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NIE ACTIVITY
Geography Connections
This yearlong series is presented in collaboration with the Connecticut Geographic Alliance. For more information about NIE visit www.courantnie.com or call 241-3847.
Country/City View:
DID YOU KNOW?
Iran
By Jacqueline Stack, Howell Cheney Technical High School
Iran is often in the news. Its location,
natural resources, government and
the ongoing development of a nuclear
program are the reasons for the
worldwide attention. Iran is bordered
on the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan,
where conflicts with weapons happen
nearly every day. Its western border is
shared by war torn Iraq.
Tehran, Iran’s largest city is the seat of
its federal government. The Islamic
Republic of Iran was established on April
1, 1979. Iran has two presidents; one
divine, one democratic. The divine leader,
Ayatollah Khamenei holds a permanent
position and most of the power. Elected
presidents have an eight-year term limit.
Islamic law forbids the charging of interest
on a loan or the payment of interest on
bank accounts. Businesses also avoid
dealings and investments in goods or
practices that are forbidden by Sharia.
These include weapons, pork, tobacco
and gambling. Tehran is also the center
of industry, commercial and cultural life.
The Iranian people work in industry,
agriculture and service positions. Iran
presently suffers from an unemployment
rate of over 14%. The per capita income,
the average income for each Iranian, is
$11,200 per year.
The Islamic religion is practiced by 98%
of Iran’s people. Marriage customs,
family structure, spending practices,
and religious obligations are all linked to
Islamic teachings.
In this Islamic nation, Muslims must pray
five times a day. Prayers take place at
dawn, noon, in the afternoon, at sunset
and in the evening. Friday, the Muslim
holy day, finds all stores and places of
business closed. Iranians know that their
lives have two faces, a public one and a
private one. In public, they must follow
the “path” of Islamic teachings. At home
with family members and close friends,
they are free to be themselves.
• Iran is the 18th largest nation in the world
in land size. It is somewhat larger than the state of Alaska.
• It is one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Before 1935, it was
known as Persia.
• The average temperature during the hot, humid summer months
is often greater than 100 degrees.
MAP IT OUT
Iran, once known as Persia, is considered a cultural hearth. A cultural
hearth is a source area of innovation and the place of origin of a major
culture.
TAKE 5
Location: 32 degrees N/53 degree E
Iran shares a border with Afghanistan
and Pakistan on the east. Iraq is
directly to the west and Turkey lies in
its northwest corner. The southern
coastline touches the Persian Gulf.
Place: It is known as one of the most
mountainous of countries in the world.
Iran also has rainforests, deserts and
semiarid plains. Seventy one percent of
its people live in its cities. Tehran is the
capital and the country’s largest city.
Human-Environment Interactions:
Iran’s largest industry is petroleum.
Textiles, cement, metals, weapons,
sugar refining and vegetable oil are
also produced. Thirty-one percent of
the people work in these industries.
Twenty-five percent work in farming and
fishing. Wheat, grains, sugar beets,
sugar cane, nuts, and cotton are grown.
Movement: Emigration, immigration,
and urban growth are extreme in
number. Educated young people
are leaving Iran to find employment.
Movement from the countryside to the
city is great.
Regions: Middle East
• On a blank map of the world shade in the following early civilizations:
Mesoamerica- Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua
Andean-Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and
northwestern Argentina
Wei/Huang Rivers-China
Nile Valley-Egypt and Sudan
Indus River Valley-Pakistan,
India, southern Iran
and Afghanistan
Ganges Delta-India,
Bangladesh, Myanmar
• How did geography/humans
help these civilization to develop?
• Do any of these cultural hearths share
a similar geography?
• Research two or more of these civilizations and describe their gift(s)
to the world (think agriculture, technology, trade)
What civilization would you add to this list and why (geographic hints-present
day Iraq, west Africa might be an area to study)?
source: Geography:Realms, Regions and Concepts 14e. c.2010
www.wiley.com/college/deblij
Community Connections:
Geographical relationships are important for understanding many things about countries and regions
of the world. The physical geography of a region has an affect on what natural resources are available
to the country. Iran’s geography is crucial to its history and current situation. It is a country with vast
natural resources. It has the third largest oil reserves in the world and second largest natural gas
reserves. As a class, discuss the following questions
• How does Iran’s natural resources effect it’s economy and relations with other countries?
• Describe how oil impacts the lives of the people of the Persian Gulf.
• What dynamic processes shaped the physical features of Iran?
• Scan today’s news for articles about Iran and summarize the issues that are being discussed.
NEXT PAGE – April 12th
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