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Iran

Asia · 88 million

About Iran

Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a sovereign country located in Asia, specifically within the Southern Asia subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Tehran, and the country is home to approximately 86.0 million people. In its native language, the country is known as “ایران”. Persian (Farsi) serves as the primary official language, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Iran. The official currency in circulation is the Iranian rial (﷼), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Iran is widely recognised for the Persian Empire, intricate hand-woven rugs and pomegranate culture. People from Iran are referred to as Iranian.

Geography & climate

Iran covers approximately 1.65 million km² of territory, making it a large country by land area. It shares land borders with 7 neighbouring countries — a position that has historically influenced migration patterns, regional politics, and cross-border commerce. Geographically, Iran sits in the Northern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 32.0° N, 53.0° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+03:30 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Iran can be summarised as: plateau & mountains with arid with cold winters. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 86.0 million inhabitants, Iran is one of the more populous nations on Earth. The principal spoken language is Persian (Farsi), which dominates public life, schooling, signage, and the workplace. Locals refer to their homeland as “ایران”, a name with linguistic and historical roots that long predate modern borders. Citizens are formally known in English as Iranian, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Iranian rial (﷼) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Iran should familiarise themselves with the capital, Tehran, the local time zone (UTC+03:30), the local currency (Iranian rial). The international dialling prefix is +98, which is required when phoning a Iran number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .ir, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Saturday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Iran is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Iran is generally classified within the Asia region and more specifically the Southern Asia subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties. GlobeIQ groups it under "Middle East" for the purposes of the game's regional hint.

Bordering countries

Iran shares land borders with 7 countries. Click any neighbour to read about it:

Did you know?

The word 'checkmate' comes from the Persian 'shah mat' — meaning 'the king is dead' — because chess was invented in ancient Persia before spreading west.

Iran in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Iran appears as a moderately challenging puzzle, suited to players who already know the major continents. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Iran carries the personality tags “🏛️ Persian Empire” and “🌹 Land of Poetry”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Iran to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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