Central Intelligence Agency
Cia: World Factbook: Iran
This resource from the CIA World Factbook provides a detailed fact sheet of Iran. The content covers the country's geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues. It includes...
BBC
Bbc: The Safavid Empire
The BBC surveys the history of the Persian Safavid Empire (1501-1722) in what is now modern Iran. Founded by the Sufi Brotherhood, it adopted the Shi'a version of Islam and the cause of the hidden Imam, which still influences the...
BBC
Bbc News: Profile: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
This BBC profile reports on the Ayatollah Khamenei, considered the spiritual leader of Iran. Updated to 17 June 2009.
NBC
Msnbc: Iran Recommits to Nuclear Arms
Report on Iran's commitment to a nuclear arms control treaty insisting that they be allowed to pursue a nuclear program for peaceful purposes. The US and allies believe Iran is developing atomic weapons. Of particular interest is the...
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Woodrow Wilson Center: Digital Archive: Iran Iraq War
Collection of Iraqi documents translated and made available by the Conflict Records Research Center about the 1980 to 1988 conflict also known as the First Persian Gulf War.
University of Chicago
Oriental Institute: The Persian Gallery
Read about the Persian Empire and the people that live there. Includes photos of artifacts.
BBC
Bbc: News: Country Profile: Iran
The BBC provides a general overview of the country of Iran. Content includes a focus on the recent history and leaders of Iran including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Other
The Iranian: 1979 Revolution, Photos, Articles, Songs
Contains primary source material concerning the Iranian Revolution (photos, quotes, political cartoons, audio clips, Khomeini's declarations, revolutionary slogans, etc.).
CNN
Cnn: Timeline of Iran in the 20th Century
CNN offers a good timeline covering Iran's history in the last century. Includes lots of information on the Iranian Hostage Crisis.
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Iranians
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Iranians. Gives basic facts about location, language, folklore, foods, social customs, family life, education, religion, pastimes, societal challenges, etc. (Note: Content...
Curated OER
Radio Free Europe: News and Features on Iran
Daily news from Iran reported by Radio Free Europe. Extensive archives where articles remain for three years. Includes a search feature. Also includes links to other information about Iran, such as the nuclear program, and the 2005...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Talysh
Learn about the culture of the Talysh people. Explore topics such as their history, economy, past settlements, cultural values, religion, and sociopolitical organization.
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Zoroastrians
The ethnic identity of this Iranian minority group is derived from their religion, Zoroastrianism. They constitute only 0.18 percent of the Iranian population. The term "Zoroastrian" is taken from the name of their prophet Zarathushtra...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Persians
Persians are an ethnic group defined primarily by language and location. The Persian language, also known as Farsi, which linguists classify in the Indo-Iranian Branch of the Indo-European Language Family, had about 23 million speakers...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Qashqa'i
The Qashqa'i are tribally organized, Turkic-speaking, nomadic pastoralists and agriculturists who live in southwestern Iran. They are Shia Muslims, unlike most of Iran's other minorities, who are either Sunni Muslims, Christians, Jews,...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Shahsevan
In various parts of Iran live the remnants of several tribal groups called "Shahsevan," numbering perhaps 300,000 people. Most are now settled villagers or town dwellers who preserve little of their former tribal organization or pastoral...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Lur
The Lur are found mainly in three regions of Iran -- Lorestan, Bakhtiari, and Kohkiluuyeh. Three primary languages spoken by Lur today. The traditional subsistence activity of the Lur is pastoralism; about half of the Lur population may...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Jews of Iran
Until mass emigration began in 1948, Jews constituted one of the largest and longest-settled non-Muslim populations in Iran. Dispersed in every city and town in the country, Iranian Jews were almost always a minority except in a few...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Basseri
The Basseri are traditional pastoral nomads who inhabit the Iranian province of Fars and migrate along the steppes and mountains near the town of Shiraz. The Basseri are a clearly delineated group, defined by political rather than by...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Bakhtiari
The term "Bakhtiari" refers to a group of people and the area they occupy. The Bakhtiari inhabit the central Zagros Mountains of Iran. The Bakhtiari are traditionally nomadic pastoralists who make their winter encampments in the low...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Aimaq
In western Afghanistan and far eastern Iran, "Aimaq" means "tribal people," which distinguishes the Aimaq from the nontribal population in the area, the Persians (Fariswan) and Tajiks. Most of the population of live in Afghanistan; those...
Michigan State University
Michigan State University: Global Edge: Iran: Introduction
Provides statistics, history, economy, culture, politics, and demographics for Iran located in the Middle East.
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Mandaeans
The Mandaeans are a group of people defined primarily by their religious affiliation, which differs from that of their mainly Muslim neighbors in Iran and Iraq. Today they live along the rivers and waterways of southern Iraq and...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Nestorians
The designation "Nestorian" connotes both a religious rite and a linguistic minority, a phenomenon that is often misunderstood. Nestorians today, some 100,000 of them, have found a lasting home in the mountains of Kurdistan, the...