Iran
From Metapedia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, formerly known internationally as Persia, is a Southwest Asian country located in the geographical territories of the Middle East, Southern Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Shi'a Islam is the state religion and Persian the official language.
The 18th largest country in the world in terms of area at 1,648,000 square kilometers, Iran is about the size of United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany combined. It has a population of over seventy million people.
Iran borders Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan to the north; Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east; and Turkey and Iraq to the west. In addition, it borders the Persian Gulf, an important oil-producing area, Gulf of Oman, and the Caspian Sea. Because of its geographically central location it also has a proximity to Europe, Africa, South and Central Asia and is therefore considered to be of geographical importance.
The political system of Iran comprises several intricately connected governing bodies. It is based on the 1979 Constitution. The highest state authority is the Supreme Leader, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran is one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BCE, making it a possible candidate for the earliest human civilization. Throughout history Iran has been of geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia.
It occupies an important position in international energy security and world economy due to its large reserves of petroleum and natural gas. The country is known for its independent stances in the global arena. Iran is currently a regional power. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan, and literally means "Land of the Aryans".
