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Islamic Republic of Iran
جمهوری اسلامی ایران
Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān

Flag Flag EmblemEmblem
Motto: استقلال. آزادی. جمهوری اسلامی
Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic
Capital (and largest city): Tehran, 35°41′N 51°25′E
Official language: Persian
Spoken languages: Armenian, Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Azeri, Kurdish, Luri, Balochi, Gilaki, Arabic, Turkmen
Demonym: Iranian
Government Islamic republic: - Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, - First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, - Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani, - Chief Justice Sadegh Larijani
Legislature Consultative Assembly
Unification[1]: - Median Empire 625 BC, - Safavid Empire 1501[2], - Islamic Republic 1 April 1979, - Current constitution 24 October 1979
Area: - Total 1,648,195 km2 (18th), 636,372 sq mi, - Water (%) 0.7
Population, - 2011 estimate 75,330,000[3] (17th), - 2010 census 74,700,000, - Density 45/km2 (163rd), 116.6/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate: - Total $818.653 billion[4], - Per capita $10,864[4] 
GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate: - Total $357.221 billion[4], - Per capita $4,740[4] 
Gini (2008) 38[5] (medium)
HDI (2010) increase 0.702[6] (high) (70th)
Currency Rial (﷼) (IRR)
Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30): - Summer (DST) Iran Daylight Time (IRDT) (UTC+4:30)
Drives on the right
ISO 3166 code: IR
Internet TLD: .ir, ایران.
Calling code: 98
1 Bookrags.com 2 Iranchamber.com 3 Statistical Center of Iran. "جمعيت و متوسط رشد سالانه" (in Persian). Retrieved 2009-02-13. 4 CIA Factbook

 

Tehran
Tehran

Name

The name of Iran (ایران) is the Modern Persian derivative from the Proto-Iranian term Aryānā,, meaning "Land of the Aryans", first attested in Zoroastrianism's Avesta tradition.[7][8][9][10] The term Ērān is found to refer to Iran in a 3rd century Sassanid inscription, and the Parthian inscription that accompanies it uses the Parthian term "aryān" in reference to Iranians.[11] However historically Iran has been referred to as Persia or similar (La Perse, Persien, Perzië, etc.) by the Western world, mainly due to the writings of Greek historians who called Iran Persēs (Πέρσης), meaning land of the Persians. In 1935 Reza Shah requested that the international community should refer to the country as Iran. Opposition to the name change led to the reversal of the decision, and in 1959 both names were to be used interchangeably.[12] Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979 the official name of the country has been the "Islamic Republic of Iran."

References

  1. ^ a b c d Encyclopædia Britannica. "Encyclopædia Britannica Encyclopedia Article: Media ancient region, Iran". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  2. ^ a b Andrew J. Newman, Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire, I. B. Tauris (30 March 2006)
  3. ^ Official Iranian Population clock
  4. ^ a b c d "Iran". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  5. ^ CBI: Economic Trends 2008/2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Human Development Report 2010". United Nations. 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  7. ^ hinduwebsite.com, "The Concepts of Hinduism — Arya". Retrieved 1 October 2007.
  8. ^ LSS.wis.edu, "Iranian Languages", Political, Social, Scientific, Literary & Artistic (Monthly) October 2000, No. 171, Dr. Suzan Kaviri, pp. 26–7retrieved 1 October 2007
  9. ^ About.com, "Iran — The Ancient Name of Iran", N.S. Gill. Retrieved 1 October 2007.
  10. ^ Bailey, Harold Walter (1987). "Arya". Encyclopedia Iranica. 2. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 681–683.
  11. ^ MacKenzie, David Niel (1998). "Ērān, Ērānšahr". Encyclopedia Iranica. 8. Costa Mesa: Mazda.
  12. ^ "Renaming Persia". persiansarenotarabs.com. 2007. Retrieved 26 Apr 2011.

Further reading

  • A. Christian Van Gorder. Christianity in Persia and the Status of Non-Muslims in Iran (Lexington Books; 2010) 329 pages. Traces the role of Persians in Persia and later Iran since ancient times, with additional discussion of other non-Muslim groups.
  • Benjamin Walker, Persian Pageant: A Cultural History of Iran, Arya Press, Calcutta, 1950.
  • A. Khanbaghi. The Fire, the Star and the Cross: Minority Religions in Medieval and Early Modern Iran (IB Tauris; 2006) 268 pages. Social, political and cultural history of religious minorities in Iran, c. 226-1722 AD.

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