Iran: Flag and Facts
The flag of Iran has green, white, and red horizontal bands, a red tulip-shaped emblem in the center, and a white Arabic phrase repeated along the inner edges of the green and red bands.
- Official name
- Islamic Republic of Iran
- Capital
- Tehran
- Region
- Southern Asia
- Population
- 89 million (2025)
- Languages
- Persian (Farsi)
- Currency
- Iranian rial
- Area
- 1,648,195 km² (636,371 sq mi)
- People
- Iranian
- Calling code
- +98
- Highest point
- Kuh-e Damavand 5,625 m
- Independence
- 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
- National symbols
- lion
- Borders
- Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan
About Iran
The phrase, meaning God is Great, appears 11 times at the bottom of the green band and 11 more at the top of the red one. The central emblem is a stylized form of the word Allah drawn like a tulip. Green stands for Islam and growth, red for bravery, and white for peace and honesty.
Iran went by the name Persia until 1935. Its list of key dates is long: an empire around 550 B.C., reunification under the Safavid dynasty in 1501, and the start of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1925. The monarchy fell in 1979, and the Islamic Republic was proclaimed on 1 April that year. A war with Iraq followed from 1980 to 1988. Geographically, a ring of rugged mountains surrounds a high central basin full of deserts, and the climate is mostly dry except along the Caspian coast.
Did you know?
- Kuh-e Damavand, the tallest peak in Iran, stands 5,625 m high.
- The lowest spot in Iran is the Caspian Sea shore, 28 m below sea level.
- A lion is listed as the national symbol of Iran.
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Questions about Iran
What language is spoken in Iran?
Persian, also called Farsi, is the official language of Iran.
What is the capital of Iran?
Tehran is the capital, with about 9.5 million people in 2023. Mashhad is the next largest city.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.