Iran

Whether under its ancient name of Persia or its modern name of Iran, the vast country that sprawls between Turkey and Iraq in the west and Pakistan and Afghanistan in the east has a rich culture with a history of over 2500 years. It is the land of the great poets like Hafez and Ferdousi. The glorious period of Persian history began with the Achaemenid dynasty founded by Cyrus and set in Persepolis. Mashad, Shiraz, Isfahan display the exquisite monuments with impressive mosaics, the mosques with their turquoise domes, the slim minarets, the tombs glorifying the great people, mausoleums with elegant tile work and palaces with beautiful gardens. Tehran has a world-class array of museums where you can examine some of the finest Persian carpets ever made and the treasures of dynasties from the Achaemenids to the Pahlavis.

Iran is famous with its wonderful carpets, jewelry, Saffron, delicious fruits and Pistachios.

Iran covers 636,300 square miles (1,648,000 square kilometers) in southwestern Asia. Its population is 67,503,205. It shares borders with Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. More than 30 percent of its 4,770 miles (7,680 km) boundary is seacoast. The capital is Tehran.

Iran, a Middle Eastern country south of the Caspian Sea and north of the Persian Gulf, is three times the size of Arizona. Among Middle Eastern countries, Iran is unique in many ways. Its official language is Farsi (Persian).

Iran has played an important role in the Middle East, as an imperial power and as a factor in rivalries between East and West. Its strategic position and its vast resources, including petroleum and natural gas, make it a nation to be reckoned with in the modern world.

The Alborz Mountains in the north rise to 18,603 ft (5,670 m) at Mount Damavand. From northwest to southeast, the country is crossed by a desert 800 miles (1,287 km) long.