IRAN is a vast country spanning an area more than twice that of Pakistan with a population nearly one third of ours. Rich in natural resources, Iran possesses the second largest gas reserves, fourth largest crude oil reserves and significant non-fuel mineral resources. The people of Iran, called Persia until 1935, are deeply proud of their history, culture and language.
Historically, Iran is an ancient land, with recorded history dating back to 550 BCE, when Cyrus founded the first Persian empire, the Achaemenid, the fourth king of which, Darius, expanded the borders of the empire to include territories from Anatolia to the River Indus. The Sassanid empire ruled Persia for nearly nine centuries from 224 BCE to 651 CE. Towards the end of this empire, Muslim Arabs and Persians came face to face in the Battle of Qadisiya, in 636 CE, germinating a lasting rivalry. Since 1979, Iran is an Islamic Republic. At no point in this historical journey of over 2,500 years, the nationalistic fervour of the Iranian people ever diminished.