Countries Around the World — Iran
Countries Around the World — -Iran by Richard Spilsbury. Published by Capstone Global Library
To many people in Hong Kong, Iran is a mysterious country. I only know it was once a glorious empire. Not long before, the US regarded it as a member of evil axis, which brought it under the light of media. It ignites my interest of this country in Middle East. This book is in fact for children but it presents the facts of Iran systematically and nicely. The illustrations are impressive. Resources for further reading and web-surfing are provided at the end of the book. You can have a basic understanding of the country after reading it.
Overview: Iran is located in the Middle East between Pakistan and Iraq. More than 98% of Iranians are Muslims. They belong mostly to the Shi’i sect of Islam. The average Iranian is just over 26 years old. More than two-thirds of them live in large towns and cities, where they can earn more money. The Iranian population is made up of many ethnic groups. More than half of Iranians are Persians. Others include Azeri who are the descendants of Turks and Kurds who follow Sunni beliefs.
Geography: Iran is made up of a high, flat desert plateau surrounded by a ring of mountains. It has a varied climate. Both baking hot deserts and snowy ski resorts are found. A regular strong wind called the seistan blows during the summer for four months. It is the fourth largest producer of oil in the world. It is the fifth largest producer of natural gas as well.
Economy: Contrary to expectation, though Iran is rich in oil, it has to import petrol and diesel for running the nation’s cars because it has few oil refineries. The famous Iranian carpets are prized for their quality and are exported to many countries. However, 80% of total value of exports comes from oil and chemicals like fertilizers, which are derived from oil. The United Nations has enacted sanctions against Iran to stop it borrowing money from foreign banks. So ordinary Iranians cannot borrow money easily. In addition, some essential goods like bread in Iran are subsidized by the government.
Society: There are health centres which provide free treatment for minor problems in villages throughout the country. Iranians live an average of 71 years, which is better than most other nearby countries. The law in Iran requires women to wear hijabs (headscarves) and loose clothing. Some punishments for breaking laws in Iran are harsh. For example, people may be beaten with sticks or have stones thrown at them.
Culture: Iran’s government bans Western music like rap and heavy metal as well as most foreign films. It also controls all forms of media — -newspapers, books, TV and radio. But Iranians find ways around the bans through Internet or watching satellite TV.
Source: https://artchive.ru/en/levlagorio/works/p:7
