the great civilizations of China, ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India and Rome but also helped to lay the foundations of our modern world.
Before the Islamic conquest of Persia, Zoroastrianism was the national religion of the Sassanian Empire of Persia, and played an important role in the earlier Achaemenean and Parthian regimes. The Iranian prophet Zoroaster is considered the founder of the earliest religion based on revealed scripture. Most scholars acknowledge that Judeo-Christianity and Islam owes a great debt to Zoroastrianism in regards to the introduction of eschatology, angelology and demonology, as well as Satan, (daēva), (Ahriman) as the ultimate agent of evil. Zoroastrianism is uniquely important in the history of religion because of its formative links to both Western Abrahamic and Eastern dharmic religious traditions.
Following the Islamic conquest of Persia, it was the heart and mind of the Islamic Golden Age, and by the tenth century the country was a world scientific and cultural center. However, the late Middle Ages brought many critical events in the region. From 1220, Persia was invaded and destroyed by wave after wave of calamity starting with the Mongol invasion, followed later by Tamerlane. During mongol period more than half of the population were killed and didnt reach premongol levels until the 20th century.
Persia's first encompassing Shi'a Islamic state was established under the Safavid dynasty in 1501. The decline of the Safavid state in the 17th century increasingly turned Persia into an arena for rising rival colonial powers such as Imperial Russia and the British Empire that weilded great political influence in Tehran under the Qajarid dynasty. Iran itself however still managed to maintain its sovereignty, and was never colonized making it unique in the region. With the rise of modernization in the late 19th century, desire for change led to the Persian Constitutional Revolution of 1905–1911. In 1921, Reza Shah Pahlavi staged a coup against the weakened Qajar dynasty. A supporter of modernization, Reza Shah initiated the development of modern industry, railroads, and establishment of a national education system, but his autocratic rule and unbalanced social reforms created discontent among many Iranians.
During World War II, Britain and the USSR invaded Iran from August 25 to September 17, 1941, to stop an Axis-supported coup and secure Iran's oil resources supply. The Allies of World War II forced the shah to abdicate in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom they hoped would be more supportive. In 1953, following the nationalization of Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh attempted to convince the Shah to leave the country. The Shah refused, and formally dismissed the Prime Minister. Mossadegh also refused to leave, and when it became evident that he was going to fight, the Shah (as foreseen by the British/American "Operation Ajax") fled to Baghdad as a precautionary measure and on from there to Rome.
Massive protests broke out across the nation. Anti- and pro-monarchy protestors violently clashed in the streets, leaving almost 300 dead. During this time, the British Intelligence Service approached President Eisenhower, asking for support for Operation Ajax. Eisenhower agreed, and authorized the CIA to assist the BIS in overthrowing Mossadegh. The operation was successful in inciting pro-Shah sentiment in the country, and within days of its commencement, pro-Shah tanks stormed the capital and bombarded the Prime Minister's residence. Mossadegh surrendered, and was arrested on August 19, 1953. He was tried for treason, and sentenced to three years in prison.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was then reinstated as shah. His rule became increasingly dictatorial in the following years, particularly the late 1970s. With strong support from the US and UK, the Shah further modernized Iranian industry, but simultaneously crushed opposition from the Shia clergy and from advocates of democracy.
In the 1970s, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini gained much popularity among Iranians. Islamists, communists and liberals staged the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The Shah fled the country, after which Khomeini eventually succeeded in taking power and established an Islamic republic. The new system instated conservative Islamic laws and unprecedented levels of direct clerical rule. Past governments have criticized the West and in particular the US for support of the Shah. Relations were severely strained in 1979, after Iranian students seized US embassy personnel. Subsequently, there were attempts to export the Islamic revolution, and support anti-Western militant groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah. From 1980-1988, Iran and neighbouring Iraq engaged in the destructive Iran-Iraq War, following Iraq's invasion of southwest Iran on September 22, 1980. Tens of thousands of Iranian civilians and military personnel was killed when Iraq used chemical weapons in its warfare that was supplied by the west. The war was also morally and financially backed by the gulf Arab states. The total Iranian casualties of the war is estimated to anywhere between 500000 to 1000000. On October 19, 2005 Iran announced it had sent its own indictment against former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to Iraq's government, with the list of complaints including the use of chemical weapons. Although Iran itself also possessed chemical weapons, it never used them during the war.[7]
The struggle between reformists and conservatives continues today through electoral politics, and was a central focus in the Iranian presidential election of 2005, which resulted in the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since then, there has been an increase in tensions between Iran and the US, particularly with regard to Iran's nuclear program. Iran has also been accused of supplying weapons to insurgents in Iraq with the goal of creating an Islamist government there.[8].
Iran claims the right to research nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which it has signed.[9]. It has been reported that the Bush Administration has not ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran which, if it were to occur, would be the first hostile nuclear bombing since World War II.[10]. Other members of the UN Security Council, in particular Russia and China, oppose military action. Significantly, Iran was recently elected vice-chair on the UN Disarmament Commission.[11] Recently, Iran announced it is researching the construction of a P2 centrifuge, which can be used to develop nuclear weapons.[7]
Politics
The political system of the Islamic Republic is based on the 1979 Constitution called the "Qanun-e Asasi" ("Fundamental Law"). The system comprises several intricately connected governing bodies, most of which are appointed.
The Supreme Leader
The Supreme Leader of Iran is responsible for the delineation and supervision of "the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran". The Supreme Leader is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, controls the military intelligence and security operations; and has sole power to declare war. The heads of the judiciary, state radio and television networks, the commanders of the police and military forces and six of the twelve members of the Council of Guardians are appointed by the Supreme Leader. The Assembly of Experts elects and dismisses the Supreme Leader on the basis of qualifications and popular esteem.[12] The Assembly of Experts is responsible for supervising the Supreme Leader in the performance of legal duties.
Executive
The Constitution defines the President as the highest state authority after the Supreme Leader. The President is elected by universal suffrage for a term of four years. Presidential candidates must be approved by the Council of Guardians prior to running. The President is responsible for the implementation of the Constitution and for the exercise of executive powers, except for matters directly related to the Supreme Leader. The President appoints and supervises the Council of Ministers, coordinates government decisions, and selects government policies to be placed before the legislature. Eight Vice-Presidents serve under the President, as well as a cabinet of 21 ministers, who must all be approved by the legislature. Unlike many other states, the executive branch in Iran does not control the armed forces. Although the President appoints the Ministers of Intelligence and Defense, it is customary for the President to obtain explicit approval from the Supreme Leader for these two ministers before presenting them to the legislature for a vote of confidence.
Parliament (The Majles)
The legislature of Iran is the unicameral Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami (Islamic Consultative Assembly), comprising 290 members elected for four-year terms. The Majlis drafts legislation, ratifies international treaties, and approves the national budget. All Majlis candidates and all legislation from the assembly must be approved by the Council of Guardians.
Before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, there was also an Iranian Senate; however, it was disbanded forthwith.
Judiciary
The Supreme Leader appoints the head of the Judiciary, who in turn appoints the head of the Supreme Court and the chief public prosecutor. There are several types of courts including public courts that deal with civil and criminal cases, and "revolutionary courts" which deal with certain categories of offenses, including crimes against national security. The decisions of the revolutionary courts are final and cannot be appealed. The Special Clerical Court handles crimes allegedly committed by clerics, although it has also taken on cases involving lay people. The Special Clerical Court functions independently of the regular judicial framework and is accountable only to the Supreme Leader. The Court’s rulings are final and cannot be appealed.
Assembly of Experts
The Assembly of Experts, which meets for one week annually, comprises 86 "virtuous and learned" clerics elected by adult suffrage for eight-year terms. As with the presidential and parliamentary elections, the Council of Guardians determines candidates' eligibility. The Assembly elects the Supreme Leader and has the constitutional authority to remove the Supreme Leader from power at any time. The Assembly has never been known to challenge any of the Supreme Leader's decisions.
Council of Guardians
The Council of Guardians comprises 12 jurists including six appointed by the Supreme Leader. The head of the judiciary, who is also appointed by the Supreme Leader, recommends the remaining six, who are officially appointed by Parliament. The Council interprets the constitution and may veto Parliament. If a law is deemed incompatible with the constitution or Sharia (Islamic law) , it is referred back to Parliament for revision. In a controversial exercise of its authority, the Council has drawn upon a narrow interpretation of Iran's constitution to veto parliamentary candidates.
Expediency Council
The Expediency Council has the authority to mediate disputes between Parliament and the Council of Guardians, and serves as an advisory body to the Supreme Leader, making it one of the most powerful governing bodies in the country.
City and Village Councils
Local councils are elected by public vote to 4-year terms in all cities and villages of Iran. According to article 7 Iran's Constitution, these local councils together with the Parliament are "decision-making and administrative organs of the State". This section of the constitution was not implemented until 1999 when the first local council elections were held across the country. Councils have many different responsibilities including electing mayors, supervising the activities of municipalities; studying the social, cultural, educational, health, economic, and welfare requirements of their constituencies; planning and coordinating national participation in the implementation of social, economic, constructive, cultural, educational and other welfare affairs.
Provinces
Iran comprises thirty ostanha (singular ostan: provinces), each governed by an appointed governor (استاندار: ostāndār). The map does not show the southern islands of Hormozgan (#20 on the map):
|
Geography and climate
Iran borders Azerbaijan (length of border: 432 km / 268 mi) and Armenia (35 km / 22 mi) to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan (992 km / 616 mi) to the northeast, 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 the west, and finally the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south. Iran's area is 1,648,000 km² ≈636,300 mi² (Land: 1,636,000 km² ≈631,663 mi², Water: 12,000 km² ≈4,633 mi²). Iran is the 17th largest country in the world or roughly the size of the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany combined.
Iran's landscape is dominated by rugged mountain ranges that separate various basins or plateaus from one another. The populous western part is the most mountainous, with ranges such as the Caucasus, Zagros and Alborz Mountains -- the latter contains Iran's highest point, Mount Damavand at 5,604 m (18,386 ft). The eastern part consists mostly of uninhabited desert basins like the saline Dasht-e Kavir, and some salt lakes.
The only large plains are found along the coast of the Caspian Sea and at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, where Iran borders the mouth of the Arvand river. Smaller, discontinuous plains are found along the remaining coast of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.
Iran's climate is mostly arid or semiarid, to subtropical along the Caspian coast. On the northern edge of the country (the Caspian coastal plain) temperatures nearly fall below freezing and remain humid for the rest of the year. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 29°C (84°F). Annual precipitation is 680 mm (26 in) in the eastern part of the plain and more than 1,700 mm (75 in) in the western. To the west, settlements in the Zagros Mountains basin experience lower temperatures, severe winters, sub-freezing average daily temperatures and heavy snowfall. The eastern and central basins are arid, with less than 200 mm (8 in) of rain and have occasional desert. Average summer temperatures exceed 38°C (100°F). The coastal plains of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman in southern Iran have mild winters, and very humid and hot summers. The annual precipitation ranges from 135 to 355 mm (6 to 14 in).
Economy
Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures.
The current administration continues to follow the market reform plans of the previous one and indicated that it will diversify Iran's oil-reliant economy. It is attempting to do this by investing revenues in areas like car manufacturing, aerospace industries, consumer electronics, petrochemicals and nuclear technology. Iran also hopes to attract billions of dollars of foreign investment by creating a more favorable investment climate, such as reduced restrictions and duties on imports, and free-trade zones like in Chabahar and the island of Kish. Modern Iran has a solid middle class and a growing economy but continues to be plagued with high inflation and unemployment.
Iranian budget deficits have been a chronic problem, in part due to large-scale state subsidies– totaling some $7.25 billion per year–including foodstuffs and especially gasoline. Iran is OPEC's second largest oil producer, as it exports between four and five million barrels of oil per day; moreover, it holds 10% of the world's confirmed oil reserves. Iran also has the world's second largest natural gas reserves (after Russia). The strong oil market in 1996 helped ease financial pressures on Iran and allowed for Tehran's timely debt service payments.
The services sector has seen the greatest long-term growth in terms of its share of GDP, but the sector remains volatile. State investment has boosted agriculture with the liberalization of production and the improvement of packaging and marketing helping to develop new export markets. Thanks to the construction of many dams throughout the country in recent years, large-scale irrigation schemes, and the wider production of export-based agricultural items like dates, flowers and pistachios, produced the fastest economic growth of any sector in Iran over much of the 1990s. Although successive years of severe drought in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 have held back output growth substantially, agriculture remains one of the largest employers, accounting for 22% of all jobs according to the 1991 census. Iran has also developed a biotechnology, nanotechnology, and pharmaceuticals industry. For energy, it currently relies on conventional methods, but as of March 2006, uranium refinement, the last major hurdle to developing nuclear power, was revealed to have taken place.
Iran's major commercial partners are France, Germany, Italy, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea. Since the late 1990's, Iran has increased its economic cooperation with other developing countries, including Syria, India, Cuba, Venezuela and South Africa. Iran is also expanding its trade ties with Turkey and Pakistan and shares with its partners the common goal of creating a single economic market in West and Central Asia.
Demographics
The population increased dramatically during the latter half of the 20th century to reach about 70 million by 2006. In recent years Iran appears to have taken control of its high population growth rate and many studies show that Iran's population growth rate will continue to decline until it will reach replacement level and stabilize by the year 2050 (100 million).[13] [14] [15]
The Iranian diaspora is estimated at over three million people who emigrated to North America, Europe, and Australia, mostly after the Iranian revolution. Iran also hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, with more than one million refugees, mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq. Official government policy and social factors aim towards repatriation.[16] [17] [12]
The majority of the population (70%) speaks one of the Iranian languages, including the official language, Persian. Iran has a literacy rate of 80%. While the number, proportion, and definition of different Iranian peoples is disputed, the major ethnic groups and minorities include the Persians (51%), Azeris (24%), Gilaki and Mazandarani (8%), Kurds (7%), Arabs (3%), Baluchi (2%), Lurs (2%), Turkmens (2%), Qashqai, Armenians, Persian Jews, Georgians, Assyrians, Circassians, Tats, Pashtuns and others (1%).[18] The number of native speakers of Persian in Iran is estimated at around 40 million.[19] The spread of broadcast media, central education system, and migration to larger cities means that most Iranians speak and understand Persian.
Most Iranians are Muslims; 90% belong to the Shi'a branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 9% belong to the Sunni branch (many of them are Kurds). The remainder are non-Muslim religious minorities, mainly Bahá'ís, Mandeans, Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians.[18] The latter three minority religions are officially recognized and protected, and have reserved seats in the Majles (Parliament). In contrast, the Bahá'í Faith, the largest religious minority in Iran, is not officially recognized, and has been persecuted during its existence in Iran. Since the 1979 revolution the persecution has increased with executions and the denial of access to higher education. More recent persecution towards Bahá'ís has led to the United Nations Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights stating on March 20, 2006 that "this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is, in fact, deteriorating." [20]
Major cities
Iran has one of the highest urban-growth rates in the world. From 1950 to 2002 the urban proportion of the population increased from 27% to 60%. [21][22] The United Nations predicts that by 2030 the urban population will form 80% of the overall population.[22] Most of the internal migrants have settled near the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Ahwaz, and Qom. Tehran is the largest city with 7,160,094 inhabitants (metropolitan: 14,000,000). More than half of the country's industry is based there. Industries include the manufacturing of cars, electronics and electrical equipment, military weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical products. Mashhad, one of the holiest Shi'a cities, is the second largest city with a population of 2.8 million.
The population of the eight largest cities (2006, unless otherwise noted) are as follows (non-metropolitan estimates): [23]
Culture
Iran has a long history of art, music, architecture, poetry, philosophy, traditions, and ideology.
همه عالم تن است و ایران دل
نیست گوینده زین قیاس خجل
"Iran is The Heart and all the universe The Body,
Of this claim, the poet feels no regret or humility."
--Nizami
که ایران بهشت است یا بوستان
همی بوی مشک آید از دوستان
"Whether one thinks of Iran as Eden or Garden,
The smell of musk abounds there from friend and companion."
--Ferdowsi
Iranian culture was long the predominant culture of the Middle East, with Persian considered the language of intellectuals during much of the second millenia A.D. Nearly all philosophical, scientific, or literary work of the Islamic empires was written in or translated to Persian. The Islamic conquest of Iran in the first half of the seventh century began a synthesis of the Arabic and Iranian tongues. By the tenth century, this cultural diffusion threatened to erase native Persian entirely, prompting Ferdowsi to write the Shahnameh, Iran's national epic, entirely in Persian, without using one word of Arabic. This gave rise to a strong reassertion of Iranian national identity, and is in part responsible for the continued existence of Persian as a separate language.
Iran's literary tradition is rich and varied as well, although the world is most familiar with Iranian poetry. Rumi is by far the most famous of Iran's poets, although Saadi is considered by many Iranians to be just as influential. Both poets were practitioners of Sufism, and are quoted by Iranians with the same frequency and weight as the Qur'an.
Film has continued to thrive in modern Iran, and many Iranian directors have garnered worldwide recognition for their work. (Iranian film has won over three hundred awards in the past twenty-five years.) One of the best-known directors is Abbas Kiarostami. All media in Iran is controlled directly or indirectly by the state, and must be approved by the Ministry of Islamic Guidance before it can be released to the public. This has caused notable tension between the Iranian government and its university students. The state also actively monitors the Internet, which has become enormously popular among the Iranian youth. Iran is now the world's fourth largest country of bloggers.
The quest for social justice and equity is an important Iranian cultural trait. The Cyrus Cylinder is considered the world's first declaration of human rights, and was the basis of government for the Achaemenid dynasty. Equality of the sexes also has a strong historical precedent in Iran: from the Achaemenid to Sassanid dynasties, women were encouraged to pursue an education and study at universities; they held property, influenced the affairs of state, and worked and received the same compensation as men. Today, women compose more than half of the incoming classes for universities around the country. Respect for the elderly and hospitality for foreigners are also an integral part of Iranian etiquette.
The Iranian New Year (Norouz) is celebrated on March 21 from Spain in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. It is celebrated as the first day of spring. Norouz was nominated as one of UNESCO's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2004.[24]
In her book, New Food of Life, Najmieh Batmanglij writes that "Iranian food has much in common with the other cuisines of the Middle East, but is often considered to be the most sophisticated and imaginative of them all, as colorful and complex as a Persian carpet."
Scientific progress
Science in Iran, as the country itself, has a long history. Persia was a Cradle of Science in earlier times. Iranians contributed significantly to the current understanding of nature, medicine, mathematics, and philosophy. To name a few, Persians first discovered Algebra and invented the wind mill.
Iran's Scientists cautiously reach out to the world. Scientists in Iran are trying to revive the golden age of Persian science. Many individual Iranian scientists along with the Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences and The Academy of Sciences of Iran are involved in this revival. Iran has increased its publication output nearly tenfold from 1996 through 2004, and has been ranked first in terms of output growth rate followed by China.[6]
Theoretical and computational sciences are rapidly developing in Iran. Theoretical physicists and chemists are regularly publishing in high impact factor journals. Despite the limitations in funds, facilities, and international collaborations, Iranian scientists remain highly productive in several experimental fields as pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, organic, and polymer chemistry. Iranian scientists are also helping construct the Compact Muon Solenoid, a detector for CERN's Large Hadron Collider due to come online in 2007. Iranian Biophysicists (especially molecular biophysics) have gained international reputation since the 1990s. High fieled NMR facilities, as well as Microcalorimetry, Circular dichroism, and instruments for single protein channel studies have been provided in Iran during recent decades. And Tissue engineering and research on biomaterials have just started to emerge in Biophysics departments.
See also
References
- ^ Statistical Centre, Government of Iran. ""Selected Statistical Information"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Statistical Centre, Government of Iran. ""Population by Religion and Ostan, 1375 Census (1996 CE)"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ American Heritage Dictionary (Fourth Edition), Bartleby.com. ""Aryan"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ National Virtual Translation Center, Government of the U.S.A. ""The Indo-Iranian Branch of the Indo-European Language Family"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia, University of Wisconsin. ""Iranian Languages"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Oriental Institute, University of Chicago. ""Iranian Pottery"". Retrieved 2006-04-29.
- ^ a b [<http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-06-rafsanjani-text_x.htm#question <http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-06-rafsanjani-text_x.htm#question].
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Missing or empty|title=(help) Cite error: The named reference "iht" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Nation/Politics, Washington Times. ""Rumsfeld says Iran is arming Iraqi insurgents"". Retrieved 2005-08-20.
- ^ World News website, BBC. ""Iran breaks seals at nuclear site"". Retrieved 2006-04-22.
- ^ Online edition, Telegraph Group Limited. ""Bush is planning nuclear strikes on Iran's secret sites"". Retrieved 2006-04-24.
- ^ International, CNSNews.com. ""Iran Elected to UN Disarmament Commission"". Retrieved 2006-04-22.
- ^ a b Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ""Iran - The Constitution"". Retrieved 2006-04-14. Cite error: The named reference "loc"" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Census Bureau, Government of the U.S.A. ""IDB Summary Demographic Data for Iran"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Asia-Pacific Population Journal, United Nations. ""A New Direction in Population Policy and Family Planning in the Islamic Republic of Iran"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Iran News, Payvand.com. ""Iran's population growth rate falls to 1.5 percent: UNFP"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ World News, BBC.co.uk. ""Iran's Afghan refugees feel pressure to leave"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Integrated Regional Information Networks, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. ""Extension of Afghan repatriation agreement under possible threat"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ a b World Factbook, CIA. ""Iran"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ World Factbook, C.I.A. ""Iran - People"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Special Rapporteur, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. ""Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief concerned about treatment of followers of Bahá'í faith in Iran"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Payvand. ""Iran: Focus on reverse migration"". Retrieved 2006-04-17.
- ^ a b Cultural Heritage New Agency. ""Tourism and Travel: About Iran"". Retrieved 2006-04-17.
- ^ Stefan Helders, World Gazetteer. ""Iran: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ Iran News, Payvand.com. ""Nowrouz Vital Meeting to be Held in Tehran"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
External links
Government
- Official website of the Supreme Leader of Iran
- Official website of the President of Iran
- Template:Fa icon Official website of the Council of Guardians of Iran
- Template:Fa icon Official website of the Majlis (Legislature) of Iran
- Official website of the Judiciary of Iran
- Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Official website of the Spokesman of the Government of Iran
- Official website of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran
- Official website of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization
- Template:Fa icon Official website of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
Other
- Template:Wikitravel
- The Constitution of Iran (translated) (Iranologyfo.com)
- Slideshow: Iran, from Damavand to Ispahan (Round Planet.com)
- Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica's Country Page - "Iran"
- CIA World Factbook - Iran
- Open Directory Project - Iran directory category
- BBC News interactive maps detailing Iran's people, land and infrastructure
- Template:Fa icon Farhangsara.com - an independently-produced Iranian encyclopedia
- Template:Fa icon Jazirehdanesh.com
- "Iran's AIDS-Prevention Program Among World's Most Progressive"
- Iran - a christian perspective
- Iranian news and media
- Gooya (UK): A directory of Iran media resources
- List of Iranian news and media from the Open Directory Project
- Yahoo! News Full Coverage Iran Yahoo headline links
- Sarkhat news aggregator - Latest news from Iran
- Guardian section about Iran
- Amnesty International on Human Rights in Iran
| Countries | .svg?lang=en) | |
|---|---|---|
| Society | ||
| Demographics | ||
| Culture | ||
| Sovereign states |
|  | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| |||||||
