Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Mountains
The Zagros range stretches from the border with the Republic of Armenia in the north-west to the Persian Gulf, and then eastward into Baluchistan. As it moves southward, it broadens into a 125-mile-wide band of parallel, alternating mountains lying between the plains of Mesopotamia and the great central plateau of Iran. It is drained on the west by streams that cut deep, narrow gorges and water fertile valleys. The land is extremely hard, difficult to access, and populated largely by pastoral nomads.
The Alborz mountain range, narrower than the Zagros but equally forbidding, runs along the Zagros but equally forbidding, runs along the southern shore of the Caspian to meet the border ranges of Khorassan to the east. The highest of its volcanic peaks is 18,600-foot, snow-covered Mt. Damavand(shown in picture bellow). On the border of Afghanistan, the mountains fall away, to be replaced by barren sand dunes.
Q&A
Was there a post-Iraq war baby boom in Iran?
There was a baby boom in Iran after the revolution in 1979. This baby boom went until the late years of war with Iraq when finally the government started the population control programs. There were several reasons for this baby boom such as:
1. In the first years after the revolution the government started some social services for poor people. For example they started giving them home appliances with a cheap price. The amount of these social services were limited so they first offered it to the families with more children because they were thought to be in more need for it and other families were offered if there was still something left. This policy somehow encouraged people to have more children.
2. The post revolution government gave people many promises to solve the problem of poverty. These promises gave the poor people a sense of wealth and being able to afford more children.
3. There were and are some political and religious groups who oppose the population control programs. They have many reasons for their opposition ranging from religious issues to the need for young people if we have another war.
The Zagros range stretches from the border with the Republic of Armenia in the north-west to the Persian Gulf, and then eastward into Baluchistan. As it moves southward, it broadens into a 125-mile-wide band of parallel, alternating mountains lying between the plains of Mesopotamia and the great central plateau of Iran. It is drained on the west by streams that cut deep, narrow gorges and water fertile valleys. The land is extremely hard, difficult to access, and populated largely by pastoral nomads.
The Alborz mountain range, narrower than the Zagros but equally forbidding, runs along the Zagros but equally forbidding, runs along the southern shore of the Caspian to meet the border ranges of Khorassan to the east. The highest of its volcanic peaks is 18,600-foot, snow-covered Mt. Damavand(shown in picture bellow). On the border of Afghanistan, the mountains fall away, to be replaced by barren sand dunes.
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Q&A
Was there a post-Iraq war baby boom in Iran?
There was a baby boom in Iran after the revolution in 1979. This baby boom went until the late years of war with Iraq when finally the government started the population control programs. There were several reasons for this baby boom such as:
1. In the first years after the revolution the government started some social services for poor people. For example they started giving them home appliances with a cheap price. The amount of these social services were limited so they first offered it to the families with more children because they were thought to be in more need for it and other families were offered if there was still something left. This policy somehow encouraged people to have more children.
2. The post revolution government gave people many promises to solve the problem of poverty. These promises gave the poor people a sense of wealth and being able to afford more children.
3. There were and are some political and religious groups who oppose the population control programs. They have many reasons for their opposition ranging from religious issues to the need for young people if we have another war.
Friday, April 25, 2003
Area
Iran?s total area is about 1.648 million sq. km. which is about 7 times the area of United Kingdom, 3 times France or one fifth of the United States. This makes Iran the second largest country in the Middle East (after Saudi Arabia).
Population
Iran?s Population is about 67.5 million (July 1997 estimate) which again makes Iran second in the Middle East (after Pakistan) and the Population growth rate is 2.2%. What is interesting about Iran?s population is its population pyramid which is different from other countries as you can see bellow:
Having a rather large young population could have many advantages and disadvantages for Iran.
Iran?s total area is about 1.648 million sq. km. which is about 7 times the area of United Kingdom, 3 times France or one fifth of the United States. This makes Iran the second largest country in the Middle East (after Saudi Arabia).
Population
Iran?s Population is about 67.5 million (July 1997 estimate) which again makes Iran second in the Middle East (after Pakistan) and the Population growth rate is 2.2%. What is interesting about Iran?s population is its population pyramid which is different from other countries as you can see bellow:
Having a rather large young population could have many advantages and disadvantages for Iran.
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Location
Iran is situated in south-western Asia and borders the three CIS states, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Turkmenistan, as well as the Caspian Seas to the north, Turkey and Iraq to the west, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south and Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east.
Landscape
A series of massive, heavily eroded mountain ranges surround Iran's high interior basin. Most of the country is above 1,500 feet, one-sixth of it over 6,500 high. In sharp contrast are the coastal regions outside the mountain ring. In the north, the 400-mile strip along the Caspian Sea, never more than 70 miles wide and frequently narrowing to 10, falls sharply from the 10,000-foot summit to 90 feet below sea level. In the south, the land drops away from a 2,000 foot plateau to meet the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Iran is situated in south-western Asia and borders the three CIS states, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Turkmenistan, as well as the Caspian Seas to the north, Turkey and Iraq to the west, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south and Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east.
Landscape
A series of massive, heavily eroded mountain ranges surround Iran's high interior basin. Most of the country is above 1,500 feet, one-sixth of it over 6,500 high. In sharp contrast are the coastal regions outside the mountain ring. In the north, the 400-mile strip along the Caspian Sea, never more than 70 miles wide and frequently narrowing to 10, falls sharply from the 10,000-foot summit to 90 feet below sea level. In the south, the land drops away from a 2,000 foot plateau to meet the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Saturday, April 19, 2003
I started writing in English first of all to satisfy my curiosity. I have another weblog which I write in it in Persian but English was a new challenge. For a while I was wondering what to write here.
The best idea I came up with was to start on writing about Iran. I have seen many people in Canada which think of Iran as one of the Arab countries in the Middle East. When you ask them what their first imagination is on Iran, they usually think about people riding camels in a desert.
Although there is an Arabs population living in Iran, There are major geographical and political differences between Iran and the Arab countries in the Middle East. A goegraphical introduction of Iran and its major parts and cities seems nice for a start. What do you think?
The best idea I came up with was to start on writing about Iran. I have seen many people in Canada which think of Iran as one of the Arab countries in the Middle East. When you ask them what their first imagination is on Iran, they usually think about people riding camels in a desert.
Although there is an Arabs population living in Iran, There are major geographical and political differences between Iran and the Arab countries in the Middle East. A goegraphical introduction of Iran and its major parts and cities seems nice for a start. What do you think?
Wednesday, April 09, 2003
The end of another dictator...
Wednesday, April 02, 2003
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
Is this an invasion or liberation?
"The Guardian" reports:
The US is secretly planning a new government in Kuwait to rule Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Under the plan, the government will consist of 23 ministries, each headed by an American. Every ministry will also have four Iraqi advisers appointed by the Americans, the Guardian has learned.
The government will take over Iraq city by city. Areas declared "liberated" by General Tommy Franks will be transferred to the temporary government under the overall control of Jay Garner, the former US general appointed to head a military occupation of Iraq.
In anticipation of the Baghdad regime's fall, members of this interim government have begun arriving in Kuwait.
The position of even friendly Iraqi groups is that no Americans should run Iraqi ministries or have direct rule.
"The Guardian" reports:
The US is secretly planning a new government in Kuwait to rule Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Under the plan, the government will consist of 23 ministries, each headed by an American. Every ministry will also have four Iraqi advisers appointed by the Americans, the Guardian has learned.
The government will take over Iraq city by city. Areas declared "liberated" by General Tommy Franks will be transferred to the temporary government under the overall control of Jay Garner, the former US general appointed to head a military occupation of Iraq.
In anticipation of the Baghdad regime's fall, members of this interim government have begun arriving in Kuwait.
The position of even friendly Iraqi groups is that no Americans should run Iraqi ministries or have direct rule.
