IRAN

The Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known as Persia in the West, is a large Western Asian country located in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Its area equals the size of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany combined. Shi'a Islam is the official state religion and Persian the official language.
Iran is one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations. The history of Iran covers over four thousand years, and throughout history, Iran has been of great geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia. Iran is a founding member of the United Nations, NAM, OIC, OPEC, and ECO. Iran is significant in international politics on account of its large supply of petroleum and influence in the region. Iran is also one of the few states that comprise the Cradle of Humanity. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and literally means "Land of the Aryans."