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 فارسی (Fārsi) |
| 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 | $554.8 billion (19th) |
• Per capita | $7,980 (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, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Template:PerB transliteration: Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān), is a country located in western Asia, known previously as Persia. 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 because of 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. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and literally means "Land of the Aryans."
Name
In former ages, the names Ariana and Persian 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 1200 to 1800 BCE, according to Plato and other Greek sources as early as 7000 BCE.) 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. Other peoples were called Anairya and later Aniranian, meaning un-aryan or non-Aryan.
During the Achaemenid dynasty (550-330 BCE), 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 BCE - 486 BCE)
In Parthian times (248 BCE–224 CE), Aryanam was modified to Aryan. In the early Sassanid Period (224–651 CE), it had already evolved to Middle Persian Ērān or Ērān Shahr which finally resulted in New Persian Iran or Iran Shahr.
At the time of the Achaemenid empire, the Greeks called the country Persis, the Greek name for Pars (Fars), the central region where the empire was founded; this passed into Latin and became Persia, the name widely used in Western countries which causes confusion as Persia is actually Pars (Fars) province. [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 for a 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 in about 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 first Persian Empire, the Achaemenid Empire (648–330 BCE), founded by Cyrus the Great.
Cyrus the Great created the Cyrus Cylinder, considered to be the first declaration of human rights. He was the first king whose name was suffixed with the word "Great" and the first Shah of Iran to be properly called. Under his rule and his successor, Darius the Great, the Persian Empire eventually became the largest and most powerful empire in human history up until that point, ruling and administrating over most of the then known world.[1]
Alexander the great, also known in the Zoroastrian Middle Persian Arda Wiraz Nāmag as "the accursed Alexander" (due to his conquest of the Persian Empire and the destruction of its cities, including the capital Persepolis), conquered Persia in 333 BCE only to be followed shortly by two more vast and unified Persian empires that shaped the pre-Islamic identity of Iran and Central Asia: the Parthian (250 BCE– 226 CE) and Sassanid (226 – 650 CE) dynasties. The latter dynasties also defeated the Roman empire at the height of its power on several occasions.
The Silk Road, connecting Persia with China was 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.[citation needed]
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 by numerous scholars as the founder of the earliest religion based on revealed scripture. Some scholars point to the fact 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 it is considered to be one of the first monotheistic religions [7], and also because of its formative links to both Western Abrahamic and Eastern dharmic religious traditions. Zoroastrian monotheism has had major influence on the religions of the middle eastern monotheisms in adaptations of such concepts as heavens, hells, judgement day and messianic figures. Nonetheless, claims of Zoroastrianism influencing ancient Jewish thought are disputed by some Jewish and Christian scholars, despite the various influencing elements being evident.
An important chapter of Iran's history followed after roughly 600 years of conflict with the Roman Empire, when the war-exhausted Persians lost the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah (632 CE) in Hilla, (present day Iraq). The Persian general Rostam Farrokhzād had been criticised for his decision to face the Arabs on their own ground, suggesting that the Persians could have prevailed if they had stayed on the opposite bank of the Euphrates. The first day of Battle ended with Persian advances and the Arab force appeared as though it would succumb to the much larger Sassanian army. In particular, the latter's elephants terrified the Arab cavalry. By the third day of battle, Arab veterans arrived on the scene and re-inforced the Arab army. In addition a clever trick whereby the Arab horses were decorated in costume succeeded in frightening the Persian elephants. When an Arab warrior succeeded in slaying the lead elephant, the rest fled into the rear, trampelling numerous Persian fighters. At dawn of the fourth day, a sandstorm broke out blowing sand in the Persian army's faces resulting in total disarray for the Sassanian army and paving way for the Islamic conquest of Persia.
After the conquest Persians began to look for ways in which they could remain Muslim but also define themselves as Persian and sought the "Persianisation" of Islam. Shia Islam, Irans state religion today, has an enormous amount of Persian influence in it. Meanwhile as Europe was in the dark ages, Persia and Persian scientists created an Islamic Golden Age, (see List of Iranian scientists and scholars) becoming the heart and mind of the World and was at this point of history the worlds scientific and cultural center with philosophers, scientists, engineers and historians contributing enormously to technology, science and medicine, leading directly to the renaissance. The late Middle Ages however 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 the Mongol period more than half of the population were killed and didn't reach its pre-Mongol 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 wielded great political influence in Tehran under the Qajarid dynasty. Iran however, 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 1951, an eccentric pro-democratic nationalist, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh rose to prominence in Iran and was elected its first Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, Mossadegh alarmed the West by his nationalization of Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, which controlled all of the country's oil reserves. Britain immediately put an embargo on Iran. British Intelligence Service approached the United States under Harry S. Truman to join them in Operation Ajax, a coup against Mossadegh. Truman was categorically unwilling to join Britain but his successor, Dwight Eisenhower was persuaded to join them when the issue of the potential threat of the Communist Tudeh Party of Iran coming to power was brought up with allegations that Mossadegh himself might even be pro-Soviet (an assertion that was never found to be true). The Shah at first attempted to formally dismiss Mossadegh, but this backfired and Mossadegh convinced the Shah to flee to Baghdad.
Regardless of this setback, the covert operation soon went into full swing, conducted from US Embassy in Tehran under the leadership of Kermit Roosevelt, Jr.. Thugs were hired to facilitate violence. Protests broke out across the nation. Anti- and pro-monarchy protestors violently clashed in the streets, leaving almost 300 dead. The operation was successful in triggering a coup, 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 autocratic in the following years and soon Iran became a model police state. With strong support from the US and UK, the Shah further modernized Iranian industry, but simultaneously crushed all forms of political opposition with his intelligence agency, SAVAK. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became an active critic of the Shah's reign and publicly denounced the government. Khomeini, who was popular in Iran as a spirtual leader, was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months. After his release in 1964, Khomeini criticised the United States government. Upon considering execution of Khomeini, the Shah was persuaded to send him into exile by General Hassan Pakravan. Khomeini was sent first to Turkey and then to Iraq. While in exile, he continued to denounce the Shah and gained more popularity among Iranians.
By the late 1970s, it became apparent that the Shah was losing his hold over the country. In 1978, when protests against his rule grew louder, he declared martial law. Despite this, on September 8, mass but peaceful protests around the country were held. This came to an abrupt end when the Shah sent in the military to suppress the demonstrations. As a result, several hundred protesters died in what many Iranians today call Black Friday, an event that destroyed any support for the Shah in the country.
1979 saw an increase in protests against both the Shah and the United States, culminating in the Iranian Revolution. The Shah fled the country again, after which Khomeini triumphantly returned from exile in France on February 1, 1979 and eventually succeeded in taking power. On February 11, Khomeini declared a provisional government and on March 30 to March 31, asked all Iranians sixteen years of age and older, male and female, to vote in a referendum on the question of establishing an Islamic republic in Iran. Over 98% voted in favour of replacing the monarchy with the newly-proposed form of government. Khomeini's new Islamic state instated conservative Islamic laws and unprecedented levels of direct clerical rule.
Iran's relations with the United States were severely strained after the revolution, especiallly when Iranian students seized US embassy personnel on November 4, 1979, labeling the embassy the "Den of Spies" and accused its personnel of being CIA agents trying to overthrow the revolutionary government. Khomeini did not stop the students from holding U.S. embassaries hostage and instead encouraged it, a move which only increased his popularity. Despite attempts made by the administration of US President Jimmy Carter at negotiation and rescuing the hostages through such methods as Operation Eagle Claw, Iran refused to release them and even threatened to put the hostages on trial for espionage. After 444 days, the hostages were finally released.
Meanwhile, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein decided to take advantage of what he perceived to be disorder in the wake of the Iranian Revolution and its unpopularity with the western governments. Of particular interest was that the once-strong Iranian military had been disbanded during the revolution. With the Shah out of power, Saddam had far-reaching ambitions to assert himself as the new strong man of the Middle East and planned a full-scale invasion of Iran, boasting that his forces could reach the capital within three days. Saddam's assault took the country completely by surprise and the destructive Iran-Iraq War called "Saddām's al-Qādisiyyah" in Iraq, and the "Imposed war" in Iran had begun.
Tens of thousands of Iranian civilians and military personnel were killed when Iraq used chemical weapons in its warfare. Iraq was financially backed by Egypt, the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, the United States (beginning in 1983), France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the People's Republic of China (which also sold weapons to Iran), the Soviet Union, and the Warsaw Pact states. All of these countries provided intelligence, chemicals for biological weapons and other assistance to the Iraqis. Iran's prinicpal allies during the war were Syria, Libya, and North Korea.
Although Saddam's forces made several early advances, the people of Iran began rallying around Khomeini as he urged all Iranians to defend their country and religion against Saddam's secular Ba'athist regime. By 1982, Iranian forces managed to push the Iraqi army back into Iraq. Khomeini refused a cease-fire from Saddam demanding huge reparation payments and an end to his rule. He also sought to export his Islamic revolution westward into Iraq, especially on the majority Shi'a Arabs living in the country. The war then continued for six more years until in 1988, Khomeini, in his words, "drank the cup of poison" and accepted a truce mediated by the United Nations. The total Iranian casualties of the war were estimated to be anywhere between 500,000 to 1,000,000. With the fall of Saddam's regime in Iraq in April 2003 and his capture in December, Iran announced it had sent its own indictment against Saddam 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.
The internal political factions are divided between conservatives who call for keeping the original ideology of revolution and reformists who want to review the old ideologies with respect to today's world. Iranian establishment's greatest pride is a claim of complete Independence, making its decisions itself without having to take "outside suggestions". 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. It is asserted by some that the US is pursuing an anti-Iran campaign in the world media in attempts to cast disfavor toward Iran, such as reporting concerns it has regarding Iran's nuclear program or support by Iran to insurgents in Iraq. [8]
Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and as such has the legal right to use and research nuclear energy for peaceful purposes [9]. Members of the UN Security Council, in particular Russia and China, oppose any military action. Significantly, Iran was recently elected vice-chair on the UN Disarmament Commission. Recently, Iran announced it is researching the construction of a P2 centrifuge, which is a more efficient technology to enrich uranium for energy.[10] Despite the U.S and Iran being at odds with each other, both governments promote exchanges between their people in numerous fields such as film, art, philosophy and astronomy.[11] [12]
Government and Politics
Template:Morepolitics Iran is a founding member of the United Nations organization and a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement.
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 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.[13] 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, Iran's legislature was bicameral with both the Majlis and a Senate; the Senate was eliminated in the 1979 constitution.
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 of 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 co-ordinating national participation in the implementation of social, economic, constructive, cultural, educational and other welfare affairs.
Human Rights
Although Iran created the first charter of human rights, today the violation of human rights by the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to be significant, despite many efforts by Iranian human right activists, writers, NGOs and some political parties. Human rights in Iran face the issues of governmental impunity, restricted freedom of speech, gender inequality and discrimination against minorities and "outsiders" amongst other issues. Despite severe national and some international criticism, the Islamic government of Iran still continues to disregard the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in several aspects. [citation needed]
Human rights in Iran can be said to derive from two elements; firstly, traditional Islam and the Sharia law allow for significant gender inequality, gay persecution, as well as other internationally criticised practices such as stoning as a method of execution. Secondly, the Iranian government itself, in its continual drive to secure its own political power base, as well as to maintain centralised control over a fragmented multi-ethnic society, disregards human rights. However, the situation of human rights under the Islamic regime is far better than in many Middle Eastern countries, where women lack the rights to vote or receive education and all media is state-run. [citation needed]
Administrative divisions
Iran is divided into 30 provinces (ostanha, sing. ostan), each governed by an appointed governor (استاندار: ostāndār). The map does not show the southern islands of Hormozgan (#20 on the map):
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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 is one of the worlds most mountanious countries, its 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 (27 in) in the eastern part of the plain and more than 1,700 mm (67 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 (5 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.
Iran's economic infrastructure has been improving steadily over the past two decades.
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 expects 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 affected by 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 3.3 million (2003 est.) 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, Armenia 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
Iran is a mosaic of ethnic minorities cemented by the Persian culture. The minorities of the country maintains its local customs and traditions, such as the Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Persian Jews and Armenians amongst many others. The latter two also reserves under Law the rights to consume alcohol in contrast to the majority of the Persian and Azeri Shia Population. The Bahai Faith is the second largest religion in Iran, but it is not recognized by the government and its followers are largely persecuted. Persians constitute the majority of the population and are the founders of Ancient Persia. The native speakers of Iranian dialects in Iran (70%) are ethnically and linguistically "Aryan", a term adopted in remote antiquity by speakers of the dialects as part of a national identity meaning noble/spiritual/elevated, as well a racial designation. The majority of the population speaks one of the Iranian languages, including the official language, Persian (Farsi). The major ethnic groups and minorities include the Persians (51-65%), Azeris (24%), Gilaki and Mazandarani (8%), Kurds (7%), Arabs (3%), Baluchi (2%), Lurs (2%), Turkmens (6%), Qashqai, Armenians, Persian Jews, Georgians, Assyrians, Circassians, Tats, Pashtuns and others (1%).[14] The number of native speakers of Persian in Iran is estimated at around 40 million.[15] However, the Iranian language and its various dialects (est.150-200 million speakers) exceeds the Iranian borders and are spoken throughout western China, southern Russia, and central Turkey.
Iran's literacy rate is 80%, with the population increasing dramatically during the latter half of the 20th century to reach about 70 million by 2006. More than 2/3 of the population are under the age of 30, 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).[16] [17] [18]
The Iranian diaspora is estimated at over three million people who emigrated to North America, Europe, South America and Australia, mostly after the Iranian revolution in 1979. 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.[19] [20] [13]
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. [14] 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." [21]
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%. [22][23] The United Nations predicts that by 2030 the urban population will form 80% of the overall population.[23] 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): [24]
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 millennium A.D. Nearly all philosophical, scientific, or literary work of the Islamic empires was written in or translated to Persian as well as Arabic. The Islamic conquest of Iran during 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, as many Persian writers, scientists, and scholars elected to write in the language of the Qur'an (Arabic) (see List of Iranian scientists and scholars). This prompted 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. 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.[25]
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, invented the wind mill and found the medical uses of alcohol.
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 chemistry, 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 field NMR facilities, as well as Microcalorimetry, Circular dichroism, and instruments for single protein channel studies have been provided in Iran during recent decades. 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.
- ^ Pyracantha, Zoroastrianism. ""The Zoroastrian way"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Special Report, New York Times. ""New worry rises after Iran claims nuclear steps"". Retrieved 2006-04-20.
- ^ ""Search for Common Ground: US-Iran"".
- ^ 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).
- ^ a b World Factbook, CIA. ""Iran"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ World Factbook, C.I.A. ""Iran - People"". Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
Further Reading
Benjamin Walker, Persian Pageant: A Cultural History of Iran, Arya Press, Cacutta, 1950.
Saeed Shirazi, A Concise History of Iran PublishAmerica, September 19, 2005 ISBN: 1413767982
External links
Government
- Official website of the President of Iran
- The blogg 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
- "What Do the Iranians Want?"
- Iran - a Christian perspective
- Encyclopædia Iranica
- Iran Nuclear Watch
- Iran Reference (Parstimes.com
- Interesting Websites about Iran (Payvand.com)
- Satellite Images of Iran]
- 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
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