Given the forum’s interest in
orbital learning, divine providence (WCF, 5), patriarchal origins, the
Solomonic kingdom, Assyria, Babylon, Alexandrian/Hellenism, Daniel, Esther,
Seleucid Dynasty, early church history, Islam, the First Amendment and current
geo-political issues, the study is warranted. When catechetized, e.g. WCF,
learning is a corollary concern in life; it’s natural.
Outline
Physical
and human geography
1.
The land
A.
Relief
B.
Drainage
C.
Soils
D.
Climate
E.
Plant life
F.
Settlement patterns’
2.
The people
3.
Traditional cultures
A.
Social structures
B.
Socialization
C.
Property and exchange systems
D.
Belief and aesthetic systems
4.
The Economy
A.
Resources
B.
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries
C.
Industry
D.
Trade
E.
Finance
F.
Administration of the economy
G.
Transportation
5.
Administration and social conditions
A.
Government
B.
Justice
C.
Armed Forces
D.
Education
E.
Health and welfare
6.
Cultural life
History
1.
The Elamites, Medians, the Achaemenids
A.
The prehistoric period
B.
The Elamites
C.
The protohistoric period and the kingdom of the
Medes
D.
The Achaemenid dynasty
E.
Achaemenid society and culture
F.
The organization and achievement of the empire
2.
The Hellenistic and Parthian periods
A.
Alexander and successors
B.
The rise of the Parthians
C.
The “phil-Hellenistic” period (171 B.C.—10
A.D.)
D.
The “anti-Hellenistic” period (12 –162 A.D.)
E.
The end of the Parthian Empire (162—226 A.D.)
3.
The Sasanian Period
A.
Foundation of the empire
B.
Religious developments
C.
Art and literature
D.
Foreign policy
4.
Iran from 640 A.D. to the present
A.
The advent of Islam (640-829)
B.
The “Iranian Intermezzo” (821-1055)
C.
The Seljuqs and the Mongols
D.
The Tkimurids and Turkmen
E.
The Safavids (1502-1736)
F.
Nader Shah (1736-47)
G.
The Zand Dynasty (1750-79)
H.
The Qajars (1779—1925)
I.
The Pahlavi Dynasty (1925—1979)
J.
The Islamic Republic
Iran is an “Islamic Republic” with an official state
religion.
It has
636,000 sq. miles. Comparsions:
·
Russia: 6, 602, 000
·
US: 3,
974, 000
·
China: 3, 748, 000
·
Canada: 3, 855,000
·
Saudi Arabi: 830, 000
·
Egypt: 386, 700
·
France: 260, 558
·
Afghanistan: 251, 850
·
Spain: 195, 364
·
Iraq: 168, 785
·
Germany: 136, 846
·
State of North Carolina, US: 53, 819
·
England: 50, 346
Bounded
by:
·
North: Soviet Union and Caspian Sea
·
East: Pakistan and Afghanistan
·
South: Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman
·
West: Turkey, Iraq
·
30% bounded by seas
Land:
·
Massive mountain ranges surround the country
with a high interior basin
·
Coastal regions outside and at foot of mountain
ranges
·
Zagros Mountains from Armenia to Persian Gulf
·
Elburz Mountains: the south shore of Caspian
Sea to snow-clad, volcanic mountains of Kohorosan
·
Mountains on Afghan border
·
Arid interior with deserts
·
Drainage: streams from the mountains flow to
desiccated interior, sometimes forming salty marshes, but also providing water
for nearby towns
·
Soils vary by region: (1) subtropical vegetation in coastal region
of Caspian Sea with rich brown soils, (2) mountain soils with shallow layers
over bedrock, (3) in semi-arid plateux with brown soil supporting grassy
vegetation
Climate:
·
Subtropical to subpolar
·
Siberian winds blow southward
·
Two wind patterns—February to October, one from
Pakistani direction and the other from the Tigris-Euphrates area: can be very
hot (been in the Gulf in the summer and yes, extremely hot
Plants/animals:
·
1/10 of lands forested and mostly nearly
Caspian Sea
·
Zagros Mountains: semi-humid, oak forests,
elms, maples, juniper, almond, berberis, wild fruit trees, thorny shrubs,
acacia, palm trees
·
Desert sand dunes: thickets of brush
·
Animals: few lions and tigers, but many wolves,
foxes, leopards, lynxes, deer, gazelles, goats, sheep, boars, rodents, 100
varieties of lizards, horses, donkeys, cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels,
dogs and cats
Settlement
patterns: topography has governed these patterns with
sharp, cultural, ethnic and linguistic lines. “Insularity and tribalism” strong
in the mountains. Tehran the largest
city, Isfahan the second largest city, and many towns in foothills of mountains
with access to water by tunnels.
Peoples:
·
½ speak Farsi Persian
·
¼ retain Indo-European tongues. Armenians are one example
·
Kurds are “fierce nomads” in the western
mountains of Iran, but also Iraq and Turkey.
About 5%.
·
¼ speak Turkish, a result of Turkish rule of
Persia in the north
·
Smaller minorities of Jews, Assyrians, and
Arabs in the northwest, although Jewish emigration resulted from the Islamo-supremacists’
rule
Religions
·
Muslims: Shi’ah, the official state religion
·
Kurds and Turks—Sunni Muslims
·
Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians are
minorities
·
The Armenian Orthodox are counted in the
Christian numbers
·
Assyrians are counted as Nestorians,
Protestants and Roman Catholics
·
Religious toleration ended in 1979 where
minorities do not get equal treatment with Muslims
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