When you’re American, your knowledge of this place tends to be limited: the Iran hostage crisis, the Iran-Contra affair, something about nuclear weapons, and maybe that one kebab place you go to a little too much. So here are 10 facts about Iran to make you sound all cultured in between setting your fantasy football lineup.
1
The population of Iran is around 89 million, making it the 17th-most populated country in the world. The capital city of Tehran boasts a metropolitan population of around 16 million, good for number one in the country and number two in the Middle East behind Cairo.
2
Iran shares land borders with Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan and has a healthy dose of coastline on the Caspian Sea in the north and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman in the south. Here’s a map.
3
Iran has the 42nd-largest nominal GDP—19th when adjusted for purchasing power parity—in the world. On a per-capita basis, these rankings drop to 120 and 79, respectively. As a founding member of OPEC, a big part of the economic scene revolves around oil and gas.
4
The official language of Iran is Persian, also known as Farsi, an Indo-European language that has nothing to do with Arabic aside from having accepted many Arabic loan words over the years. The variety of Persian spoken in Afghanistan is known as Dari, and that spoken in Tajikistan is known as Tajik.
5
Iran has a diverse array of ethnic groups, with the largest obviously being the Persians. Sizable minorities include the Azerbaijanis (concentrated near the border with Azerbaijan) and the Kurds (a nationless group concentrated in a region that spans parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey).
6
As outlined eloquently in Histories of Nations, the history of Iran is long and convoluted, characterized by expansions, contractions, and the absorption of all sorts of cultural influences. Some very brief highlights include:
- An empire.
- The interruption of the above by Alexander the Great, who brought Greek rule.
- Another empire, one which made Zoroastrianism the state religion.
- The arrival of Islam courtesy the Arab invasion. Many remaining Zoroastrians were displaced to India, where they were called Parsis and became part of the future Indian diaspora. They had the last laugh when one of their own—Freddy Mercury—became the frontman of Queen.
- Various invasions by Turkic nomadic groups.
- A Mongol invasion.
- All sorts of other stuff.
- The rise of the pro-Western Pahlavi dynasty in the 20th century. The Western world was asked to drop the name of Persia and instead use the endonym of Iran, highlighting the region’s Aryan origins. By 1979, the short-lived dynasty was overthrown (see below).
7
The 1979 Revolution—later known as the Islamic Revolution—resulted in the current Islamic Republic, headed by a supreme leader with the title of Ayatollah. That title is specific to Shia Islam, the dominant sect of Islam in Iran, lying in contrast to the Sunni Islam that predominates in much of the Muslim world, with the rift dating back to the choice of the prophet Muhammad’s successor. The Iranian regime has been described as authoritarian, dismissive of human rights, and friendly to various terrorist organizations, generally serving as a thorn in America’s side, starting with the aforementioned hostage crisis. In fact, the US actually supported Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s!
8
Other adversaries besides the US include Saudi Arabia—a largely Arab and Sunni Muslim country—and Israel. Iranian threats regarding its nuclear ambitions have earned harsh and at times crippling international sanctions. In fairness, the country is not particularly enamored with the American military presence throughout the Persian Gulf region.
9
A look at demographics reveals one of the rather striking facts about Iran—over 60 percent of its population is under 30 years old. This group is generally more concerned about employment and engaging with modernity than upholding what are deemed to be outdated traditions.
10
Given its lengthy and complex history, Iran is a gold mine when it comes to poetry, literature, art, and architecture. In modern times, Persian rugs continue to capture the imagination of the rug-loving types, while other popular exports include pistachios and world-renowned caviar. And in regards to music, the blend of old and new has given birth to some gems.
And on that note, a kebab does sound good right about now.
