iran

Iran is a Middle Eastern country slightly larger in land mass than Alaska, located between Iraq and Pakistan, opening onto the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in the south and the Caspian Sea in the north. Climate is arid or semiarid mountains and deserts, with the Caspian coast having subtropical climate. It's capital city is Tehran. Iran, dating back to 550 B.C., was the center of the Persian Empire, and is home to the world's most ancient human settlements. Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile.

Shi'iah Islam is Iran's national religion, practiced by 89 percent of the population. Sunni Muslims make up another 9 percent. The major languages spoken in Iran include Farsi (Persian) and Persian dialects, Kurdish, and Turkic and its dialects. Oil is Iran's largest crude export.

Comprehensive information on Iran can be found through technorati search for Iran, Nuclear Iran, Iran Contra Affair, terrorism Iran, Persian Empire, and the Iranian Revolution, to name a few. There is also some quick information to be found at BBC, profile Iran. Frontline searches for Iran will bring you to several programs offering. The CIA world factbook gives a briefing.

If you are traveling to Iran from the United States you should check the current travel warnings set out by the U.S. Department of State.

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Latest blogosphere posts tagged “iran”

• US Generals Flood Israel for Exercise against ‘Specific Threats’

  
  Dr Nasir Khan — Authority: 485
  by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu, Israel National News , Nov. 3, 2009 An unprecedented number of American generals, along with 1,400 U.S. army soldiers, are participating with top IDF brass in the high-level Juniper Cobra military exercise that one U.S. Navy commander said is aimed at “specific threats.” Public ...
  3 hours ago

• Bilateral Relations: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Venezuela

  
  i On Global Trends - Mike Hitchen Online - news, opinion, analysis — Authority: 489
  In between telling his troops to prepare for war with Colombia, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced on Sunday that his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would pay an official visit to the country before the end of 2009 to boost bilateral ties."I want him (Ahmadinejad) to accompany me to inaugurate some ...
  4 hours ago

• International Relations: Islamic leaders meet for economic summit

  
  i On Global Trends - Mike Hitchen Online - news, opinion, analysis — Authority: 489
  Xinhua - Leaders from Islamic states under the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have converged in Istanbul to attend the economy summit of OICs Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation. However, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir cancelled his scheduled visit to Turkey and told his ...
  4 hours ago

• Iranwood Movie Stars Raise Anger Of Government

  
  The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues — Authority: 445
  India has its Bollywood stars and Iran has been attempting to catch up with creating a new film industry. However, government officials are furious at large salaries being paid to actors and actresses who may earn a $100,00 for a few days work. Critics warn the stars “this ain’t Hollywood, let alone Bollywood, ...
  4 hours ago

• The Latest from Iran (9 November): Assessing the Government

  
  Enduring America — Authority: 627
  NEW Iran’s Nuclear Programme: Washington’s Unhelpful Misperceptions Latest Iran Video: Mehdi Karroubi on the 13 Aban Protests NEW Iran: An Opposition Renewing, A Government in Trouble Iran: Question for the Regime “What’s Your Next Punch?” NEW Latest Iran Video: More from 13 Aban ...
  4 hours ago

• Iranian cleric shuns Mecca

  
  Simply Jews — Authority: 610
  Who would expect such a turn of events : An Iranian cleric called over the weekend for a radical change in Muslim prayer practices, urging followers to no longer pray in the direction of the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The cleric, Ahmed Alam al-Hadi, told worshipers that Muslim states such as Saudi ...
  4 hours ago

• Iran’s Nuclear Programme: Washington’s Unhelpful Misperceptions

  
  Enduring America — Authority: 627
  The Latest from Iran (9 November): Assessing the Government Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis In The New York Times this morning , David Sanger publishes an article, “Iran Is ...
  5 hours ago

• PRESS DIGEST - Iran - Nov 9

  
  AlertNet Newsdesk — Authority: 720
  Source: Reuters TEHRAN, Nov 9 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Iranian newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. EBTEKAR ...
  5 hours ago

• Turkey’s Erdogan: Sudan’s Darfur Policy Less “Criminal” Than Israel in Gaza

  
  Enduring America — Authority: 627
  Mahmoud Abbas: “Israel Does Not Want Peace but We Do” Israel-Palestine Video: Obama & Peres on the Path to Peace Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis On Sunday, Turkish Prime ...
  5 hours ago

• Democratic House Passes Pelosicare — Washington Political Theatre Act I

  
  An Angeleno's View of the World — Authority: 404
  The irony was stunning as Nancy Pelosi proudly said “The bill is passed” and hammered down her huge gavel in the House chamber. The 1990 page, “Affordable, Quality Health Care For All Americans Bill”- H.R. 3962, barely read by the 435 Congressman, rammed through on a Saturday night, was only a symbolic ...
  5 hours ago

• Mahmoud Abbas: “Israel Does Not Want Peace but We Do”

  
  Enduring America — Authority: 627
  Israel-Palestine Video: Obama & Peres on the Path to Peace Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis On Sunday, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas met with his supporters, as they ...
  6 hours ago

• Iran: Large scale maneuvers begin in Khuzestan

  
  i On Global Trends - Mike Hitchen Online - news, opinion, analysis — Authority: 489
  PanARMENIAN.Net Large scale BBC trainings are now taking place in Khuzestan, south-west of Iran. The main stage of maneuvers envisaging fighter bombing and shooting from “air-land” class rockets will kick off today, General Naser Yakubi, commander of 4th military air base of Dizful, told FARS news agency.According ...
  6 hours ago

• United Nations Experts Demand Stronger Laws For Protecting Environment During War

  
  Green Prophet — Authority: 505
  Listen up Middle East: The UN wants stronger laws for protecting land, water and wildlife during times of conflict. If the cost of human life isn’t enough for our species to understand, the UN has issued a report on enforcing the laws in place to protect the environment during conflict. Precious desert lilies ...
  6 hours ago

• Saudi Arabia: The Houthis, Iran and Saudi Arabia

  
  Global Voices Online — Authority: 716
  John Burgess at Crossroads Arabia connects the dots between the Houthis in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
  6 hours ago

• Iran Said to Ignore Effort to Salvage a Nuclear Deal

  
  NYT > Global Home — Authority: 141
  The Obama administration has told Iran in back-channel messages that it is willing to allow the country to send its enriched uranium to several nations for safekeeping.
  7 hours ago

• The Reinvention of Robert Gates

  
  The New Republic - Health Care Feed — Authority: 759
  One afternoon in October, a blue and white jumbo jet flew high above the Pacific Ocean, approaching the international dateline. On board was the secretary of defense, Robert Gates, who was on an around-the-world trip that would end with a summit of NATO defense ministers, where the topic of the day would be ...
  7 hours ago

• Where’s The United Nations Condemnation?

  
  PUNK ROCK REPUBLICAN — Authority: 140
  Of Israel’s act of piracy. If the UN doesn’t act will Europe have to capture Israeil ships for a few minutes before letting everyone on board go? Or will the U.S. have to send in the Navy (and some more sharpshooters) to protect Iranian arms shipments to terror groups - I mean disgruntled groups suffering from ...
  7 hours ago

• A NATO without Turkey

  
  Art Institute — Authority: 153
  Iran. David Schenker is the Aufzien fellow and director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
  8 hours ago

• Indian scheme to spoil Pakistani relations with Iran

  
  RUPEE NEWS: Recording History, Narrating Archives, Strategic Intellibrief Analysis: Noticias de Rupia | Nouvelles de Roupie | Rupiennachrichten | ??????? ????? | ???? | Rupi Nyheter | ??????? | ????? ????? — Authority: 516
  Although the whole of Islamic world is target of Indo-Israeli plot, yet the same has intensified in case of Pakistan and Iran. It is because of the fact that Pakistan is a declared atomic country, while Iran is determined to continue its nuclear programme. In this regard, US-led some western countries have also been ...
  8 hours ago

• Iran Has Tested Nuclear Warhead—Secret Report Reveals

  
  Dr. Donald Ryles-Paranormal,Alternative,Celebrity,Strange, & More-NEWS BLOG — Authority: 136
  The UN’s nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence suggesting that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design, the Guardian has learned. The very existence of the technology, known as a “two-point implosion” device, is officially secret in both the US and Britain… ...
  9 hours ago

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