Iran

= I r a n =

Iran is the second largest country in the southeast. It has a recorded history of 5,000 years, dating back to when it was known as Persia. This was until 1935, when it became the islamic republic. It was under the radar until 1979, when Iranian students captured the Us Embassy in Tehran. Another event that made it known was it's brutal eight year war with iraq, which ended in a stalemate. Along with their ever-changing history, they also have a flag that is being constantly remade.



The flag is mad of three horizontal bands of red, white and green with the national emblem in the middle. The white band symbolizes honesty and peace, red stands for bravery and martyrdom, and green is the color of islam and it symbolizes growth. The inscription that borders the green and red bands is "Allah akbar" (God is great) over and over again. The sign in the middle is a stylized version of their god, it is in the shape of a tulip which stands for martyrdom.

= Geography =

Iran is located in the middle east, right between Iraq and Pakistan. Iran is usually arid towards the middle, but as you reach the coastline it becomes subtropical. Iran is smaller than most countries, being slightly smaller than alaska, and is bordered by the Persian and Oman Gulf and the Caspian sea. This country is plagued with natural disasters such as droughts, floods, dust storms, sandstorms, and earthquakes. Other problems in the environment are more subtle, like air pollution and deforestation, desertification and damage from drought, and oil pollution everywhere. Fortunately the government has noticed these more controllable problems and are working to resolve them.

= Economy =

Iran's economy isn't doing to well because of its dependance on oil. They don't usually get money any other way other than small, controlled shops, which are plagued with a rigid price control system. Other than oil they usually export chemical and petrochemical products as well as natural products like fruit, nuts, and woven carpets. This countries labor force is mostly occupied by providing services, the second and third being industry and agriculture.



= Culture =

Most of the population is Persian, both descendant and by language. Their population is mostly Muslim, which is the official religion because it makes up for 98% of the Iranian population. The government is a theocracy, which is a government ruled by its religious leaders. Currently there is dispute about changing the type of government to a democracy, but so far there has been little progress locally. Iran's national holiday is its independence day on the first of April 1979. This holiday is celebrated as Republic day and is had by almost every Iranian citizen. Even they had patty cake. And nice hats.