Iran - Facts for Kids

Basic Information

Iran’s official name is the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the country is part of one of the world’s oldest civilizations, with history going back thousands of years!

Tehran is Iran’s capital city, and more than 9 million people live there—about the same as filling around 90 huge sports stadiums with cheering fans!

Persian, also called Farsi, is Iran’s official language, and people there have spoken versions of it for over 2,500 years!

Iran uses a special currency called the Iranian rial, and many of its coins show beautiful Persian buildings and designs from Iran’s history!

One of the most famous historical symbols of Iran is the “Lion and Sun,” a picture of a lion with the sun rising behind it that appeared on Iran’s flag for many centuries.

Iran’s flag has three horizontal stripes—green, white, and red—with a special red symbol in the middle that is designed to look like the word “Allah” in artistic writing.

Iran has more than 85 million people living there, making it one of the most populous countries in the Middle East!

Iran is located in Western Asia (often called the Middle East). The country has a coastline on the Caspian Sea in the north and the Persian Gulf in the south.

Iran has four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Some parts of the country can get very hot, while mountain areas can be cool and snowy!

Geography & Nature

Iran borders seven countries: Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan!

The Zagros Mountains run through Iran like a giant backbone, stretching for about 1,600 kilometers across the country!

Iran has two major deserts called the Dasht-e Kavir and the Dasht-e Lut, and scientists once recorded one of the hottest temperatures on Earth in the Dasht-e Lut!

The Persian leopard, a beautiful big cat, still roams through Iran’s mountains, especially in the Alborz and Zagros ranges!

Iran’s Caspian Sea coastline is about 740 kilometers long. It's so long that you could line up about 7,000 soccer fields end to end along it!

The Persian Gulf waters near Iran are home to playful dolphins and colorful coral reefs where many sea creatures live!

Iran has beautiful oak forests in the Zagros Mountains, and their leaves can change colors with the seasons—just like the trees in your neighborhood!

Mount Damavand, Iran’s highest mountain, is a dormant volcano that is about as tall as stacking around 150 ten-story buildings on top of each other!

Iran has special underground water channels called qanats that people built thousands of years ago to carry water from mountains to dry towns and farms!

Wild tulips grow in Iran’s mountains, and these colorful flowers first came from the mountain regions of Central Asia nearby!

Iran’s Lut Desert has one of the hottest ground temperatures ever recorded on Earth, making it one of the hottest places on the planet!

In some places, the Persian Gulf’s water is so clear that you can see about 30 feet deep, letting you spot fish and coral reefs below!

Iran’s mountains are home to wild sheep called mouflon, and the males have huge curved horns that curl like spirals!

Iran’s forests and mountains are home to special brown bears that love to munch on fruits, berries, and plants!

Iran has special protected wetlands where pink flamingos come to nest and raise their chicks!

The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important waterways where huge ships carrying oil travel every day!

During Nowruz (Iranian New Year), families set up a special table called Haft-Seen with seven items that all start with the letter “S” in Persian!

Many Iranian women wear beautiful, colorful scarves called roosaris as part of their daily dress!

Persian carpets are famous all over the world, and some take more than a year to weave by hand because every tiny knot is tied one at a time!

Traditional Iranian music uses special instruments like the tar, a string instrument with a body shaped like a figure-8!

During Yalda Night, the longest night of the year, families gather together to eat pomegranates and watermelons while reading beautiful Persian poetry!

Iranian wrestlers practice a traditional sport called Varzesh-e Bastani in special gyms called zurkhanehs, which means “houses of strength”!

Iranians invented the game of polo more than 2,000 years ago, where players ride horses and hit a ball with long sticks!

During the Iranian New Year celebration, many families keep a small goldfish in a bowl on their holiday table as a symbol of life and new beginnings!

Iranian children play a special version of hopscotch called "Laylay"!

Food & Daily Life

Iranian children usually go to school from Saturday to Thursday, and Friday is their weekend day when schools are closed!

Bread is very important in Iran, so many neighborhoods have special bakeries where fresh bread is baked several times a day!

Persian ice cream often contains saffron and rose water, giving it a sweet, fragrant flavor that can remind people of a flower garden!

Kebab is so popular in Iran that some restaurants specialize in serving only different types of kebab, from juicy grilled meat skewers to chicken kebabs!

Many Iranian families use a special tea pot called a samovar that keeps hot water ready, so people can enjoy fresh tea throughout the day!

Iranian dates are so sweet and tasty that many people call them “nature’s candy” because they taste like a natural treat straight from the tree!

Iranian dates are so sweet and delicious that they're often called "nature's candy"!

History & Heritage

The ancient city of Persepolis in Iran was built more than 2,500 years ago, and its walls and stairways were decorated with many stone carvings of animals like lions and bulls!

Iran was once called Persia, and long ago its powerful kings ruled a giant empire that stretched from Egypt all the way to India!

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world, with early versions played in the Middle East about 5,000 years ago, including in the lands of ancient Persia!

Ancient Iranians invented a smart cooling system called a windcatcher, which uses the wind to cool buildings naturally—no electricity needed!

One of the oldest examples of animation was found on a pottery bowl in Iran. The pictures show a goat jumping up to eat leaves, and when the images are viewed in order, the goat looks like it’s moving!

Iranian mathematicians like al-Khwarizmi helped develop algebra and step-by-step math rules called algorithms that people still use in computers and math today!

Ancient Iranians created one of the world’s first postal systems, using fast horseback riders who carried messages across the empire from station to station!

One of the oldest trees in Iran, the Sarv-e Abarkuh, is over 4,000 years old—older than many famous civilizations!

Iran is home to one of the world’s largest collections of crown jewels, filled with sparkling diamonds, crowns, and treasures collected by Persian kings over hundreds of years!