Iran lifts ban on WhatsApp and Google Play
Iranian authorities have lifted a ban on Meta's instant messaging platform WhatsApp and Google Play… Read More
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Iran
Iran was known as the Persian Empire. The first great dynasty in Iran was the Achaemenid which ruled from 550 to 330 BC. It was founded by Cyrus the Great. This period was followed by the conquest of Alexander the Great from Greece and the Hellenistic period. In the wake of Alexander’s conquests, the Parthian dynasty ruled for nearly 500 years followed by the Sassanian dynasty until 661 AD.
Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the more formidable powers in the Middle East region—a land where lyrical Persian poetry vies with strict interpretations of Islam for the soul of a people.
Not surprisingly in such an ethnically diverse nation, Iranians speak dozens of different languages and dialects. The official language is Persian (Farsi), which is part of the Indo-European language family.
Along with the closely related Luri, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Farsi is the native tongue of 58% of Iranians. Azeri and other Turkic languages account for 26%; Kurdish, 9%; and languages like Balochi and Arabic make up about 1% each.
Iran’s majority centrally-planned economy depends upon oil and gas exports for between 50 and 70% of its revenue. The per capita GDP is a robust $12,800 US, but 18% of Iranians live below the poverty line and 20% are unemployed.
Iran has long borders in common with Iraq. Iran defended itself against Iraqi invasion in 1980, a war that lasted till eight years. Many Arab countries including Americans have provided weapon support to Iran for its defense.
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