Transcript Iran

Iran
A. The LAND:
IRAN is a relatively flat desert country in the center,
but it is quite hilly in the north and southwest.
• Only 10% of Iran’s land is suitable for
farming.
• Very little modern farming machinery
is available
Land Forms:
Elburz Mnts
Iran Plateau
Zagros Mnts
B. Climate Zones:
Mediterranean
Steppe
Desert
Highland
C. RELIGION: Islam
Iran is: Shi’ite Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%
D. ECONOMY:
Most of Iran’s economy is based on the production
of oil. It has a command economy
An oil derrick in 1909, in
present-day Iran, during
the early days of Persian
oil-field development
E. PEOPLE:
• Population: 70+ million
Persian ...................................
51%
Azerbaijani ...............
24%
Ethnic Divisions
Gilaki and Mazandarani ..........
8%
Kurd ........................
7%
Arab ......................................
3%
Lur ..........................
2%
Baloch ...................................
2%
Turkmen ..................
2%
Iranian Statistics
• 60% Persian, some Azeri
and Kurds
• Speak Persian and Turkish
languages.
• 98% Muslim with 89% being
Shiite.
• Infant Mortality Rate 41.11
per 1,000
• Agriculture: 10.4%,
Industry: 37.7%, Services:
51.8%
• Life Expectancy 70
years old
• Literacy rate:77% with
more men than
women.
CAPITAL:
Tehran population:
7.1 million people
Close to 71% of
Iran’s total
population live in
urban areas.
G. Iran’s
Iran’s History
History
Iran’s HIstory
• Iran is the former world power
empire, Persia. Iran had been a
monarchy ruled by a shah, or
emperor, almost without
interruption from 1501 until
the 1979 Iranian revolution,
when Iran officially became an
Islamic Republic on 1 April
1979.[7][
• This was about 3,500 years
ago.
• Persians make up the majority
of Iranian people.
Shahs
• Iran was ruled by kings
called “Shahs”.
• Mohammed Reza
Pahlavi ruled Iran from
the mid 1940’s until
1979.
• He loved to collect cars
and motorcycles.
• He wanted to make Iran
a westernized nation.
• Some Muslims did not
approve of his life style.
Shah of Iran
• He initiated the oil
industry, big
business, and
building a strong
military.
• He was accused of
ruling harshly.
• In 1979 a revolution
forced the shah out of
Iran.
• Ayatollah Khomeini led
the revolution.
• Ayatollah Khomeini was
the founder and supreme
leader of the Islamic
Republic of Iran. The only
leader in the Muslim
world who combined
political and religious
authority as a head of
state, he took office in
1979.
• He became the ruler of
Iran.
• Khomeini designated
President Ali Khamenei to
succeed him.
Iran Hostage Crisis
• On November 4th 1979,
Iranian students took 63
Americans hostage from the
U.S. Embassy in Iran.
• President Carter called the
hostages "victims of
terrorism and anarchy",
adding that the "United
States will not yield to
blackmail.”
• 52 of the hostages were
held for 444 days.
• They were finally
released on January
20th, 1981.
Government of Iran
• Iran is a Theocratic
Republic.
• The President of Iran
is Mahmud
Ahmadenijad.
• Guardian Council
really controls Iran.
Iranian Government
• People can vote on a
candidate that the
Guardian Council
approves.
• People vote on
legislators.
• Legislators must be
approved by the
Guardian Council