As you can see in the above map of Iran files, the Islamic Republic of Iran, better know as just "Iran" is a country in the Middle East. It is bordered by Iraq to the west; Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the northwest; Turkmenistan to the northeast; and Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east.
Despite the common misperception that Iran is an Arab country, it is in fact not an Arab country. Its main ethnic group is Persians, and the principal language is Farsi (also known as Persian). It is widely considered the cradle of civilization, with the first Persian dynasty existing in 2800 BC (the Elamite Kingdom). The Medes, Achaemenids, Hellenic Seleucids, Parthians, Sassanids, and the Muslims have all conquered and controlled Iran throughout its millenia-old history. Persian innovations and culture became important of Muslim civilization.
The total size of Iran is 1,648,195 km2, which means 636,372 square miles to the Americans out there. Its population is approximately 75,330,000, 90 to 95% of which are Shia Muslims. 4 to 8% are Sunni Muslims, and 2% are non-Muslims including Bahai`s, Jews, Christians, and other small minorities.
As for ethnicity, roughly 65% are considered Persians, 16% are Azerbaijanis, 7% are Kurds, Lurs are 6%, Arabs and Baluchi are both 2%, Turkmens are 1%, and various other tribal minorities make up a fraction of 1% each.
The capital city is Tehran, with an estimated population of 8,429,807. It is a huge metropolis, one of the biggest in Western Asia.
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