1. SOUTHWEST ASIA: IRAN
UNIT 3

3. CLIMATE/TERRAIN
-3 times the size of the state of Arizona -High rugged mountains -The Eastern region is covered by a barren & salty desert -Mountains in the north and west have dense forests -Continental Climate: -Cold winters and hot summers

5. GOVERNMENT / ECONOMY -Islamic Theocracy -Appointed rather than elected
Head of State: The supreme leader
-Serves for life & is chosen by an Islamic advisory board (Assembly of Experts)
Head of Government: President
-serves a 4-year term
Currency: Rial 1 USD= Iranian Rial

6. DEMOGRAPHICS / CULTURE
-CAPITAL: Tehran
POPULATION: 80,840,713 -LANGUAGE: Farsi -RELIGION: Muslim -LANGUAGES: Persian 53%, Turkish 18%, Kurdish 10% -LITERACY RATE: 85%

7. BRIEF HISTORY
-Formerly known as Persia -Safavid Dynasty ( ) -Qajar Dynasty ( ) -During WWI, the Russians and the British fought for economic control of the area

8. Brief History …………….
-In 1921, Persian army officer Reza Khan took control and in 1935 he renamed the country Iran His son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, became the shah (Persian king) in In 1979, Iranians felt Pahlavi was corrupt and forced him to leave, ending the shahs in Iran *NOTE: (REFER TO IRAQ NOTES FOR IRAN-IRAQ WAR )

9. Iran’s Hidden Treasure
TOURISM
shah
Khavir National Park
aka Little Africa
Treasured Mosque
Iran’s Hidden Treasure
Eram Garden

10. INTERESTING FACTS
-An Iranian mathematician invented algebra -Iran has several reserves and parks where wildlife thrives -Men who do not marry are called na-mard, which translates to “not-men” -The Persian cat is one of the world’s oldest breed of cats and was brought to Iran by Italian traders

11. Khoresht aloucheh sabz
FOOD
Rice
Sofreh Irani
Khoresht aloucheh sabz