IRANMore about Iran Information about travelling to IranIran is located in Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan |
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Facts about Iran
General info about Iran
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts. US-Iranian relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987 and 1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US and UN economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism and conventional weapons proliferation. Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and similarly a reformer Majles (parliament) in 2000, a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians, through the control of unelected institutions, prevented reform measures from being enacted and increased repressive measures. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004, conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions, which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. In December 2006 and March 2007, the international community passed resolutions 1737 and 1747 respectively after Iran failed to comply with UN demands to halt the enrichment of uranium or to agree to full IAEA oversight of its nuclear program. In October 2007, Iranian entities were also subject to US sanctions under EO 13382 designations for proliferation activities and EO 13224 designations for providing material support to the Taliban and other terrorist organizations.
Disease threats degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
Languages spoken Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% What about drugs? despite substantial interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border with Afghanistan, Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world, and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence Ethnic division Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% HIV/AIDS prevalence rate 0.2% (2005 est.) Climate mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast Resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur Economy Iran's economy is marked by an inefficient state sector, reliance on the oil sector (which provides 85% of government revenues), and statist policies that create major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale workshops, farming, and services. President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD has proposed reforms to Iran's system of of price controls and subsidies, particularly on food and energy, but the government's attempt to impose a Value-Added Tax (VAT) was abandoned after widespread protests. Administrative controls, widespread corruption, and other rigidities undermine the potential for private-sector-led growth. As a result of these inefficiencies, significant informal market activity flourishes and shortages are common. The recent drop in oil prices will be the most significant impact of the global financial crisis on Iran, but high oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass nearly $70 billion in foreign exchange reserves. Iranians continue to suffer from double-digit unemployment and inflation - inflation climbed to 26% as of June 2008. The economy has seen only moderate growth. Iran's educated population, economic inefficiency and insufficient investment - both foreign and domestic - have prompted an increasing number of Iranians to seek employment overseas, resulting in significant "brain drain." Environment air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization Cities in Iranabadan abadeh abdanan abhar abyek agha jari ahar ahvaz akbarabad alashtar aligudarz alvand amir kala amol arak ardabil ardakan ardistan asadabad ashtian astaneh-ye ashrafiyeh astara azad shahr azna babol babol sar bafq baft bahar bam bandar-e anzali bandar-e lengeh bandar-e torkaman baneh bardsir behbahan behshahr bijar birjand bojnurd bonab borazjan borujan borujerd bukan bushehr chabahar chalus chenaran damavand damghan darab deh dasht dehloran delijan dezful do gonbadan dowlatabad eqbaliyeh esfahan esfarayen eslamshahr falavarjan faridan fariman farrokhshahr farsan fasa fereydun kenar fereydunshahr firuzabad garmi garmsar gerash golpayegan gonabad gonbad-e qabus gorgan hamadan harsin hashtgerd hashtrud hendijan ilam iranshahr jahrom javanrud jiroft juybar kalaleh kamyaran kangavar karaj kashmar kazerun kelishad kerman kermanshah khalkhal khash khomeyn khomeynishahr khonsar khormuj khorramabad khorramshahr khoy kuhdasht lahijan langarud lar mahabad maku malard maragheh marand marivan marv dasht mashhad masjed-e soleyman mehran mehriz meybod miandoab mianeh minab minudasht nahavand najafabad naqadeh neka neyriz neyshabur nur nurabad omidiyeh orumiyeh oshnaviyeh parsabad paveh pishva qarchak qazvin qeshm qom qorveh quchan rafsanjan ramhormoz ramsar ramshir rasht ravar rehnan robat karim rudbar rudsar sabzevar salmas sanandaj saqqez sarab sarakhs sari saveh semirom semnan shadegan shahr-e babak shahr-e kord shahreza shahriyar shahrud shiraz shirvan shush shushtar sirjan sonqor susangerd tabas tabriz tafresh taft takab takestan talesh taybad tehran tonekabon torbat-e jam tuysarkan varamin yazd zabol zahedan zanjan zarand |
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The Cheers Travel World / Iran travel