Iran History and Geography

Iran, once known as Persia, is located at the crossroads of Central Asia, South Asia, and the Arab states of the Middle East. Plus its access to the warm waters of Persian Gulf in the south and in the north to the cold waters of the largest lake in the world, the Caspian sea; all in all have made Iran a strategically important country.

With about 80 million residents, Iran is an independent state in Western Asia covering a land area of 1,648,195 km2 making it the second-largest country in the Middle East and the 17th-largest in the world .

Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, beginning with the establishment of the Elamite kingdoms in the 4th millennium BC.

Today's Iran boasts an array of cultures stemming from various ethnic backgrounds and linguistic groups. The Persians constitute a major part (61 %), then Azeris(16%), Kurds (10%) and the next group Lurs(6%).

In fact, just like its unique geographical position, Iran is famous for a diversity of climates which means, out of 13 climates in the world, here you can experience 11.the dream land of any eco tourist, mountaineer and hiker. You can enjoy climates ranging from arid and semi-arid to subtropical beside the Caspian coast and the northern jungles.

The tourism industry of Iran has begun flourishing after the easing of some sanctions. Iran's great history has left behind it a treasure of artefacts and museum pieces, and an heirloom of palaces, forts bridges etc., tourist attractions, some of them are under UNESCO. Needless to say, Its multi-faceted nature with its breathtaking and picturesque scenery of virgin land makes Iran a great option for Eco tourists.

By now over 5 million tourists pay a visit to Iran. It can be said that Iran is well catered for the ones who enjoy a diversity of climate, expedition and adventure trips, the virginity of nature of both sea and land, and also the ones who are fans of historical places.

Several organized tours from Germany, France, and other European countries come to Iran annually to visit archaeological sites and monuments. According to the UNESCO and the deputy head of research for Iran's Tourism Organization, Iran is rated fourth among the top 10 destinations in the Middle East. Domestic tourism in Iran is one of the largest in the world .

Iran Wildlife

The wildlife of Iran is composed of several animal species, including bears, the Eurasian lynx, foxes, gazelles, gray wolves, jackals, panthers, and wild pigs. Other domestic animals of Iran include Asian water buffaloes, camels, cattle, donkeys, goats, horses, and the sheep. Eagles, falcons, partridges, pheasants, and storks are also native to the wildlife of Iran.

One of the most famous members of the Iranian wildlife is the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah, also known as the Iranian cheetah, whose numbers were greatly reduced after the 1979 Revolution. The Persian leopard, which is the world's largest leopard subspecies living primarily in northern Iran, is also listed as an endangered species. Iran lost all its Asiatic lions and the now extinct Caspian tigers by the earlier part of the 20th century.