: For a topic outline on this subject, see List of basic Iran topics.

Iran (, //?, pronounced , ), or in English[http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/I0227800.html]), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (, ), formerly known internationally as Persia until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan, and means "Land of the Aryans".hinduwebsite.com, "The Concepts of Hinduism ? Arya", retrieved 1 Oct 2007imp.lss.wisc.edu, "Iranian Languages", Political, Social, Scientific, Literary & Artistic (Monthly) Oct 2000, No. 171, Dr. Suzan Kaviri, pp. 26?7, retrieved 1 Oct 2007"Iran ? The Ancient Name of Iran", N.S. Gill, retrieved 1 Oct 2007

The 18th largest country in the world in terms of area at 1,648,195 km², Iran has a population of over seventy million. It is a country of special geostrategic significance due to its central location in Eurasia. Iran is bordered on the north by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. As Iran is a littoral state of the Caspian Sea, which is an inland sea and condominium, Kazakhstan and Russia are also Iran's direct neighbours to the north. Iran is bordered on the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and on the west by Turkey and Iraq. Tehran is the capital, the country's largest city and the political, cultural, commercial, and industrial center of the nation. Iran is a regional power,parliament.uk, "Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Eighth Report, Iran, retrieved 1 Oct 2007IRAN @ 2000 and Beyond lecture series, opening address, W. Herbert Hunt, 18 May 2000, retrieved 1 Oct 2007 and occupies an important position in international energy security and world economy as a result of its large reserves of petroleum and natural gas.

Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BC. The Medes unified Iran into a kingdom in 625 BC. They were succeeded by three Iranian dynasties, the Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids, which governed Iran for more than 1000 years. After centuries of foreign occupation and short-lived native dynasties, Iran was once again reunified as an independent state in 1551 by the Safavid dynasty ? who promoted Shia Islam R.M. Savory, Safavids, Encyclopedia of Islam, 2nd edition as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning points in the history of Islam. Iran had been a monarchy ruled by a Shah, or emperor, almost without interruption from 1501 until the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when Iran officially became an Islamic republic on 1 April, 1979.Iran Islamic Republic, Encyclopaedia Britannica retrieved 23 January 2008

Iran is a founding member of the UN, NAM, OIC and OPEC. The political system of Iran, based on the 1979 Constitution, comprises several intricately connected governing bodies. The highest state authority is the Supreme Leader. Shia Islam is the official religion and Persian is the official language. retrieved 23 January 2008

Darius I the Great (c. 549 BC 486 BC; D?rayavahu?Avesta names; Old Persian names; Parsi names; Irani Zoroastrian names: "Possessing goodness" ) was the son of Hystaspes, and king of Persia from 522 BC to 486 BC. His name in modern Persian is ?????? (), in Hebrew ??????????? (Daryavesh), the ancient Greek sources call him (Dareios), and Indians called him ????? (Dar?yu) in Sanskrit. Darius was the Latin spelling used by ancient Roman historians. The English pronunciation is sometimes or .Darius I. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. This is the pronunciation found in the 2004 movie Alexander in reference to Darius III.

Having ascended to power amidst controversy and bloodshed that claimed two sons of Cyrus the Great,Darius I - Britannica Online Encyclopedia Darius I's reign was marked by revolt; twice Babylonia revolted, three times Susiana, and Ionian revolt precipitated several ill-fated Persian expeditions against Greece, including a defeat at Marathon.Darius I :: Fortification of the empire. - Britannica Online Encyclopedia Darius subjugated the nations of the Pontic and Armenian mountains, and extended Persian dominion to the Caucasus; for the same reasons he fought against the Saka and other Iranian steppe tribes, as well as the Turanians from beyond the Oxus. In the process of these campaigns he made military reforms such as introducing conscription, pay for soldiers, military training and he also made changes in the army and navy.