I·ran ( -r n , -rän,  -rn) Formerly Per·sia (pûrzh , -sh) A country of southwest Asia. Inhabited since c. 2000 b.c. by Iranian peoples, the region later became the core of the Persian Empire. After being conquered by Alexander the Great and ruled by the Parthian Arsacid dynasty, Persia was reestablished under the Sassanian dynasty (a.d. 224-651) and, after invasions by Arabs (7th century), Turks (10th century), and Mongols (13th-14th centuries), was reestablished again under the Safavid dynasty (1502-1736). The country, officially renamed Iran in 1935, was ruled by the Pahlavi dynasty from 1925 until the ouster of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi (1979) in a revolution led by the Ayatollah Khomeini, who established an Islamic republic. Tehran is the capital and the largest city. Population: 65,400,000. |   |
Iran [ɪˈrɑːn]
n
(Placename) a republic in SW Asia, between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf: consists chiefly of a high central desert plateau almost completely surrounded by mountains, a semitropical fertile region along the Caspian coast, and a hot and dry area beside the Persian Gulf. Oil is the most important export. Official language: Farsi (Persian). Official religion: Muslim majority. Currency: rial. Capital: Tehran. Pop.: 63 442 000 (2001 est.). Area: 1 647 050 sq. km (635 932 sq. miles) Former name (until 1935) Persia Official name Islamic Republic of Iran See also Persian Empire
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Iran - a theocratic Islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oilMEK, MKO, Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization, People's Mujahidin of Iran - a terrorist organization formed in the 1960s by children of Iranian merchants; sought to counter the Shah of Iran's pro-western policies of modernization and opposition to communism; following a philosophy that mixes Marxism and Islam it now attacks the Islamic fundamentalists who deposed the Shah OPEC, Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries - an organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum Usuli - a religious movement by Persian Shiite Muslims in 17th century Iran that is opposed to the Akhbari; "Usuli Shiism produced the politically active caste of priests that is a distinctive feature of Iranian Shiism" Middle East, Mideast, Near East - the area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th century; "the Middle East is the cradle of Western civilization" Gulf States - the countries in southwestern Asia that border the Persian Gulf capital of Iran, Iranian capital, Teheran, Tehran - the capital and largest city of Iran; located in northern Iran Abadan - a port city in southwestern Iran Bam - an ancient city in southeastern Iran; destroyed by an earthquake in 2003 Shiraz - a city in central southwestern Iran; ruins of ancient Persepolis are nearby Tabriz - an ancient city in northwestern Iran; known for hot springs Qum - a city in northwestern Iran; a place of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims Persepolis - an ancient city that was the capital of the ancient Persian Empire; now in ruins Kurdistan - an extensive geographical region in the Middle East to the south of the Caucasus Dasht-e-Lut, Lut Desert - a desert in eastern Iran Demavend - an active volcano in northern Iran Asia - the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations Caspian, Caspian Sea - a large saltwater lake between Iran and Russia fed by the Volga River; the largest inland body of water in the world Daryacheh-ye Orumiyeh, Lake Urmia, Urmia - a shallow saline lake in northwestern Iran between Tabriz and the western border of Turkey Irani, Iranian, Persian - a native or inhabitant of Iran; "the majority of Irani are Persian Shiite Muslims" ayatollah - a high-ranking Shiite religious leader who is regarded as an authority on religious law and its interpretation and who has political power as well |
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