Iran

Iran is a country in Asia with its capital in Tehran and about 92.4 million people. Iran is known for Persian carpets and for Nowruz, the Persian new year, which begins at the spring equinox and is far older than Islam.

Iran in purple, with Tehran marked. Outline from the same detailed coastlines the games use.

Capital: Tehran
Continent: Asia
Population (2025): 92.4 million
Land area: 1,622,500 km² (626,450 sq mi)

Find it among 48 Asia countries →Explore Iran on the map

The story of Iran

Where the name comes from

Iran comes from Middle Persian Ērān, “land of the Aryans”, meaning ancient Iranian peoples; Persia instead comes from Pārsa, today’s Fars region.

First people

Persian empires grew on a plateau already home to older societies such as Elam, and Iranian languages belong to the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European.¹

Known for

Iran is known for Persian carpets and for Nowruz, the Persian new year, which begins at the spring equinox and is far older than Islam.²

Outside rule

Arab armies conquered the Sasanian Empire in the 600s, bringing Islam; Iran was never colonized, though Britain and Russia divided it into spheres of influence in 1907.^3,4