Full Name: The Islamic Republic of Iran.
Former names: Persia, Perse, Pars
Area: 1.648.195 Kms (16th largest country in the world)
Population: About 70 million
Capital: Tehran
Bordered by: Iraq and Turkey on the west. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Caspian Sea on the North. Afghanistan and Pakistan on the east. The Persian Gulf and Oman Sea on the south.
Ethnic Groups: Persian, Azari, Arab, Lor, Turkmen, and Kurdish.
Language: Persian (Farsi)
Religion: Islam
Government: Islamic Republic
Iran is situated southwestern Asia, located on the eastern side of the Persian Gulf. It lies at the easternmost edge of the geographic and cultural region known as the Middle East.
More than half of Iran's international border of 4,430 km is coastline, including 740 km along the Caspian Sea in the north and 1,700 km along the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea in the south. Bandar-e-Abbas is the largest harbor in the south of Iran located on the Strait of Hormoz, the narrow passage separating the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea through which tens of oil tankers are heading for various destinations in different corners of the world every day.
Iran is one of the few countries that have beautiful four seasons. In any time of year, in each part of country, one of the four seasons is visible. Iran's variety in terms of temperature, humidity and rainfall differs from region to region and season to season. Time span of the seasons differs in different areas. Mostly people prefer travel to Iran due to its climatic conditions.
Iran is one of the world's most mountainous areas. It contains two major mountains, 1st is called Alborz with the highest peak in Asia west of the Himalayas, Damavand (5671 m above sea level) and the 2nd one is called Zagros that cuts across the country for more than 1,600 km extending from north west to the south east of the country.
This country is located at a high-altitude plateau covered by connected ranges of mountains. The well-known deserts of Iran are at two major regions: 1) Dasht-e-Kavir, and 2) Kavir-e-Lut. They are both some of the most arid and maybe hottest areas of their kinds in the world. There are many Iran tour guide that helps tourist to visit beautiful historical places of Iran.
Iran has a large number of rivers connected together and all remain filled almost all the year. Some permanent rivers run from the Alborz or the Zagros to the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. Some temporary rivers either run into a body of water or get dried before reaching any watershed.
There are permanent and temporary lakes in Iran depending on the amount of water in them in different seasons. Such as Uromiyeh Lake, Zaribar Lake, Hamun Lake, Parishan Lake and Maharlu Lake
Iran is not blessed with one of the world's loveliest capitals. Pollution, chronic overcrowding and a lack of responsible planning have all helped to make Tehran a metropolis that even the most effusive travel agent would have difficulty praising. If you're expecting an exotic crossroads steeped in oriental splendor, you'll be sadly disappointed. The distances are vast, the traffic is shockingly bad and the main sights are spread out. However, the hotels are good, the variety of restaurants is impressive, the facilities are far ahead of those anywhere in the provinces and the Tehrani's are friendly. The major attraction for visitors is the city's excellent museums.
Human settlement of the region dates back to Neolithic times, but the development of Tehran was very slow and its rise to prominence largely accidental. From the mid-16th century, Tehran's attractive natural setting and good hunting brought it into the favor of the Safavid kings. It developed from a moderately prosperous trading village into an elegant, if dusty, city. European visitors wrote of its many enchanting vineyards and gardens. In 1789, Agha Muhammed Khan declared Tehran his capital, and six years later had himself crowned as Shah of all Persia. The town continued to grow slowly under later Ghajar rulers. From the early 1920s, the city was extensively modernized on a grid system, and this period marked the start of phenomenal population growth and uncontrolled urban development that continues to this day. Today Tehran is so vast that getting hopelessly lost at least once is a near certainty .If you would like to see the landmarks, the Alborz mountains, known as the 'North Star' of Tehran, are to the north; as the huge telephone office at Imam Khomeini Square dominates inner southern Tehran. The National Museum of Iran houses a marvelous collection including ceramics, stone figures and carvings dating back to the 5th millennium BC. Many of the relics are taken from excavations at Persepolis, Shush, Rey and Turang Tappé These places could probably mean more to you, if you come here after you've visited the archaeological sites. The Glass & Ceramics Museum is one of the most impressive in Tehran, not only for its professionally organized exhibitions, but also for the building itself. The Reza Abbasids Museum, another stunner, contains examples of Islamic painting, pottery and jeweler. The National Palace (White) Museum used to be the last Shah's palace and is now a complex of museums. Tehran's best non-museum sight is the so big haphazard bazaar, it's practically a separate city. Also worth a look are the busy imam Khomeini Mosque, the Armenian Serkis Cathedral, and the city's parks and gardens. Just about every cheap place to stay in Tehran is in the southern part of the city, within about 1km radius of imam Khomeini Square. This is also the place to look for a good kebab. Four and five-star hotels are scattered through the city, most of them hopelessly inconvenient if you're hoping to use public transport. The airport is about 10km (6mi) south-west of central Tehran.
The cool blue mosaics of Isfahan's Islamic buildings, and the city's majestic bridges contrast perfectly with the hot, dry Iranian countryside around it. Isfahan is a sight you won't forget. Not only is the architecture superb and the climate pleasant, but also there's a fairly relaxed atmosphere here, compared with many other Iranian towns. It's a city for walking, getting lost in the bazaar, dozing in beautiful gardens and meeting people.
The famous half-rhyme Isfahan nesf-é jahan (Isfahan is half the world) was coined in the 16th century to express the city's grandeur. There's so much to see that you'll probably have to ration your time and concentrate on must-sees such as the imam Mosque, a magnificent building completely covered in Seaman's trademark pale blue mosaics; imam Khomeini Square, one of the largest town squares in the world; the Chehel Sotun Museum & Park, a marvelous 17th century pavilion and a great place for a picnic; and the Van Cathedral, the historic focal point of the Armenian church in Iran. Taking tea in one of the teahouses under the bridges is also an essential part of the Isfahan experience.
Isfahan is about 400km (250mi) south of Tehran. Several flights make the trip daily. There are buses, usually overnight, to Tehran, Shiraz and other domestic cities, as well as to Istanbul. The express train between Isfahan and Tehran might be a preferable alternative to sitting all night on the bus.
In northwest Iran near the Turkish border this ancient capital of Armenia (founded in the 3rd century BC) is now a sprawling industrial city surrounded by mountains. Famed for its calligraphy and bookmaking in the 13th century Tabriz was well placed on trade routes and played an important role in Iran's history.
The city (pop. 1 089 000) is home to the Azeri Turks, Iran's largest minority group. While there visit the ruined 14th-century Ali Shah Mosque (its walls are 85 ft. /26 m high) the 13th-century Blue Mosque (beautiful mosaic works) and the Jame Mosque. In the nearby city of Ardabil (pop. 150 000) lies the Shaikh Safi Tomb where the world's most valuable carpet was discovered (it's now in London's Victoria and Albert Museum). Huge Daryacheh ye Oroumieh (Lake Uremia) which lies west of Tabriz is noted for its healing salt water and medicinal mud. A full day is needed to see Tabriz. 465 mil /750 km from Tehran.
Shiraz was one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and was the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty (1747-79), when many of its most beautiful buildings were built or restored. Through its many artists and scholars, Shiraz has been synonymous with learning, nightingales, poetry, and roses and also wine! Today Shiraz is a relaxed, cultivated city, with wide tree-lined avenues and abundant monuments, gardens and mosques to keep most visitors happy for several days. The university here is one of Iran's finest, and you'll come across lots of students eager to speak English.
Highlights include the restful mausoleum and garden of Hafez, a celebrated poet; the Aliebnehamze mausoleum, an important Shiite place of pilgrimage which attracts hordes of supplicants; the Pars Museum, which contains Zand dynasty relics; and the delightful Eram garden, where the 19th century Ghajar palace lies alongside a pretty pool. There are plenty of hotels to suit all budgets and tastes in Shiraz, most of them clustered near Zand, the main boulevard. This is also the area to nose out a good feed, from inexpensive kebabs and burgers to more swanky sit-down affairs. Shiraz is nearly 900km (560mi) south of Tehran. It's a great place to start or finish your trip to Iran and is well serviced by international and domestic flights. The airport lies 8km (5mi) south-east of the city Centre. Buses run from Shiraz to Tehran and other major towns; shared taxis run occasionally to Isfahan.
Afif abad garden , Eram (Paradise) garden , Delgosha garden , Jahan Nama garden
The tombs of famous men and poets :
Hafiz tomb , Khajoo Kermani tomb , Sadi tomb , Mahregi tomb , Shaikh kabir tomb , Vasaf tomb , Shaikh Roozbehan tomb , Sibouyeh tomb
With a beautiful silvery beach, clear water, abundant date palms and acacia trees, Kish is a visual treat for everybody. This oblong Island , about eight by four miles, gained a deservedly great importance in 12 A.D. when it replaced its more ancient rival Siarf which at that time was destroyed because of the horrible earthquake.
Hormozgan province in the south of Iran , with an area about 68,472 sq. kilometers, is located between 25º , 24' to 28º, 57' northing latitude and 35º,41' to 59º,15' of easting longitude. This province is bounded on major part of the north and northeast by Kerman province and on the west and northwest by Fars & Boushehr provinces and on the east by Sistan & Balouchestan province and on the south by the azure waters of Persian Gulf and Oman sea.
This province is known as one of the hot and dry regions in Iran and has a desert and semi-desert climate. The coasts of Oman sea and Persian Gulf have insular & desert climate. This major products of the province, in addition to dates, bananas and kinds if citrus fruits, consist of summer crops which cover about 43,000 hectares,say,40% of the total arable lands of the province; the rest of the products have a secondary importance such as henna, tobacco, alfalfa, mango, cereals and potato.
The official language of Iran is Persian (Farsi). Persian is a West Iranian language of the Indo-European family of languages and is spoken in those parts of Iran where the Fars people, Persians, dwell, as well as in the Republic of Tajikistan. Tehran, Isfahan, Fars, Khorasan, Kerman and Yazd are some of the provinces inhabited by the Persians. There are a number of other national and ethnic groups living in various parts of Iran. According to the 2011 population census the population of Iran was 75 million, a fourfold increase since 1956. Between 1976 and 1986, an average annual population growth of almost 4% was reached, but due to decreasing fertility levels the growth decreased to 1.3% between 2006 and 2011.
The economy of Iran is a mixed and transition economy with a large public sector. Some 60% of the economy is centrally planned. It is dominated by oil and gas production, although over 40 industries are directly involved in the Tehran Stock Exchange, one of the best performing exchanges in the world over the past decade.With 10% of the world's proven oil reserves and 15% of its gas reserves, Iran is considered an "energy superpower" It is the world's eighteenth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) and twenty-nine by nominal gross domestic product. The country is a member of eleven because of its high development potential a unique feature of Iran's economy is the presence of large religious foundations called Bonyad, whose combined budgets represent more than 30% of central government spending
Iran is a founding member of OPEC and the Organization of Gas Exporting Countries. Petroleum constitutes 80% of Iran's exports with a value of $46.9 billion in 2006. For the first time, the value of Iran's non-oil exports is expected to reach the value of imports at $43 billion in 2011.Pistachios, liquefied propane, methanol (methyl alcohol), hand-woven carpets and automobiles are the major non-oil exports.Copper, cement, leather, textiles, fruits, saffron and caviar are also export items of Iran. Technical and engineering service exports in 2007–08 were $2.7 billion of which 40% of technical services went to Central Asia and the Caucasus, 30% ($350 million) to Iraq, and close to 20% ($205 million) to Africa. Iranian firms have developed energy, pipelines, irrigation, dams and power generation in different countries.The country has made non-oil exports a priority by expanding its broad industrial base, educated and motivated workforce and favorable location, which gives it proximity to an estimated market of some 300 million people in Caspian, Persian Gulf and some ECO countries further east. Total import volume rose by 189% from $13.7 billion in 2000 to $39.7 billion in 2005 and $55.189 billion in 2009. Iran's major commercial partners are China, India, Germany, South Korea, Japan, France, Russia and Italy. From 1950 until 1978, the United States was Iran's foremost economic and military partner, playing a major role in infrastructure and industry modernization. It is reported that around 80% of machinery and equipment in Iran is of German origin. Since the mid-1990s, Iran has increased its economic cooperation withother developing countries in "south-south integration" including Syria, India, China, South Africa, Cuba and Venezuela. Iran's trade with India passed $13 billion in 2007, an 80% increase within a year. Iran is expanding its trade ties with Turkey and Pakistan and shares with its partners the common objective to create a common market in West and Central Asia through ECO. Since 2003, Iran has increased investment in neighboring countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In Dubai, UAE, it is estimated that Iranian expatriates handle over 20% of its domestic economy and account for an equal proportion of its population