LanguageIran’s national language is Persian - or Farsi - but more than 6 languages are spoken in the country as a whole. Some of them are Azeri, Kurdish, Luri and Arabic.
SportsSports are mostly concentrated in the capital Tehrān, the dominant are soccer and weight lifting but other popular sports include wrestling, and volleyball. Female athletes are required to follow strict requirements when competing in Iran or abroad and cannot compete in the Olympics.
CinemaPersians enjoy films and cinema is an important part of their culture.
The "Inside Iranian Cinema" documentary not only explains from an inside perspective the film industry, but it also talks about the history, misconceptions and unique characteristics of the films made in Iran while showing us how Persians interact. |
DemographicsIran is situated in southwestern Asia, covering an area of 1,648,000 sq km (slightly larger than the state of Alaska)
Iran ranked 18 in population among the 196 nations of the world with 77,891,220 million people. The country is currently going through a demographic transformation lowering fertility rates with efficient rural healthcare networks and family planning programs. The changes in Iran have been possible due to the adoption of new values and attitudes concerning childbearing, family size, and fertility control. ReligionThe religion practiced by the majority of the Iranian population is Shia Islam (89%). Sunni Muslims in Iran make up about 9 percent of the population and the remaining 2 percent of Iranians are from ‘other’ religions such as Zoroastrian, Christian and Jewish.
Although almost 90% of Iranians practice Shia Islam, globally the percentage of Shia Muslims is only 10%. ArtThe most remarkable Persian artwork is seen in the handmade woven carpets, designs influenced from book covers and geography. The traditional craft of carpet weaving came from the Fars and Kashan and is still passed from generation to generation creating a sense of identity and community. The country produces 10 percent of the world’s carpet.
|
Fashion
Iranian women typically wear hijabs, which means "curtain." A hijab, also called "the veil" ranges from the fullchador, which is all black from head to toe, black stockings, black shoes, no hair showing, to what many would callbad-hejab, which is a head scarf, bare feet in sandles, toenail polish, make-up, and short coats. Women's fashion is sometimes seen as political statement. Hiding parts of a female body is part of Iranian culture and symbolizes purity.
Iranians are very fashion conscious especially in Tehran. Most of the women wear form fitting manteau (raincoat type of item) with tight pants underneath. Some of the main trends seen in the city: open toe shoes, makeup, nail polish, tiny scarves, and sunglasses, but never shorter than ankle length pants. Men can't wear shorts in public unless they are on the beach or at the gym.
Iranians are very fashion conscious especially in Tehran. Most of the women wear form fitting manteau (raincoat type of item) with tight pants underneath. Some of the main trends seen in the city: open toe shoes, makeup, nail polish, tiny scarves, and sunglasses, but never shorter than ankle length pants. Men can't wear shorts in public unless they are on the beach or at the gym.
Traditional food
Iran has some of the best dishes in the world. The Iranian traditional food consists of bread, fish, rice, lentils and stews. Persian bread is important for every good meal. Persian sweets and pastries are found in pastry shops in every corner of the main streets. If you get invited to someone's house for lunch or dinner, you are expected to bring something such as a box of fresh pastries form a local shop.
Traditional Music
|
The majority of Persian pop stars in the US started in Los Angeles. Many were born out of Iran or had lived the majority of their lives outside of Iran. This new wave of Persian pop music often combined elements of American Music and culture, as well as Latino culture, to form a new blend of music distinct from earlier periods. The Techno music has been very strong and popular influence in the recent years.
Links to listen to the newest Persian music and see the top Billboard songs: http://en.iransong.com/ http://www.radiojavan.com |