Islamic Republic of Iran

Islamic Republic of Iran
SVG file: SiBr4Designer: Hamid NadimiConstruction: ISIRI · Public domain · source
Conventional long name	Islamic Republic of Iran
Common name	Iran
Capital	Tehran
Largest city	Tehran
Official languages	Persian (official)
Government type	Islamic republic
Leader title1	Supreme Leader
Leader name1	Ali Khamenei
Leader title2	President
Leader name2	Ebrahim Raisi
Legislature	Islamic Consultative Assembly (unicameral)
Area km2	1648195
Population estimate	88,000,000
Currency	rial
Calling code	+98
Time zone	Iran Standard Time (UTC+3:30)

Islamic Republic of Iran is a transcontinental country in Western Asia and the Middle East centered on the Persian Empire, the Zagros Mountains, and the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf littoral. Established after the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and formalized by the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran later that year, it succeeded the Pahlavi dynasty and engaged with actors such as the United States, Soviet Union, and European Union during the Iran–Iraq War and the Iran nuclear program negotiations. The state is shaped by institutions including the Guardian Council, the Assembly of Experts, and the Supreme Leader post, and participates in regional affairs involving Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Iraq.

History

The territory now organized under this state was central to successive Persian polities such as the Achaemenid Empire, the Parthian Empire, and the Sasanian Empire, and later experienced the Islamic conquest of Persia and the rise of dynasties like the Safavid dynasty, which established Twelver Islam as state religion, the Qajar dynasty, and the Pahlavi dynasty. In the 20th century, events including the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran (1941), the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, and growing opposition to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi culminated in the 1979 Iranian Revolution led by Ruhollah Khomeini, the adoption of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the declaration of the republic. The nascent state fought the Iran–Iraq War against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, confronted incidents like the Iran–Contra affair, negotiated over the Iran nuclear program with the P5+1, and endured protests such as the 1999 Iranian student protests and the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests.

Politics and Government

Political authority rests in institutions derived from the 1979 constitution, notably the office of the Supreme Leader, the President of Iran, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Guardian Council, the Expediency Discernment Council, and the Assembly of Experts. Electoral contests feature political currents associated with figures and factions such as Ali Khamenei, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hassan Rouhani, and Ebrahim Raisi and intersect with organizations like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran). Foreign policy has involved diplomacy and tensions with United States–Iran relations, engagement with the European Union, membership in the United Nations, negotiations over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and disputes with Israel–Iran relations and Saudi–Iran relations.

Geography and Environment

The country spans diverse ecoregions including the Zagros Mountains, the Alborz, the Dasht-e Kavir, and the Dasht-e Lut, with coastlines on the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Major urban centers include Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, and Tabriz. Natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, and significant mineral deposits exploited by entities like the National Iranian Oil Company and subject to environmental challenges such as desertification, water scarcity, and pollution heightened in cities like Ahvaz. Conservation efforts reference sites registered with UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Persepolis and Golestan National Park.

Economy

The economy is resource-rich, with large reserves of crude oil and natural gas and institutions including the National Iranian Oil Company and the National Iranian Gas Company, while sectors involve petrochemicals, automotive industry in Iran, and mining in Iran. Economic policy and performance have been shaped by events such as international sanctions against Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, state-owned firms, and reform initiatives under administrations of presidents like Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Hassan Rouhani. Financial mechanisms include the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran and currency issues involving the Iranian rial, with external trade partners spanning China–Iran relations, India–Iran relations, Turkey–Iran relations, and the European Union–Iran relations.

Society and Demographics

Population centers cluster in provinces such as Tehran Province, Fars Province, Isfahan Province, and Razavi Khorasan Province and encompass ethnic groups including Persians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Lurs, Baloch people, and Arabs in Iran. Languages include Persian, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, and Balochi; religious communities include followers of Twelver Shia Islam, Sunni Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Social developments have been marked by movements such as the Women's rights movement in Iran, youth activism seen during the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests and the 2017–2018 Iranian protests, and public health initiatives involving the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (Iran) and institutions like Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

Culture and Religion

Cultural heritage draws from Persian literature exemplified by Hafez, Rumi, Omar Khayyam, and Ferdowsi and architectural landmarks such as Isfahan, Persepolis, and Soltaniyeh. Religious life centers on Twelver Shia Islam with ritual and educational institutions including Hawza seminaries and commemorations like Ashura and Nowruz festivities rooted in pre-Islamic tradition. Arts encompass Persian miniature painting, carpet weaving noted in Tabriz rugs and Qom rugs, cinema represented by filmmakers such as Abbas Kiarostami and Asghar Farhadi, and contemporary literature promoted by publishers and cultural organizations linked to Tehran and Academy of Persian Language and Literature.

Category:Countries in Asia