ABSTRACT

Iran – an introduction Iran, formerly Persia, is located in the Middle East between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Caspian Sea, bordering on Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. The population of almost 70 million is extremely diverse, reflecting distinct waves of migration into the country, as well as its conquest by numerous powers through the ages. The main ethnic groups in Iran are Persians (65 per cent), Azerbaijani Turks (16 per cent), Kurds (7 per cent), Lurs (6 per cent), Arabs (2 per cent), Baluchis (2 per cent), Turkmens (1 per cent), Turkish tribal groups such as the Qashqai (1 per cent), and non-Persian, non-Turkic groups such as Armenians, Assyrians and Georgians (less than 1 per cent). Persian is the official language spoken as a mother tongue by at least 65 per cent of the population and as a second language by a large proportion of the remaining 35 per cent. The state religion is Shiite Islam, practised by 90 per cent of the population, and most of the remainder (8 per cent) are Sunni Muslims. A minority of about 2 per cent are adherents of non-Muslim

religions, including Christians, Bahá’ís, Mandeans, Hindus, Sikhs, Yezidis, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians and Jews (Library of Congress 2008).