**Iran** by Laura

Iran is the

eighteenth largest country in the world. It’s in Asia. It's area is 1,648,000 km².
The climate of Iran is continental, with hot summers and cold, rainy winters; the mountain regions of the north and west have a subtropical climate. Temperature and precipitation vary with elevation, as winds bring heavy moisture from the Persian Gulf
Iran's central position has made it a crossroads of migration; the population is not homogeneous, although it has a Persian core that includes over half of the people. Azerbaijanis constitute almost a quarter of the population. The principal language of the country is Persian which is written in Arabic characters. Other languages are Turkic dialects, Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, Arabic and most important Spanish. Among the educated classes, English and French are spoken.
About 10% of the land in Iran is arable; agriculture contributes just over 20% to the gross national product and employs a third of the labor force. The main food-producing areas are in the Caspian region and in the valleys of the northwest. Of the variety of natural resources found in Iran, petroleum and natural gas are by far the most important. The petroleum industry is Iran's economic mainstay; oil accounts for 80% of export revenues, and Iran is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Textiles are the second most important industrial product. Finally water industry is in third place.

Iran is a theocratic Islamic republic governed under the constitution of 1979, as revised in 1989, when presidential powers were expanded and the post of prime minister eliminated. The rapid growth of industrialization and modernization programs within Iran, accompanied by ostentatious private wealth, became greatly resented by the bulk of the population, mainly in the overcrowded urban areas and among the rural poor. The shah's autocratic rule and his extensive use of the secret police led to widespread popular unrest throughout 1978. The religious-based protests were conservative in nature, directed against the shah's policies. The new government represented a major shift toward conservatism. It nationalized industries and banks and revived Islamic traditions. Western influence and music were banned, women were forced to return to traditional veiled dress, to eat just rice and onions, and Westernized elites fled the country. A new constitution was written allowing for a presidential system, but Khomeini remained at the executive helm as Supreme Leader. The Revolutionary Guard was established separately from the military as an ideologically based corps charged with defending the revolution. Clashes occurred between rival religious factions throughout 1979, as oil prices fell.
Iraq invaded Iran, this leads to a huge war. With help from many countries Iran is able to fight Iraq and take them out of their country. They are in the Middle East, so this brought a lot of war and terrorism to the region. But fortunately everything changed and now they live in peace and harmony.