Overview[]
Iran, (Persian: ايران, Īrān; pronunciation: [iːˈɾɒn]), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: جمهوری اسلامی ايران, transliteration: Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān), formerly known internationally as Persia, is a Southwest Asian country located in the geographical territories of the Middle East and Southern Asia.
The 18th largest country in the world in terms of area, Iran is slightly smaller than the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany combined.
It has a population of over seventy million people, most of whom are ethic Persians who follow in Shi'ite Islam.