The Flag of Iran

The flag of Iran was officially adopted on July 29, 1980. The colors of the flag date to the mid-18th century; green represents Islam; white represents peace, and red means courage. The centered symbol is said to symbolize the five principles of Islam. According to sources, the white stylized script on the red and green panels, repeated 22 times, is the Islamic phrase Allahu Akbar, meaning "God is greater than to be described. " The centered sword is representative of the country's strength.

Disputs

Disputes in Iran

        Iran-Iraq War

Reason for dispute: Iraq invaded Iran

History: Disagreements between Iraq and Iran (concerning geographical boarders and  religion)

Result: U.S got involved and allies built up.

Air war and ground war was too much for Iraqi military. They pulled out.

         

Reason for dispute

        Iran's nuclear power and the West who says "No!"  (2002-?)

Reason for dispute: Iran has nuclear power which Europe and the U.S aren't fond of.

History: Iran was constructing nuclear weapons but claims that they are doing exactly that, and still produces more nuclear arms. The U.S is sure that they are lying about not doing any of this and suspects even more nuclear technology.

Results:

Bush declares Iran part of the "axis of evil"

Iran still continues with nuclear program

Art

Abbas Rostamian was born in Iran’s city of art, Esfahan, in 1949.

Ghalamgiri, “sketching with brush” is a traditional and ancient technique in Persian painting which reflects spontaneous ideas and feelings which are flowing through the mind of the artist.

Natural Hazards

Iran is know to have the following natural hazards or disasters: periodic droughts, floods, dust storms, sandstorms, earthquakes.

Land Use

9.7% of Iran's Land is arable- which means that it can be used for farming. While the rest of the land is used for other things such as industry and residential areas. 

Holdays

National Holidays: 

Farvardin 12

Islamic Republic Day

روز جمهوری اسلامی

Bahman 22

Victory of the Revolution

پیروزی انقلاب

Growth Rate

There is a very small growth rate for Iran it is less than 1% growth per year.

Death Rate

There are 5.72 deaths per 1000 people in Iran

Major Infectious Diseases

Major Infectious Diseases in Iran include Malaria, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, and Bacterial Diarrhea

GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

The GDP of Iran is 876 billion dollars. The GDP per capita is $12,500.

Unemployment

The unemployment rate in Iran is at 11.8% at the moment

Sports

o   Many sports are practiced in Iran, both traditional and modern. Tehran, for example, was the first city in the Middle East to host the Asian Games in 1974, and continues to host and participate in major international sporting events to this day. Freestyle wrestling has been traditionally regarded as Iran's national sport, however today the most popular sport in Iran is football (soccer).

                               Traditional sports – body building, polo, wrestling

Trafficking

o   Iran is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor. Iranian women are trafficked internally for forced prostitution and forced marriage. Iranian and Afghan children living in Iran are trafficked internally for commercial sexual exploitation – sometimes through forced marriages, in which their new "husbands" force them into prostitution and involuntary servitude as beggars or laborers to pay debts, provide income, or support drug addiction of their families.

Ethnic Groups

o   Azeris. Roughly one out of every four Iranians is Azeri, making it Iran’s largest ethnic minority at over eighteen million (some Azeris put the number higher)

o   Kurds. Predominantly Sunni, the Kurds reside mainly in the northwest part of the country—so-called Iranian Kurdistan—and comprise around 7 percent of Iran’s population (there are roughly four million Kurds living in Iran)

o   Arabs. Along the Iranian-Iraqi border in southwest Iran is a population of some three million Arabs, predominantly Shiite

o   Baluchis. Iran has roughly 1.4 million Baluchis, comprising 2 percent of its population. Predominantly Sunni, they reside in Baluchistan, a region divided between Pakistan and Iran

Data on population

o   In November 1986, the government reported that the preliminary count in the fourth national census, which had been conducted during October, showed a total population of 48,181,463

o   According to the preliminary results of the 1986 census, the average population density for the country was twenty-nine persons per square kilometer. In some regions, especially along the Caspian coast and in East Azarbaijan, the average density was significantly higher, while in the more arid regions of the Central Plateau and Baluchestan va Sistan, average population density was ten or fewer persons per square kilometer.

Imports

Imports: $57.16 billion (2009 est.)
$67.25 billion (2008 est.) 

Food

o   Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

o   Yogurt and Mint Sauce

o   Kebab Morgh (Grilled Skewered Chicken)

o   Shirazi (Cucumber and Tomato Salad) 

Famous People

o    Omar Khayyam (1048-1131) 11th-12th century Persian mathematician, astrologer and poet.

o    Jalal ad-Din Muhammed Rumi (1207-1273) 13th century Persian Muslim poet, jurist, sage, mystic and theologian.

o    Mohammad Reza Lotfi (b. 1947) composer, master of the traditional Persian radif, and player of the tar and setar.

o    Majid Majidi (b. 1959) celebrated and award-winning movie director.

o    Mohammad Reza Shajariyan (b. 1940) undisputed master of Iranian classical singing.

Jahanbakhsh

Behzad Belvis