Persian Geography
Explore the geography, climate, and populations of Persia, or Iran.
The majority of people of Persian descent now live in Iran, a Middle Eastern nation bridging the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea. Iran shares land borders, running clockwise, with the countries of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. It is the second-largest nation in the Middle East, covering a total of 591,352 square miles or 1,531,595 square kilometers. Its largest cities are its capital Tehran (approx. population 8.896 million), Mashhad (3.097 million), Isfahan (2.041 million), Shiraz (1.605 million), Karaj (1.585 million), and Tabriz (1.582 million). About 60 percent of Iran’s total population of 82,021,564 are of Persian ethnicity, or about 49,213,000 people. Additionally, more Persian ethnic groups exist in other countries, such as the Tajiks of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan.
The majority of Iran lies on the Iranian Plateau, a region of mountainous highlands extending from the Himalayan mountains to the Anatolian Peninsula. This plateau is the heartland of Persian civilization, dating back to its earliest cultures. The majority of its people live in its northern and western regions. These mountainous areas are home to small, fertile basins capable of supporting agriculture. Its central and eastern territories are dominated by the Dasht-e Kavir desert. Iran contains no major rivers but possesses large networks of canals. Its climate tends to be hot and dry in the summer and cold in winter. The Caspian Sea coast supports large forests of beech, oak, yew, alder, ironwood, and Persian silk-trees. Iran’s native wildlife include wolves, bears, leopards, endangered Asiatic cheetahs, ibex, gazelle, and wild boars.
Iran, from the CIA World Factbook.
References
Amanat, Abbas. Iran: A Modern History. Yale University Press. 2017.
André-Salvini, Béatrice. Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia. University of California Press. 2005.
Axworthy, Michael. A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind. Basic Books. 2016.
Newman, Andrew. Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire. I.B. Tauris. 2012.
Sartipipour, Mohsen. “Rural Housing in Iran: Past, Present, and Future.” Scientific & Academic Publishing, Scientific & Academic Publishing, 2012, article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.arch.20120201.01.html.
Savory, Roger. Iran Under the Safavids. Cambridge University Press. 2007.
“The World Factbook: Iran.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 12 July 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html.
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