IRAN & IRAQ

Alicia, Manolo, Samuel, Su Hawn

IRAN
Tehran

NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Iraq, and Turkey.

Iran also has a water

boundary along the Caspian
Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Gulf
of Oman.

AREA
(32.4279 N, 53.6880
E)
Total - 1,648,195 km2
Water (%) - 0.7

POPULATION
77.45 million (2013)
Iran population is equivalent
to 1.08% of the total world
population.
Iran ranks number 17 in the
list of countries by
population.

 Currency
Iranian rial (1 Iranian Rial = 0.0011 Thai Baht )

Language
The official language of Iran is only one: Persian. Seven more
languages are recognized regional languages: Azerbaijani,
Kurdish, Lori, Mazandarani, Gilaki, Balochi and Arabic.

Religion
Islam is the religion of 99.4% of Iranians. 90-95% of Iranians
are Shi'a and 5-10% are Sunni. The rest other religions
present are Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
Iran is dominated by the Iranian plateau and surrounded by mountain
ranges, such as the Zagros mountains (in the south-west) and the Elburz
(in the north). In the latter is the countrys highest peak, the Damavand,
reaching 5,610 meters (18,405 ft). The main plains are the AraloCaspian Depression along the Caspian coast and the Mesopotamian
depression on the Persian Gulf, next to the frontier with Irak in
Arvandrud (Chat-el-Arab).
The main rivers of Iran are the Sefid-Rud, Karun and Hilment.
The main cities are Teheran (the capital), Tabriz, Meshed, Ispahan,
Shiraz, Abadan, Ahwaz and Kermanshah.
Vegetation -Although more than 10,000 plant species have been
identified in Iran, the natural vegetation in most of the country has been
uprooted and replaced by cultivated crops or pastures

CLIMATE
The climate is desert or dry continental. The whole of Iran is arid
or semi-arid, except along the Caspian coast where the climate is
mainly subtropical.
The climate is influenced by Iran's location between the
subtropical aridity of the Arabian desert areas and the
subtropical humidity of the eastern Mediterranean area.
January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 5C to
10C, and August is the hottest month at 20C to 30C or more.
About 70 percent of the average rainfall in the country falls
between November and March; June through August are often
rainless. Rainfall varies from season to season and from year to
year.

ECONOMY
Iran is the second largest economy in the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region after Saudi Arabia, with an estimated Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015 of US$393.7 billion.
It also has the second largest population of the region after
Egypt, with an estimated 78.8 million people in 2015.
Irans economy is characterized by the hydrocarbon sector,
agriculture and services sectors, and a noticeable state
presence in manufacturing and financial services.
Iran ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and fourth
in proven crude oil reserves. Economic activity and government
revenues still depend to a large extent on oil revenues and
therefore remain volatile.

CUISINE
Traditional Iranian cuisine combines the savory of fresh herbs
and spices like saffron, merges it with the sweet of
pomegranate, barberry and cinnamon and tops it all off with
a flourish of nuts, dried fruits and beans. Influences on the
Iranian table draw from across Central Asia, Turkey,
throughout Mesopotamia, and most notably from its own
Azerbaijani Turkish population to yield a cuisine that is
influenced by it all, yet somehow distinctly different.

CURRENT ISSUES
Iran deploys air defense system around its nuclear facility
Britain and Iran restore full diplomatic ties - but four
Britons remain behind bars in Tehran
Female chess players forced to wear hijab as governing
body awards world championship to Iran
Iranian writer faces long jail term for fictional novel about
stoning

IRAQ

Baghdad
NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES
Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran,
Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan.

AREA
(33.2232 N, 43.6793
E)
Total - 437,072 km2
Water (%) - 1.1

POPULATION
33.42 million (2013)
Iraq population is equivalent
to 0.5% of the total world
population.
Iraq ranks number 37 in the
list of countries by
population.

 Currency
Iraqi dinar ( 1 Iraqi dinar = 0.030 Thai Baht )

Language
Arabic, Kurdish

Religion
Islam accounts for an estimated 95% of the population, while
non-Muslims (mainly Assyrian Christians) account for just 5%

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
The geography of Iraq is diverse and falls into four main regions: the
desert (west of the Euphrates), Upper Mesopotamia (between the upper
Tigris and Euphrates rivers), the northern Highlands of Iraqi Kurdistan,
and Lower Mesopotamia, the alluvial plain extending from around Tikrit
to the Persian Gulf.
The mountains in the northeast are an extension of the alpine system
that runs eastward from the Balkans, eventually reaching the
Himalayas. The desert is in the southwest and central provinces along
the borders with Saudi Arabia and Jordan and geographically belongs
with the Arabian Peninsula.
Two of the most significant rivers in all of Asia, the Euphrates and Tigris
Rivers, drain the land.
Vegetation -Vegetation is meager throughout Iraq. The southern,
southwestern, and western parts of the country are desert areas. The
country has few trees, except for the cultivated date palm and the
Poplar.

CLIMATE
Iraq has a hot, dry climate characterized by long, hot, dry summers and
short, cool winters.
The climate is influenced by Iraq's location between the subtropical
aridity of the Arabian desert areas and the subtropical humidity of the
Persian Gulf.
January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 5C to 10C, and
August is the hottest month with temperatures rising up to 30C and
more.
In most of the areas, summers are warm to hot with mostly sunshine, but
high humidity on the southern coastal areas of the Persian Gulf. Daily
Temperatures can be very hot; on some days temperatures can reach
easily 45C or more, especially in the Iraqi desert areas which causes a
danger of heat exhaustion. Hot, dry desert winds can be very strong
sometimes, and can cause violent sandstorms.
About 70 percent of the average rainfall in the country falls between
November and March; June through August are often rainless.

ECONOMY
The Iraqi economy is facing severe and pressing challenges.
The decline in oil prices in 2015 and 2016 and the ISIS
insurgency have contributed to a sharp deterioration of economic
activity and have rapidly increased the fiscal and current account
deficits.
The double shock has severely dented growth, diverted resources
away from productive investment, and increased poverty,
vulnerability and unemployment.
The population remains extremely vulnerable to the ongoing
security problems and reduction in oil prices. T
he standard of living has deteriorated and a noticeable share of
the population has fallen into poverty or is extremely vulnerable
to falling into poverty.

CUISINE
Iraqi food is so strongly influenced by its neighboring
countries, Turkey and Iran, it is one of the few nations of the
Middle East to lack a unique cuisine. Like the Turks, Iraqis
like to stuff vegetables and eat a lot of lamb, rice, and
yogurt. Like Iranians, they enjoy cooking fruits with beef and
poultry.

CURRENT ISSUES
Islamic State 'begins massacring men and boys inside
Mosul'
Isil believed to have carried out dozens of execution-style
killings of Iraqi civilians
Isil militants abduct 8,000 families from around Mosul and
take them into city to use as human shields