Iran

A. The LAND:IRAN is a relatively flat desert country in the center,

but it is quite hilly in the north and southwest.

• Only 10% of Iran’s land is suitable for farming.

• Very little modern farming machinery is available

• Only 10% of Iran’s land is suitable for farming.

• Very little modern farming machinery is available

B. Climate Zones:

Mediterranean

Steppe

Desert

Highland

B. Climate Zones:

Mediterranean

Steppe

Desert

Highland

Land Forms:

Elburz Mnts

Iran Plateau

Zagros Mnts

Land Forms:

Elburz Mnts

Iran Plateau

Zagros Mnts

C. RELIGION: IslamIran is: Shi’ite Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%

D. ECONOMY:Most of Iran’s economy is based on the production

of oil. It has a command economy

An oil derrick in 1909, in present-day Iran, during the early days of Persian oil-field development

E. PEOPLE:• Population: 70+ million

Persian ................................... 51% Azerbaijani ...............  24%

Gilaki and Mazandarani ..........  8%   Kurd ........................ 7%

Arab ...................................... 3% Lur .......................... 2%

Baloch ................................... 2%   Turkmen .................. 2%

Ethnic Divisions

Iranian Statistics• 60% Persian, some Azeri

and Kurds• Speak Persian and Turkish

languages.• 98% Muslim with 89% being

Shiite.• Infant Mortality Rate 41.11

per 1,000• Agriculture: 10.4%,

Industry: 37.7%, Services: 51.8%

• Life Expectancy 70 years old

• Literacy rate:77% with more men than women.

CAPITAL:Tehran population:7.1 million people

Close to 71% of Iran’s total population live in urban areas.

Iran’s HistoryG. Iran’s History

Iran’s History• Iran is the former world power

empire, Persia. Iran had been a monarchy ruled by a shah, or emperor, almost without interruption from 1501 until the 1979 Iranian revolution, when Iran officially became an Islamic Republic on 1 April 1979.[7][

• This was about 3,500 years ago.

• Persians make up the majority of Iranian people.

Shahs

• Iran was ruled by kings called “Shahs”.

• Mohammed Reza Pahlavi ruled Iran from the mid 1940’s until 1979.

• He loved to collect cars and motorcycles.

• He wanted to make Iran a westernized nation.

• Some Muslims did not approve of his life style.

Shah of Iran

• He initiated the oil industry, big business, and building a strong military.

• He was accused of ruling harshly.

• In 1979 a revolution forced the shah out of Iran.

• Ayatollah Khomeini led the revolution.

• Ayatollah Khomeini was the founder and supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The only leader in the Muslim world who combined political and religious authority as a head of state, he took office in 1979.

• He became the ruler of Iran.

• Khomeini designated President Ali Khamenei to succeed him.

Iran Hostage Crisis• On November 4th 1979,

Iranian students took 63 Americans hostage from the U.S. Embassy in Iran.

• President Carter called the hostages "victims of terrorism and anarchy", adding that the "United States will not yield to blackmail.”

• 52 of the hostages were held for 444 days.

• They were finally released on January 20th, 1981.

Government of Iran

• Iran is a Theocratic Republic.

• The President of Iran is Mahmud Ahmadenijad.

• Guardian Council really controls Iran.

Iranian Government

• People can vote on a candidate that the Guardian Council approves.

• People vote on legislators.

• Legislators must be approved by the Guardian Council