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ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE Iran has 28 provinces (Ostanha). The provinces are subdivided into counties (shahrestanha), which in turn subdivided into towns/cities (shahrha), districts (bakhshha), and townships (dehestanha). According to 1996 official statistics the country has 265 counties comprised of 678 towns/cities, 707 districts, and 2227 townships. Tehran is the capital and the largest city (population 6’758’000 in 1996).
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three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the white band; Allah-o Akbar (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band.
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| NATIONAL ANTHEM Since the Islamic revolution, Iran has had at least two national anthems. The current one was adopted after a competition in 1990. The words of the winning anthem were written collectively, the melody is by Mr. Hassan Riahi. TRANSLATION:
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| There are three calendars in use in Iran. The official and most commonly used calendar is the Islamic solar calendar. This calendar, which is used only in Iran among all Muslim countries, in fact originated before the beginning of the Persian Empire (550 BC). After the conversion of the vast majority of Iranians to Islam, the ancient Iranian calendar was adjusted to begin with the year of the Prophet Muhammad's immigration to Medina (the hijrah), equivalent to AD 622 in the Gregorian calendar. New year or Nowruz normally falls on March 21, the vernal equinox. The Persian solar year has 365 days, with a leap year of 366 days every four years. To convert from the Islamic solar calendar to the Gregorian, 621 or 622 years, depending on the time of year, are added to the Iranian year. (For example, the Iranian year 1361 began on March 21, 1982, and ended on March 20, 1983.) The Islamic Lunar Calendar is also used for religious observances. Unlike the Muslim solar, Muslim Lunar year consists of 354 days. Western Gregorian calendar is used for foreign relations and transactions. For example 24 July 2003 in Gregorian calendar is 02 Mordad 1382 in Islamic solar and 24 Jamadi al-Awwal 1424 in Islamic Lunar calendars.
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CLIMATE......................
Download City Temperature and Precipitation
Much of Iran has a very harsh climate with great extremes of heat and cold between summer and winter. Large portions of central, southern and eastern Iran consist of desert and steppe with annual precipitation below 300 mm. With the exception of the northern slopes of the Elburz Mountains and the Caspian coastlands, rainfall is confined to the winter and spring months. In the extreme north of the country some rainfall occurs throughout the year. Summers are warm to hot with almost continuous sunshine. Winter weather is changeable with a mixture of mild, wet spells and some very cold weather with frost and snow when cold air blows from Siberia. Along the shore of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman winters are much milder as shown by the tables for Bandar Abbas and Boushehr (see page 23). The high temperatures experienced here in summer are similar to those in lowland Iraq. Temperatures in the interior plateau are considerably lower in winter but are very high during the long sunny summer. In the southern coastlands the high humidity makes the high temperatures even more unpleasant in the summer. Further inland daytime humidity is usually quite low in the summer, and the most adverse conditions arise when high temperatures are combined with occasional strong, dusty winds. The small area of Iran along the Caspian coast has a very different climate from the rest of the country. Here precipitation is heaviest from late summer until midwinter and occurs around the year. This region is much wetter and cloudier than the Persian plateau and the annual precipitation ranges from 800 mm to 2,000 mm. It is a fertile, well-forested region and contrasts in a startling way with the arid landscape of interior Iran, where most cultivation is dependent upon irrigation from underground water resources and streams fed by rain and snow falling on the surrounding mountains. Spring and autumn are wonderful seasons to visit Iran, when the temperatures remain within a comfortable range and the scenery is at its best.
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| In case of fax and Telegram, international 24-hour service is available at large hotels and telegraphic offices in major cities. E-mail and internet services are available in most large hotels. E-mail centers are now becoming popular in major cities. While cities like Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashad, Yazd, etc. have several Internet Cafés, and the concept has also caught on in other cities. Telephone calls to all countries are direct from most hotels. However in some basic hotels the calls need to be placed through the operator. The international direct dialing code for Iran is +98. The postal services in Iran are quite efficient and reliable. Stamps can be bought at post offices and some hotels. One should allow 2 to 4 weeks for mail to reach its destination in the US, Europe or Australia. Some of the major international courier companies have offices throughout Iran, and deliveries and collections can be made to and from all parts of the country.
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| Iran has been known for centuries as the wonderland of ‘A thousand nights and a night’ and Iranians have always been regarded as outstanding craftsmen, with highly developed artistic sense. Carpet looms dot the country. Each locality prides itself on a special design and quality of carpet that bears its name, such as Kashan, Kerman, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz and Qom. Carpets are used locally and are exported. Iran has gained such fame in weaving fine and magnificent carpets that, for many centuries, it has come to be known to the world as “the land of Carpets.” The handwoven-cloth industry has survived stiff competition from the country’s modern textile mills. Weavers produce velvets, printed cottons, wool or silk brocades, shawls, and cloth shoes. Felt is made in the south and sheepskin is embroidered in the northeast. A wide range of articles, both utilitarian and decorative, is made of various metals. The most famous centers are Tehran (gold); Shiraz, Isfahan, and Zanjan (silver); and Kashan and Isfahan (copper). Khorasan is known for its turquoise industry, as in the Persian Gulf region for natural pearls. The craft techniques are as divergent as the products themselves. Articles may be cast, beaten, wrought, pierced, or drawn (stretched out). The most widespread techniques for ornamentation are engraving, embossing, chiseling, damascening, encrusting, or gilding. Numerous decorative articles in wood are produced for both the domestic and export markets in Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran (inlay) and in Rasht, Orumiyeh, and Sanadaj (carved and pierced wood). Machine-made ceramic tiles are produced in Tehran but handmade tiles and mosaics, known for their rich designs and beautiful colors, continue to be produced. Stone and clay are also used for the production of a wide variety of household utensils, trays, dishes, and vases. Mashad is the center of the stone industry. Pottery is widely scattered throughout the country, Hamadan being the largest center.
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Iran’s currency is the Rial, abbreviated as IRR. However, normally prices are quoted in Tomans instead of Rials. One Toman is 10 Rials. Coins are in denominations of 50, 100, and 250 Rials. Notes are in denominations of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10000 Rials. Contact the nearest bank for details of current exchange rates. Tourists are advised that changing money through unauthorized persons is not only illegal but also tantamount to offence under Foreign exchange Regulation Act. There are exchange facilities available in all large cities, and international airports. There is a 24-hour exchange office at Tehran International Airport (Mehrabad). It is advisable to carry out enough cash in different denominations for traveling to Iran. US Dollar is the easiest currency to change followed by Euro and Pounds Sterling. There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency a tourist may import, provided a Declaration Form is completed on arrival by the tourists if they enter the country with substantial amount of cash. This will facilitate the exchange of imported currency as well as the export of unspent currency on departure.
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“Eat naught but regal food, if you would develop both the body and the soul.”
Most international foods are served in the deluxe hotels, and the lightly seasoned local food is exceptional and should be sampled as often as possible. The food in Iran is delicate, gently seasoned, and characteristically fragrant with the most aromatic spices and with the essences of citrus fruits and flowers, especially the Persian Damask Rose. Local dishes include tasty shrimp, lamb and chicken dishes (most meat is grilled), fresh fruit and vegetables, yogurt and desserts. Sample Shirin Polo (Rice garnished with sweetened orange peels, nuts and saffron served with chicken), Fesenjan (Stew of pomegranate paste, crushed walnuts and chicken or duck served with rice), Zereshk Polo (Barberry rice served with chicken), Albalou Polo (Cherry Rice served with chicken), Dolmeh (stuffed eggplants, tomatoes, or bell peppers), and of course different kinds of Kebabs (chicken, lamb, fish or shrimp). If you get a chance, try the caviar (Iranian caviar, considered some of the world’s best, is mostly exported). There are four kinds of bread: Taftoon (fresh, flat, lunch bread), Barbari (Chewy breakfast bread), Lavash (paper thin bread) and Sangak (baked on hot pebbles). Try some regional specialties such as; nougats in Isfahan, Pistachios in Rafsanjan, Dates in Bam, Pistachio brittles in Qom, Date cookies in Kerman, and Bergamot jam in Shiraz and northern Iran. Iranian Saffron or Rosewater ice cream is also excellent.
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