Iran (Geopolity)

Note that this Iran is not the same as the Islamic Republic of Iran. This page is a factbook for the Geopolity RP server. Please do not edit this page.

Empire of Iran 𐬆𐬭𐬀𐬥𐬱𐬀𐬵𐬭 (Farsi) Eranšahr
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "𐬀𐬥𐬛𐬀𐬱 𐬥𐬀𐬐𐬆, 𐬔𐬎𐬟𐬙𐬀𐬭 𐬥𐬀𐬐𐬆, 𐬐𐬆𐬭𐬛𐬀𐬭 𐬥𐬀𐬐𐬆" (Farsi) (Andaš Nake, Guftar Nake, Kerdar Nake) "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds"
Anthem: Long Live our Shahanshah
Iran on the globe
Capital and largest city	Rhages
Official languages	Farsi in the Avestan alphabet
Recognized national languages	Avestan (Liturgical)
Recognized regional languages	Azeri, Kurdish, Luri, Gilaki, Mazanderani, Armenian, Turkmen, Arabic, Balochi, Pashto, Tajik, Qashqai, Laki, Suret, Khorasani Turkic, Tati, Talysh
Ethnic groups	77% Farsis 3.3% Azeris 2.6% Kurds 2.1% Mazanderanis 1.8% Lurs 1.7% Armenians 1.4% Gilaks 1.2% Turkmens 1.1% Baloch 1.1% Arabs 1% Pashtuns 0.8% Talyshs 0.7% Qashqai Turks 0.7% Tajiks 0.5% Jews 0.4% Khorasani Turks 0.3% Tats 0.1% Mandaeans 0.2% Other
Religion	95.5% Zoroastrianism (Official) 1.9% Christianity - 86.8% Armenian Apostolic Church - 11.9% Nestorianism - 1.3% Other Christianity 1% Islam - 39.6% Hanafi Sunnism - 23.5% Isma'ili Shi'ism - 18.3% Alevism - 12.7% Ahmadiyya - 5.4% Sufism - 0.5% Other Islam 0.5% Judaism 0.4% Manichaeism 0.2% Bahaʼí Faith 0.1% Yazidism 0.1% Mandaeism 0.3% Irreligion or Other
Demonym(s)	Iranian
Government	Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
• Shahanshah	His Majesty Ardashir VI
• Shahbanu	Her Majesty Shirin III
• Crown Prince	His Highness Behram
• Wuzurg Framadar	The Honorable Ms. Behdis Gaanjia
• Leader of the Opposition	The Honorable Mrs. Roya Mithawala
• Speaker of the Mehestan	The Honorable Mr. Armun Moogana
• Chancellor of the Darbar	Her Excellency Ms. Donya Zahedi
• Chief Dadwar of the High Court	The Honorable Mr. Sasan Kadodwala
Legislature	The Imperial Diet
• Upper house	The Darbar
• Lower house	The Mehestan
Establishment History
Area
• Total	1,764,538 km2 (681,292 sq mi)
• Water (%)	1.1%
Population
• 2024 estimate	105,400,000
• 2020 census	103,674,582
• Density	59.7/km2 (154.6/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$2.73 trillion
• Per capita	$25,888
GDP (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$852.7 billion
• Per capita	$8,090
Gini	33.7 medium
HDI	0.881 very high
Currency	Iranian Drachm (Ð)
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST) [No DST]
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy (Z.E.R. and CE)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+98
ISO 3166 code	IR
Internet TLD	.ir

Iran, historically known as Persia by Western nations, and officially the Empire of Iran, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by the Ottoman Empire to the west, Russia to the northwest, the Central Asian Union to the northeast, the Caspian Sea to the north, and the Iranian Gulf to the south, near Arabia. With over 100 million people in an area of 1.76 million sq km (about 680 thousand sq mi), Iran ranks as the 3rd largest nation in the Middle East by both population (behind Egypt and the Ottoman Empire) and by area (behind Egypt and Arabia). The nation's capital and most populous city is Rhages, with around 8 million people. Other major cities include Nishapur, Spahan, Baku, Tawres, Stakhr, Huzaye, Kom, and Hormuz.

Iran is one of the world's oldest civilizations, beginning with the Elamites in the fourth millennium BC. It was first unified by the Medes in the seventh century BC and reached its territorial height in the sixth century BC, when Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire, one of the largest empires in antiquity. Alexander the Great conquered the empire in the fourth century BC, and it was subsequently divided into several Hellenistic states. An Iranian rebellion established the Parthian Empire in the third century BC, which was succeeded in the third century AD by the Sasanian Empire. After resistance to Arab Muslim attempts at a conquest of Iran, culminating in the victorious Battle of Nahavand, the Sasanians ruled the country until the Seljuk and the Mongol conquests of the 11th to 14th centuries. In the 15th century, the native House of Sasan re-established a neo-Sasanian Iran with Zoroastrianism as the official religion, marking the beginning of modern Iranian history.

Under Khosraw XI in the 18th century, Iran was a leading world power, though by the 19th century, it had lost significant influence through a series of conflicts with the Russian Empire. Under the liberal-minded Shahanshahs Peroz VIII and his son Vistahm V, the early and mid-20th century saw a significant shift towards fusing Western ideals such as the abolition of the traditional wuzurgan nobility and powers of the priestly elite, with traditional ideals such as the continued maintenance of Zoroastrianism as the state religion. In 1953, a series of popular protests throughout major cities in support of greater freedoms, combined with the recent election in support of the liberal, center-left Democratic Struggle Party and coalition into power, resulted in the adoption of a new constitution that greatly reduced the powers of the Shahanshah, while greatly expanding the powers of the Imperial Diet and the newly-created High Court in lieu of the mobeds as the judicial branch of the Central Government. The Iranian government is considered one of the most free and fair in the Middle East with its strong democratic traditions following the adoption of the new 1953 Constitution.

Iran is a major emerging, middle and regional power, due to its large reserves of fossil fuels, including the world's largest natural gas supply, third largest proven oil reserves, its large, technologically advanced industrial and financial capability, its business-friendly and entrepreneurial environment, its strategic location in the Asian continent, its military capabilities, its regional influence, and its role as the world's focal point of Zoroastrianism. It is a founding member of the United Assembly of Nations and an observer of the Global Security Association. Owing it to its long history and rich cultural legacy, Iran is home to many hundreds of national treasures, such as the ruins of Persepolis, Golestan Palace, and Shapur Khast, among other treasured sites. The people of Iran are multicultural and comprise a wide variety of ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups.

Etymology

The term Iran ("the land of the Aryans") derives from Middle Farsi Eran, first attested in a third-century inscription at Naqsh-e Rostam, with the accompanying Parthian inscription using Aryan, in reference to the Iranians. The terms Eran and Aryan are oblique plural forms of gentilic nouns er- (Middle Farsi) and ary- (Parthian), both deriving from Proto-Iranian language *arya- (meaning "Aryan", i.e. "of the Iranians"), recognised as a derivative of Proto-Indo-European language *ar-yo-, meaning "one who assembles (skilfully)". According to Iranian mythology, the name comes from Iraj, a legendary king.

Historically, Iran has been referred to as "Persia" by the West, due mainly to the writings of Greek historians who referred to all of Iran as "Persis" (Ancient Greek: Περσiς), meaning "the land of the Persians". "Persia" is the Farsa shahr in southwest Iran, also known as "Pars". The Farsi word "Fars" (𐬟𐬀𐬭𐬯), derived from the earlier form "Pars" (𐬞𐬀𐬭𐬯), which is in turn derived from Parsa (Old Farsi: 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿). Due to the province's historical importance, the term "Persia" originated from this region by the Greeks in around 550 BC, and Westerners started to refer the entire country as "Persia," until 1935, when Peroz VIII requested the international community to refer to the country by its native and original name, Iran. While the Iranians had been calling their nation Iran since at least 1000 BC, this name change was only made so that the Western World would begin to refer to the country by the same name as its people. Today, both Iran and Persia are used in cultural contexts, while Iran remains mandatory in official state and educational contexts.

History

Prehistory

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Ancient Iran

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Medieval Iran

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Early modern period

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Modern Iran

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Geography

Iran has an area of 1,764,538 km² (681,292 sq mi). It is the second-largest country in West Asia. It lies between latitudes 24° and 42° N, and longitudes 44° and 64° E. It is bordered to the west by the Ottoman Empire, to the north by the Caspian Sea; to the northwest by Russia, to the northeast by the Central Asian Union, and to the south by the Iranian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Iran is in a seismically active area. On average, an earthquake of magnitude seven on the Richter scale occurs once every ten years. Most earthquakes are shallow-focus and can be very devastating, such as the 2003 Bam earthquake.

Iran consists of the Iranian Plateau. It is one of the world's most mountainous countries, its landscape is dominated by rugged mountain ranges that separate various basins or plateaus. The populous western part is the most mountainous, with ranges such as the Talysh, Caucasus, Zagros, and Alborz, the last containing Mount Damavand, Iran's highest point, at 5,610 m (18,406 ft), which is also the highest volcano in Asia. Iran's mountains have impacted both political and the economic history of the country for several centuries.

The northern part of Iran is covered by the lush lowland Hyrcanian forests, near the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. The eastern part consists mostly of desert basins, such as the Kavir Desert, which is the country's largest desert, and the Lut Desert, as well as some salt lakes. The Lut Desert is the hottest recorded spot on the Earth's surface according to NASA, with 70.7 °C recorded in 2005. The only large plains are found along the coast of the Caspian Sea and at the northern end of the Iranian Gulf, where the country borders the mouth of the Arvand river. Nearly half of all the mud volcanoes on Earth are concentrated in Iran. Smaller, discontinuous plains are found along the remaining coast of the Iranian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman.

Islands and disputes

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Climate

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Flora and fauna

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Administrative divisions

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Government and politics

A representative democracy, Iran is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a relatively recent yet vibrant democratic tradition, the second-oldest democratic state in the Middle East after Israel. Iran is a multiparty system with a generally vibrant, ever-changing political environment; only one political party, the Royalists, have stayed in their original form since the shift to constitutionalism. The current coalition government is between the Unity Party and the Liberals, the first two-party coalition in Iran's history.

The authority of the state is vested nominally in the Shahanshah, with the Shahanshah officially delegating all legislative, executive, and judicial responsibility to the Central Government via the Imperial Constitution, which lays the framework for the functioning of the Iranian state. The political system of Iran is mainly derived from the consensus-based parliamentarian systems used throughout continental Europe.

Imperial Diet

The legislative branch of the Central Government is composed of the bicameral Imperial Diet (Farsi: 𐬐𐬀𐬥𐬆𐬡𐬥𐬆𐬔𐬎𐬛𐬀𐬭 𐬱𐬀𐬵𐬀𐬥𐬱𐬀𐬵𐬀), made up of a lower house, the Mehestan, and an upper house, the Darbar. The Mehestan is composed of 800 Members of the Mehestan (MMs), and are elected for 4-year terms via a system of open-party list proportional representation with the least remainder method in 150 five-seat constituencies of roughly equal population with 50 leveling seats to make the Mehestan composition more proportional. Due to proportional representation, no one political party has ever achieved a simple majority, so multiparty coalitions have always been the norm. If a coalition cannot form or collapses in the middle of the 4-year term, the Shahanshah, on advice from the Wuzurg Framadar, may dissolve the Mehestan and call for snap elections within 3 months of the dissolution. The Mehestan is vested with the vast majority of legislative and executive power (the latter through the Council of State).

The Darbar is composed of 200 Members of the Darbar (MDs), all of whom are indirectly elected or appointed in a variety of methods. 140 MDs are indirectly elected by the provincial Mehestans and the Mehestan of Rhages, apportioned by population per subdivision, and serve up to 2 terms of 6 years each. 20 MDs are appointed by the Shahanshah on advice from the Wuzurg Framadar, and can also serve up to the same term limit. 10 MDs represent religious minorities - 1 of the Armenian Apostolic Church, 1 of the Nestorian Church, 1 Sunni Muslim (usually Hanafi), 1 Shia Muslim (usually Ismail'i), 1 Ahmadiyya Muslim, 1 Jew, 1 Manichaean, 1 Baha'i, 1 Yazidi, and 1 Mandaean, who are appointed by the religious leaders of each group and confirmed by a simple majority vote by the members of each religious group. They also serve up to the same term limit. The remaining 30 members are reserved for the highest Zoroastrian mobeds (priests), and are referred to as the Holy Mobeds, or simply the Mobeds with the secondary title of being an MD. The Mobeds are allowed to serve until death or until resignation, the latter being the more common of the two due to the mobeds needing to tend to their religious duties. The Darbar is unable to be dissolved by the Shahanshah due to its intended purpose of serving as an advisory body to the Shahanshah and Mehestan. The Darbar is only able to delay laws, not block them, and advise the Mehestan and Shahanshah in aiding their duties to the Iranian people.

[INSERT GRAPHS OF MEHESTAN AND DARBAR COMPOSITION]

Council of State

The executive branch of the Central Government is composed of the Council of State (Farsi: 𐬯𐬵𐬆𐬡𐬭𐬀 𐬛𐬆𐬡𐬮𐬆𐬙𐬀), composed of the Wuzurg Framadar (trans. Prime Minister) and their Framadars (Ministers). The Wuzurg Framadar is the head of government, and thus is in charge of managing the executive branch responsibly. Once a coalition government forms, the Wuzurg Framadar is appointed by the Shahanshah on advice of the MMs of the coalition, and is confirmed by a simple majority of MMs. The Wuzurg Framadar then appoints the Framadars of the Council of State, each appointment of which is confirmed by a simple majority of MMs. Each Framadar can be either an MM or a non-Mobed MD. Each Framadar is in charge of one Ministry and reports directly to the Wuzurg Framadar. The Council of State is in charge of enforcing the laws passed by the Mehestan, dictating public policy, maintaining the military, and representing Iran to foreign nations through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since all Framadars are also MMs, the terms of Framadars are the same as their terms as MMs.

The Wuzurg Framadar needs to command a majority of MMs to pass laws, and so coalition governments are often formed. If a coalition collapses, the Council of State collectively resigns and serves a demissionary purpose that may only run the affairs of the nation and enforce existing laws, not pass new laws until a snap election is held.

Provincial and Local Government

Iran's provinces are delegated with limited power to conduct affairs within the province similar to delegation of powers in a federal system, although most power is still vested in the Central Government. Each Provincial Government is similar to the Central Government with a unicameral Provincial Mehestan, executive Provincial Council of State, and a Provincial Court.

Rostags (equivalent to counties) have Municipal Governments in a similar fashion to Provincial Governments. In cities, these are called City Governments. Dehs (equivalent to towns) are also similar in this regard. The provinces are given some autonomy to manage their own affairs, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, conservation, taxation, and other aspects that are normally used in federal states, although the Central Government still contains the vast majority of power.

The House of Sasan

The royal house of Iran is the House of Sasan, commonly called the Sasanian dynasty outside of Iran. The royal house has its origins from the first Sasanian dynasty that ruled Iran from 224 until the conquest of Iran by the Ghaznavids in 977. Used as puppet rulers, the Sasanians were for many years controlled by outsider dynasties, mainly of Turkic origins. Following the collapse of the Timurids in 1507, the House of Sasan re-established control over Iran, continuing to rule the nation till this day.

The House of Sasan symbolizes Iran's brilliance and radiance to the world. Residing in Golestan Palace, the royal family is humble, yet powerful, strong, yet calm. The House of Sasan unites Iran in its diversity, and serves as a beacon of divine radiance to all.

Law

Iranian law is derived from a variety of sources, a testament to Iran's rich and diverse history. Iranian customary law is a combination of European civil law and Zoroastrian laws based on the Avesta. For religious minorities, halakha, canon law, Baha'i laws, Mandaean, Manichaean, and Yazidi laws are recognized as legally binding for personal issues pertaining to each religious minority, while some aspects of sharia are recognized depending on the type of issue and may or may not be legally binding.

The judicial branch of the Central Government is composed of the High Court (Farsi: 𐬛𐬀𐬛𐬔𐬀𐬵 𐬆𐬀𐬮𐬀), alongside subordinate courts in the Iranian court system. The High Court is the supreme court of the land and is the final arbitrator of all disputes regarding the Imperial Constitution between the Imperial Diet and Council of State, disputes between provinces, and the final court of appeals. The High Court is composed of 13 Dadwars (trans. Justice), including one Chief Dadwar, that serves on the High Court for a period of one 12-year term. All Justices are appointed by the Shahanshah and confirmed by a simple majority of MDs.

The court system in Iran is hierarchial, with Provincial Courts handling major disputes within that province, and Rostag Courts handling disputes within that rostag (provincial subdivision). There are also seperate local criminal and civil courts within rostags and large cities. If a civil or criminal trial is of noteworthy or high significance, it is usually directly delegated to the Rostag Court, although this is very rare.

Foreign Relations

With the exception of Slavic Rhodesia due to their human rights abuses, Iran maintains foreign relations with every nation in the world. Iran is an observer to the Global Security Association (GSA) and and interested party with the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC). Due to ideological differences, religious differences, and competing geopolitical ambitions, Iran maintains poor relations with its neighbors the Ottoman Empire and Arabia, although relations with the Central Asian Union have substantially improved following the peaceful resolution of a Caspian Sea EEZ dispute and Iran's official delisting of the Blue Wolves Organization as a terrorist organization.

Iran's seeking for membership status in the GSA and EEC has been met with vetoes from the Ottoman Empire and CAU due to opposing geopolitcal ambitions, although the potential acceptance into the former has substantially improved with Iran making conciliatory gestures towards its neighbors as a sign of goodwill. The Central Asian Union and the Ottoman Empire have claimed Iran abuses the rights of ethnic minorities, particularly Azeris, accusing Iran of "forcible Persianization and de-Turkification," despite little tangible evidence of such atrocities actually happening.

Iran maintains sizeable influence in the Middle East, with warm relations with Cyprus and Israel, two adversaries of the Ottoman Empire and Arabia. The Iranian control of the namesake Gulf also gives Iran significant leverage over its neighbors over the exporting of valuable trade commodities, including manufactured goods, consumer products, and petroleum.

Military

Among one of the most powerful in the Middle East and a growing power within Asia, the Imperial Iranian Armed Forces (Farsi: 𐬥𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬡𐬵𐬀 𐬨𐬆𐬯𐬮𐬵 𐬯𐬵𐬀𐬵𐬀𐬥𐬯𐬵𐬀𐬵𐬀 𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬥) are composed of the Spada (Army), Narwa (Navy), Hewaspada (Air Force), and Khaspada (Special Forces). With 650,000 active-duty soldiers and 350,000 reservists, Iran's military is the second-largest in the Middle East by size after the Ottoman Empire. It is mandatory for every male to serve for 12 months in the military once he turns 18, although women may serve for 9 months if they choose to enlist. The Nazmiyeh are the law enforcement force of Iran, and have hybrid elements of a civilian police force and gendarmie. Iran's defense budget amounts to nearly $32.5 billion, or nearly 3.6% of GDP.

Iran boasts a modern, capable military, with major defense partners including Russia, India, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and Japan. Additionally, Iran has developed a robust and sophisticated domestic military industry capable of producing indigenous tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, submarines, radar systems, helicopters, naval vessels, fighter planes, firearms, artillery, and advanced weaponry, particularly in rocketry. Consequently, Iran has the largest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East and is only the 5th country in the world with hypersonic missile technology. It is the world's 6th missile power. Iran designs and produces a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and is considered a global leader and superpower in drone warfare and technology. It is one of the world's five countries with cyberwarfare capabilities and is an active player in the international cyber arena.

Human Rights

Human rights in Iran, including the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, along with many other rights, are protected by the Imperial Constitution and generally not infringed upon, a vastly better situation as compared to Iran's neighbors. Despite this, there are several flaws regarding the state of human rights in Iran.

Iran has been criticized by several nations and human rights groups for claims of unequal treatment against Muslims, which number 1% of Iran's population. Major topics of controversy include Iran's restrictions on dawah as well as a controversial failed proposal to ban the niqab and burqa. Additionally, the Azam Square in Kom was a major site of dispute between Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, and Baha'is. The city council's decision to build a Shia mosque and Baha'i House of Worship in the square has been met with protests from the Sunni community of Iran, claiming favoritism towards Shia Muslims. Iran's open acceptance of certain Islamic groups considered unorthodox by most Muslims, including Alevis and Ahmadi Muslims have sparked outrage among the Sunni Muslim population, claiming to "de-Islamify" the Muslim regions of Iran with "false Islam."