Older than Old

Iranians have some of the oldest history around. Their culture traces way back to 550 B.C. And people lived in the area thousands of years before that! The ancestors of some Jewish people living there now arrived during Old Testament times in the Babylonian Exile.

An older name for Iran is Persia. You’ll find that name in the Bible.

A Country that Shakes

Iran has rich farmland, forests, oil, and fishing. It also shakes. Earthquakes happen a lot. In 1990, a quake killed as many as 50,000 people. Another took more than 25,000 lives in 2003.

Animals

In Iran, you’ll spy leopards, bears, hyenas, ibex, and wild sheep called mouflons. Also look for cheetahs, palm squirrels, rat snakes, cat snakes, and foxes.

Your House

Live in the country in Iran? You may have high mud walls and a roof of straw and mud. A mosque (a place of worship in the religion of Islam) stands in the middle of the village. You may go to school in the mosque. City-dweller? You may live in a house of stone with a garden and a pool.

Iran on Its Own

Since Islamist rulers took over Iran, many other countries don’t want to trade goods with Iran anymore. That makes it tough for Iran’s economy to grow. The United States does not do business with Iran. U.S. authorities accuse Iran’s government of supporting terrorists. A few Christians live in Iran, but most Iranians are Muslims.

Eat it! Weave It! Build It! Write it!

On an Iranian menu, expect to see rice, lamb, vegetables, onions, yogurt, cheese, saffron, and mint.

Iranians are proud of their nation’s long past. Iran boasts famous ancient architecture. Iranians love to wrestle, race horses, and do bodybuilding. They make beautiful carpets on looms. Many famous writers also came from Iran.