Country: Iran is a country in the Middle
East. The neighboring countries of Iran are: Iraq, Turkey,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Geographically: to the north is the Caspian Sea, to the South
is the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the coast on
the other side of the Persian Gulf are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The former name of Iran was Persia. Its history goes
back quite a long way taking into consideration the Persian
Empire and its founder, Cyrus the Great. It was Cyrus who
formed an allegience with the Medes and became the king of
the Medes and Persians in the 6th century BC.
Today there are 66,429,284 people (2009) living in Iran.
Since the Iranian revolution Iran is an Islamic Republic.
The State religion of Iran is the Twelver or Imami Shia Islam,
but other religions are followed and recognised.
