Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country located in Western Asia. It borders Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the northeast, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan and the Sea of ​​Oman to the southeast, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the south, and Iraq to the west. With an area of ​​1,648,195 square kilometers, it is the second largest country in the Middle East and the eighteenth largest country in the world. Iran has a population of over 86 million, making it the seventeenth most populous country. Iran is divided into 31 provinces. The official language of Iran is Persian. The largest cities in Iran are Tehran (the capital), Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, and Shiraz.

The word Iran originates directly from Middle Persian. It was first mentioned in the name of Ardashir Babakan, the founder of the Sassanid Empire. In the Naqsh-e Rustam and on Ardashir Babakan’s coins, he is referred to as “Ardashir Shahanshah Aryan (Iran)”. Iran (Sassanian Pahlavi) and Aryan (Parthian Pahlavi) were both used to refer to the entire people of Iran; these two words are derived from Arya in the non-Iranian language. According to available historical documents, Iranshahr was first used politically by the Sassanids, and before them, the country was not referred to by such a title; before the Sassanids, the term non-Aryan lands was used only once.

According to Iranian mythology, the name Iran also comes from the name of Iraj, a legendary prince who was killed by his brothers. In the Avesta, the region that was the first cradle of the Aryans is called Iran-e-Veje, which means “land of the Aryans.” The Avesta also uses the word Iria to refer to the same race.[