Robert Ellis, Thomas Aker Iran Robert Ellis, Thomas Aker

History Originally called Persia First ruled by Elamite kingdoms in 4th millennium BCE The kingdoms were unified in 7th century BCE Achaemenid Empire ruled by Cyrus the Great Stretched from eastern Europe to Indus valley Fell to Alexander the Great in 4th century BCE

History Continued Alexander the Great divided the country into Hellenistic states Rebellion in Parthian empire caused the Sasanian Empire to be born Ruled for 4 centuries (224-651 AD) The Sasanian empire fell to Arab muslims in 7th century CE This led to the influx of the Islamic religion throughout Persia It became an Islamic republic in 1979 when the monarchy was overthrown and religious clerics assumed political power under supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini

Islamic Golden Age (8th-14th century) A period of cultural, economical, and scientific bloom throughout Iran Started with the creation of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad Scholars from all over would translate all of the world’s knowledge into Arabic Prominent centers of learning were The school of Nisibis and the School of Edessa, the pagan University of Harran and the renowned hospital and medical academy of Jundishapur The use of paper spread from China which led to mass copying of manuscripts

Religion Zoroastrianism was prominent during Persia Current day Iran is Muslim- Shīʿite and Sunnī Small communities of Christianity, Jews, and Zoroastrianism Muslims believe in the god Allah (monotheistic) Muhammad (570 CE) was the main prophet who led Muslims to live their lives in a way that was pleasing to Allah Religious book- Koran

5 Pillars of Islam

Shīʿism vs Sunni 7.2 billion Muslims in world (80% Sunni, 20% Shīʿite) The religion split into two parts when Muhammad died Sunni emphasizes god’s power in the world Shīʿite emphasizes martyrdom and sacrifice Shīʿism vs Sunni

Political Structure Theocratic Republic Supreme leader Highest ranking political and religious authority Current supreme leader is Ali Khamenei President Hassan Rouhani Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi Assembly of Experts Consists of elected officials Guardian Council Has approval and disapproval power over candidates for the presidency, assembly of experts, and parliament. Parliament Consists of 290 elected officials

Economic Structure Three parts to Iran’s Economy State Consists of major industries such as foreign trade, major minerals, banking, etc. Cooperative Includes production, distribution, etc. Private Agriculture, industry, trade, etc.

Ranked 40th GDP

Economic Development The unemployment rate remains high, at 12.1 percent as of Apr-Jun 2018, while it represents a moderate improvement compared to the same period of the previous year (12.6 percent). Male and female unemployment rates of 10.2 and 19.7 percent respectively, suggest continued gender gaps in the labor market.

Culture Iran has a rich art heritage shown in their literature, architecture, paintings, and poetry Current literature was influenced by Persian poetry Iran has a history of fine silk and wool rugs Iran produces more rugs than all other countries combined

Current day Iran 82 million population Religion is 99% muslim Iran and US have not had diplomatic relations since 1980 The capital of Iran is Tehran which has some of the worst air pollution inn the world (27 people die per day) Current day Iran

References Harney, J. (2017, December 21). How Do Sunni and Shia Islam Differ? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/world/middleeast/q-and-a-how-do-sunni-and-shia- islam-differ.html United Religions Initiative. (n.d.). Islam: Basic Beliefs. Retrieved from https://uri.org/kids/world- religions/muslim-beliefs Avery, P. W., Afary, J., & Mostofi, K. (2019, April 03). Iran. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Iran Central Intelligence Agency. (2018, February 01). The World Factbook: Iran. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html Bruno, G. (2008, June 19). Religion and Politics in Iran. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/religion-and-politics-iran Trading Economics. (n.d.). Iran- Economic Indicators. Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/indicators