GENERAL INFORMATION

Accommodation	Adminisrative Structure	Climate	Clothing	Communications	Crafts
Cuisine	Culture	Customs	Ecology	Economy	Education
Emblem	Flag	Geography	Holidays	Language	Money
Population	Religion	Shopping	State System	Traditions	Transport

Accommodation Hotels are classified according to a star system and range from the first-class to grimly Spartan. The newest hotels in big cities bear the closest resemblance to their counterparts in Europe or America. Rates are charged in foreign currency in most of the high-star hotels.
When couples ask for a double room, they are always asked to provide proof that they are married. Since all guests have to show identity cards on checking in, there is no possibility of booking in anonymously as Mr and Mrs Smith. The rules may be relaxed for non-Muslim Westerns, but on the whole unmarried couples do not travel together and do not share rooms.

Administrative Structure Iran is divided into 28 provinces ruled over by a governor-general.
Tehran is the capital of Iran with population more than 6.6 million inhabitants. Among other big cities are Mashhad (1.8 million), Isfahan (1.2 million), Tabriz (1.1 million), Shiraz (0.97 million) and Hamadan (0.95 million).

Climate The climate of Iran is dry tropical with very hot summer and cold, with some snow, winter. Winter is normally the rainy season for the whole country.

The Desht-e Kavir Desert, south-east of the capital, is harsh, inhospitable, and very, very hot in summer. Winters are not much better, and at night the temperature can fall well below zero.

The Dasht-e Lut to the south is even worse; almost completely devoid of water from any direction and the last word in extreme aridity.
The regions along the mountainous parts of the country have milder summers and colder winters.

The north-west of the country is generally the coldest and among the rainiest parts of the country. The winters in Azarbaijan and Kurdestan can be severe: temperatures sometimes fall as low as -20 oC (-4oF). Snow frequently remains until early spring, or even later in the mountains.

But the coastal regions have quite a different climate. The Caspian coast is damp all year round and provides a pleasant contrast with the dryness of plateaux, which are only a few hours away by road.

Wind is undoubtedly the most unpleasant element especially from June in the east of the country. In Mashhad there are tales of wind from Central Asia lasting for one hundred and twenty days, which in the middle of summer blow at up to 200 km / h.

The temperature can vary widely. In the summer, temperatures vary from a high of 50 o C (122o F) in the south to a low of 1o C (34 o F) in the north-west. Average winter temperature is 5.9 o C (42.6 o F), summer temperature is 37.8 o C (100 o F).
Precipitation also varies greatly, ranging from less than 50 mm (2 in) in the south-east to about 2,000 mm (80 in) in the Caspian region. The annual average is about 250 mm (10 in).

Spring (April to May) and autumn (late September to late November) are good seasons for visiting Iran. Summer is pleasant in Tehran and on the Caspian coast.

Clothing Visitors to Iran are officially requested to wear decent clothing. According to the Islamic and social beliefs in Iran, it is necessary for women to be modestly covered & wearing a head scarf together with a long dress. It is essential for women to cover all parts of the body except the hands, feet and face (from hairline to neckline), and to ensure that the outer layer of clothing gives no hint or impression of the shape of the body. No woman traveller is recommended to go on extremes as far as the jewellery and make-up is concerned.
The laws on dress are particularly strictly observed during Ramazan when Iranians avoid reds and any other bright colours. The same applies to the colours of dress worn in the month of mourning, Moharram.

In summer take lightweight and easily washed clothes of natural fabrics, a cardigan or pullover for the cooler nights, a pair of sunglasses and (only if you are male) a hat which will protect your face from the sun.

In nearly all mosques people are required to take off their shoes, and ladies must certainly cover their heads.

Communications Communication system is ensured via a system of line and station facilities of post, telephone, telegraph, and tele-and-radio communication.
As a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially. Many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches.
International communication is based on HF radio and microwave radio relay with Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat.
Internet service is available but limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture.

Crafts Iranian arts and crafts need no introduction, their excellence being amply demonstrated by priceless objects in museum throughout the world. Carpet and textile weaving, ceramic and clay work, blown glass, wood and stone work have a history in this country of over twenty-five centuries.
Throughout history, oriental carpets have enjoyed a universal reputation because of their craftsmanship and quality, and the most prized have been those originating in Iran.
The best silver and copper ware come from Isfahan. Inlaid work is a Shiraz speciality although that from Isfahan and Tehran is also excellent. Shiraz produces incomparable marquetry, inlaid mosaics in wood, and picture frames. Isfahan excels in metalwork and textiles. Hamadan displays its famous blue-glazed pottery and ceramics. Persian miniatures of traditional scenes painted by hand on mother-of-pearl, bone, enamel or papier-mache, are cherished souvenirs of many travellers. Bargaining is an old practice and maybe tried by the visitor, especially in the bazaars.

Cuisine All provinces of Iran have their own dishes. However, the national dish is rice prepared in several special ways.
In Iran rice is served in two basic ways, either as polo or chelo.
Chelo is the steamed white rice cooked separately and over which different types of sauces or meats are served.
Polo, often called pilaf in the West, is the name applied to rice with which other ingredients are mixed in the cooking process.
Khoresh (Sauce for Pilaf) is usually prepared with meat or fowl combined with fresh or dried vegetables, fresh or dried fruit, and sometimes nuts and cereals.
Persians almost always eat rice with khoresh.
Chelo Kabab is rice with broiled lamb. The secret of good and tasty chelo kabab lies in marinating of the meat. The meat should be properly marinated in onion juice and sometimes in yogurt for a day or two. There is an old Iranian tradition as to how one should eat chelo kabab. Put plenty of chelo in a plate, make a small hole in the centre of it, put an egg yolk in it, then plenty of butter, the broiled kabab, and a teaspoon or two of sumac over it. Mix these ingredients well and start eating.
Abgusht (Lamb Stew), which in Persian means the water of the meat, is one of the most popular dishes in Iran. Abgusht is cooked in a crock for half a day on a very low grill over hot ashes. Some people prefer not make it watery, serving the broth as a soup and the meat and the rest of the ingredients separately. Others use less water and let it cook until a very thick broth remains.
Ash (Iranian Soup) depends on geographic location and the available ingredients. It can be a very simple meal, prepared inexpensively, or it can be a rich meal if one knows how to spice it properly.
Dolmeh is any kind of vegetable and fruit stuffed with meat and rice. Dolmeh Barg, literally meaning stuffed leaves, is the name for stuffed grape leaves. When served cold, it is normally stuffed with rice and currants.
Kufteh Tabrizi (meat balls). Iranians make a variety of meat balls and use them in soups, khoreshes, and as a basis for quick meals.
Kuku (Casserole Dish) is a type of dish usually made of vegetables and eggs. Eggs are the bases for these casserole dishes, because of serving as the binding agent.

Tea (never with milk) is the staple drink in Iran. Coffee is not widely available and is usually expensive.
Fruits are served almost at all kinds of ceremonies and occasions. In Iran there are very delicious, delicate cucumbers which are served as a fruit.
Mast (yoghurt), used almost in every Iranian family, is served with meals. For generations, Iranians have served mast as a soft drink in summer as well. They dilute it with water, add a pinch of salt, spearmint, and call it abdugh.

It is worth to add few words about Iranian caviar. It is a product of the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, which has an ideal environment for sturgeon fish. Iranian caviar has an exquisite appearance, delicious taste and pleasant fragrance with gleaming roes, usually in light grey, golden brown and sometimes in golden and black colours.
In towns, the best caviar can be purchased from Iran Fisheries Stores and some other food shops. North Iran is the best place to find the best caviar, known as the golden caviar. Caviar purchased at Mehrabad International Airport Duty-Free Shop can be taken abroad by passengers.

Culture Iran is a land of ancient and rich culture. Numerous historical monuments evidence its high cultural standards and national originality. Objects found during archaeological excavations are of lasting artistic value and show the deep historical roots of Iranian culture.
Iran used to be a home for great poets: Rudaki, Daqiqi, Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam (both a poet and a mathematician), Anvari, Molavi, Saadi and Hafez. Daqiqi was an epic poet, commissioned to write the original Shahnameh. He died when having completed only a thousand lines. His task was ably completed by Ferdowsi. The great poet Ferdowsi was 40 years old when he wrote Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), the national epic. It took him about 30 years to compose 60,000 couplets of the Shahnameh which gives the history of Iran to the end of the Sassanian period.

Iranians are great music lovers and during the course of their twenty-five centuries of their recorded history, they have developed not only a very distinctive music of their own but also numerous musical instruments, several of which were the first prototypes of the modern musical instruments of today.
The first references to musicians in Iran are found in Susa, Elam (relief sculptures and paintings of the 27th century BC).

Iranian theatre has a history of traditional and ritualistic plays originating in both Islamic ceremonies and folk culture, with an oral performance-oriented nature. The country was introduced to Western-style dramatic forms about one hundred years ago through a number of translated plays. A lot of adapted or translated plays by playwrights like Albee, Brecht, Anouilh, Ibsen, Strindberg, Beckett, and Shakespeare are performed with alacrity as are plays originally written in Persian.
Alongside urban theatre, a tradition of folk theatre is still present in the rural areas, rendering thin performances usually in village fairs and various folk occasions.
Today, the theatrical landscape of Iran is characterised mainly by its public theatres, fully subsidised directly by the government and offers a wide range of drama including stage drama, puppet theatre and theatre for children and youth.
Festivals and theatre reviews have become important segments of theatre life in more recent times. The Dramatic Arts Centre has organised annual and biennial national and international theatre festivals such as The International Fair Festival, held annually in Tehran with the participation of foreign and Iranian theatre companies. The festivals have eventually become one of the most important channels enhancing theatre life in the country.

Customs All the travellers are obliged to fill in the Customs Declaration Form duplicate upon entering Iran. All currencies and other valuable items such as jewellery, cameras and computers being imported into the country must be declared in this form.
The Customs Declaration Form must be surrendered at the time of departure. This allows an easy export of all imported items.

Duty Free: The following goods may be imported into Iran by tourists aged 18 and older without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or equivalent in tobacco products; a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use; a reasonable amount of clothing and personal goods, otherwise it may be treated for trade purposes; camera and video camera, provided it is declared to the custom on arrival; sport gears and equipment, tents and camping facilities.

Ecology Air and water quality is generally good. Automobiles and industrial fossil fuel emissions cause most pollution problems.
The unrestrained destruction of forests has caused widespread erosion and desertification in Iran. Likewise, deforestation of land near rivers and over-grazing has lead to extensive flooding in some parts of the country.
Fertile topsoil is rapidly eroding due to poor conservation practices, mono cropping, heavy chemical pesticide and fertiliser use.

Economy The government of Iran practices the so called Islamic economy, based upon three sectors: public, co-operative and private providing the most essential needs: housing, food, clothing, public health, medical treatment, education and the necessary conditions for establishing a family for all.
The main economic wealth of Iran is, of course, petroleum. It is the fourth among the countries of the World, after Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait, and is ranked second in the world in view of its natural gas reserve, after Russia. Almost one-tenth of the world's oil and one-fifth of the world's natural gas reserve are in Iran. Besides this, Iran has large mineral deposits and considerable amount of forest wealth, in addition to zinc, lead, chromate, iron ore, copper, red oxide and manganese, nickel, cobalt, tungsten, uranium, gold and silver.
Iran has established free trade zones in Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea and offers incentives for investment and distribution of good in the domestic and regional market.
In Iran, agricultural production accounts for about 20% of the gross domestic product. The principal products include wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, and caviar.

Education By 2000 literacy for all Iranians aged 15 and older had reached 76.9 %. The literacy rate was higher for males (83.7 %) than for females (70 %); the rate was also higher in cities than in rural areas.
In the past two decades, the education system has been reformed several times.
General education is free and compulsory from the age of six. It comprises 5 years of primary, 3 years of lower secondary, 3 years of upper secondary and one year of pre-university education. The language of instruction is Farsi.
Iran has more than 30 tuition-free public universities and many other institutes of higher learning. These include medical universities and specialised colleges providing instruction in teacher training, agriculture, and other subjects. In addition to the public system, Iran has a private system of higher education that consists of theological colleges and the Islamic Free University, which has been developing campuses in cities throughout the country since its establishment in the late 1980s. The university is presently active in over 110 cities in Iran with more than half a million students.
Presently, 54 universities and institutes of higher education are active under the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. In addition, the comprehensive Applied Sciences University was established in order to strengthen technical and vocational education.
Some 33 private institutes of higher education, offering both undergraduate and postgraduate courses with about 23,000 students are active in Iran.
Distance education is also available. Payam-e-Nour University aimed to expand higher education in remote areas for employed candidates, takes part in training of specialised manpower and makes efficient use of educational potentials and facilities. The university admitted students in 18 disciplines through nation-wide entrance examinations in 147 centres across the country.
The number of students enrolled in all institutions in the academic year 1998-99 was 1,308,150 including 47.62% students in the public sector and 52.38% students in the private sector. The proportion of female students was 42.26% in the public sector and 44.46% in the private sector.

Emblem was adopted on 10 May 1980.
The colour of emblem is green. The symbol consists of four crescents and a sword. The four crescents are meant to stand for the word Allah (there is indeed some resemblance to the Arabic writing of it). The five parts of the emblem symbolise the five principles of Islam. Above the sword (central part) is a tashdid (looks a bit like a W). In Arabic writing this is used to double a letter, here it doubles the strength of the sword.
The shape of the emblem is chosen to remind a tulip, for the memory of the (young) people who died for Iran. It is an ancient belief in Iran, dating back to mythology, that if a young soldier dies patriotically, a red tulip will grow on his grave. In recent years it is considered as the symbol of martyrdom.

Flag was adopted on 29 July 1980.
National Flag of Iran consists of three horizontal stripes: green, white and red with a red emblem in centre and stylised writings on the horizontal edges of the white stripe.
The colours of the Iranian flag are traditional and they can be interpreted as representing the Islamic religion (green), peace (white), and courage (red). The flag's centrepiece formerly comprised a lion with a sword standing before a raising sun, with a crown above, but all traditional flags and banners were abolished after the abdication of the shah in 1979.
There is Arabic writings in the borderline of the stripes. These are 11 green copies of the main Islamic phrase Allahu Akbar meaning "God is greater (than everything)" on the top and 11 red copies on the bottom of the white strip.

Geography Iran occupies the territory of 1,648,195 square kilometres. It is situated in south-western Asia and borders on three CIS states: the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkmenistan, as well as the Caspian Sea in the north, Turkey and Iraq in the west, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in the south and Pakistan and Afghanistan in the east.
Iran is one of the world's most mountainous countries. The main mountain chain is the Zagros Mountains, that bisect the country from north-west to south-east. Many peaks in the Zagros exceed 3,000 meters above sea level, and in the south-central region of the country there are at least five peaks that are over 4,000 meters. Rimming the Caspian Sea littoral is another chain of mountains, the narrow but high Alborz Mountains.
The centre of Iran consists of several closed basins that collectively are referred to as the Central Plateau. Two salt deserts, the Dasht-e Kavir and the Dasht-e Lut with an area of over 200,000 and 166,000 square kilometres, respectively, cover the eastern part of the plateau. Except for some scattered oases, these deserts are uninhabited.
Several rivers are flowing inside Iranian mainland, the only navigable one of which is the Karun (890 km).
There is a permanent salt lake, Lake Urmia in the north-west, whose brine content is too high to support fish or most other forms of aquatic life. There are also several connected salt lakes along the Iran-Afghanistan border.
The wildlife of Iran is very rich and includes many wolves, foxes, leopards, and lynx. Seals are found in the Caspian. In addition to wild goats, deer and gazelles abound, as do sheep and boars. Rodents are ubiquitous and 98 varieties of lizard are found.

Health Medical care in Iran is limited and expensive. There are about 16,000 doctors in the country, mainly therapists and dentists, and about half of them work in the capital. There is a small number of hospitals with 1.5 beds per 1,000 people. Basic medical care and medicines are available in the principal cities of Iran, but they may not be available in outlying areas. When making a decision regarding health insurance, travellers should consider that many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service. Uninsured travellers who require medical care overseas often face extreme difficulties.

Holidays

Religious Holidays
The dates of Muslim holidays change each year in correspondence with Lunar Calendar.

The last Friday of the fasting month is observed as Quods Day. Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian minorities have their own holidays.

The favourite holiday is Now Ruz (New Day or New Year). Navruz is widely celebrated everywhere as the day of peace and charity.

Languages Persian (Farsi) is a member of the Indo-Iranian sub-family of the Indo-European languages, and the official language of the government and public instruction and is the mother tongue on more than half of the population.
Historically, the Persian language has developed through three distinct stages: Old, Middle, and Modern. Old Persian, used exclusively for royal proclamations and announcements, is known chiefly from cuneiform inscriptions dating from the time of the Achaemenian Kings of ancient Persia (6th - 4th centuries BC).
Middle Persian, derived directly from Old Persian, and also known as Pahlavi, prevailed under the Sassanian rulers of Persia (3rd - 8th centuries AD). Grammatically, much simplification of inflection took place in Middle Persian, which was recorded both in an Aramaic alphabet and a script called Huzvaresh. The official language of Zoroastrian Priesthood, it also had a noteworthy literature of Manichaean and Zoroastrian texts.
The Modern form of Persian evolved directly from the Middle Persian (900 AD onward) has not changed much since that date. A number of Arabic words were added to the vocabulary as a result of the conquest of the Persia by the Muslim Arabs in the 7th century AD. Modern Persian, written from right to left in a modified version of the Arabic alphabet (it has four letters of its own in addition to those of the Arabic).
English is the most widely spoken foreign language in Iran. Hotel and airline employees and others who deal with foreigners know enough English to cope with everyday problems. Tour guides are trained to specialise in one or more foreign languages. To make yourself understood, you may have to speak very slowly, clearly and simply.
There are a number of other dialects and traditional languages Turkish (Azarbaijani), Kurdish, Luri, Guilaki, Baluchi and Arabic used by the corresponding provincial population for daily life purposes.

Money The monetary unit in Iran is the Iranian Rial, internationally abbreviated into RI or Ris. There are 100 dinars in one Rial. 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 250-Rial silver alloy coins are in circulation as well as banknotes for a value of 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10 000 Rials. The value of the coins is indicated in Persian figures, the banknotes have the figures printed on one side in Persian and on the other in Latin numerals. In their daily dealings, Iranians use old currency unit called tuman, worth 10 Rials.
In compliance with new currency policies and for the convenience of the foreigners, hotel and travel tour rates and the price of carpets are expressed in US dollars.

Bank and Currency-Exchange Offices: A certain number of banks change foreign currency. Be sure to take your passport along when you go to change money. Note that small towns do not always have foreign currency exchange offices or banks.
Most hotels and restaurants do not accept credit cards. Cash-dollars (not travellers' checks) are accepted as payment. Foreign currency must be declared at customs upon entry into the country.

Currency restrictions: The import of foreign currency is unlimited, but should be declared on arrival. The export of foreign currency is permitted up to the amount declared on arrival. The import and export of local currency exceeding 200,000 Iranian Rials is prohibited.

Political system Iran is the Islamic Republic established after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Under the Constitution of November 1979 all cultural, social, political and economic institutions of Iranian society are to be based on the Islamic principles and norms.

All government policies are supervised and correlated with Divine decrees through the pious jurist (faqih) or the Supreme Leader. The legislative organ of the state is Islamic Consultative Assembly. The chief executive is the President, and both are elected for a four-year term.
The Constitution has also provided for a constitutional council of sages known as the Council of the Guardians of the Constitution, which has the power to either approve or vote out the Assembly's resolutions. The Assembly of Experts is another Islamic body responsible for the choosing of a Leader in the event of the present leader's demise, or to replace him with another one if required.

Population The population of Iran is 66.6 million (2002 estimate); the growth rate is 0.76 % and population density is made up of 40.4 persons per square kilometre.

The population of Iran consists of the following national and ethnic groups: Turks, Kurds, Baluchis, Lurs, Turkmens, Arabs, the Armenians, the Assyrians, and the Nomads, consisting of the Bakhtiari, Qashqaie, and several other smaller tribes.
Approximately 57.3% of the population is urban and 42.7% is rural or migrating.

Religion About 98.5% of the population is Muslim. The official religion of Iran is Islam, mainly of Shiite sect, although there are many Sunnis. Iran also has minority groups of Zoroastrians, Jews, Armenians, Assyrians, Catholics and Protestants, all of which are respected.
Iran has a great mass of religious followers. Access to Islamic places of worship is generally open, except to non-believers and non-Muslims.
Synagogues and churches can be found in big cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Hamadan, Tabriz, etc.

Shopping Shops offer a wide choice of carpets, rugs, Iranian handicrafts, miniatures, China inlaid works, engravings, brocade, silk and paintings. These shops are usually open between 9 AM to 9 PM during the week and closed on Fridays.
In 4 or 5 stars hotels there is a number of gift / handicraft shops where a wide range of Iranian goods can be found.

State System Iran is an Islamic Republic established