This is the story of Iran, once known as Persia. In this video we will explore the long history of Iran through to the controversial present, the diverse geography of Iran of deserts and mountains, the surprisingly complex Iranian Economy and the remarkably rich Iranian culture that has influenced the world in so many ways.

A history as old and rich as any, it has endured the battering of invasions and competing influences over millennia, to survive until the present day. This is the country that spawned the world’s first great empire, the Achaemenid Empire, and despite defeat at the hands of the Macedonian Greeks under Alexander, rose again under the Parthian Empire and Sassanid Empire. It was conquered by Muslim Arabs in the 7th Century AD, and over the next 200 years the original population that practiced the home-grown religion of Zoroastrianism was converted to Islam.

During the Golden Age of Islam it became a hotbed of artistic and scientific genius, and the Iranian language, Farsi, was beautiful written down by such poets as Ferdowsi in the epic piece of Persian Poetry, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings). In later centuries, Iran struggled on, maintaining its independence under the Safavids and The Qajar Dynasty, before coming under the influence of Russia and Great Britain in the Great Game of the 19th Century.

The discovery of Iranian Oil marked further influence by Western Powers, who later installed Shah Mohammed Reza ("The Shah"), whose rule turned corrupt and autocratic. He was finally deposed in the 1979 Iranian Revolution by Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic Republic of Iran was born. But this further continued troubles for the country, as it became internationally isolated over the Iran Nuclear Program and Iran's promise to destroy the State of Israel.

The geography of Iran comprises mostly mountains and deserts, and yet nonetheless houses a surprisingly large population of 80 million, who are mostly ethnic Persians with Azeris making up the largest minority.

Iranian culture has influenced the world with many words from the Persian language, Farsi, finding their way into English and other European languages. The games of chess and backgammon either emerged from, or were heavily shaped by Persia. And Persian carpets are regarded as the finest in the world, in a tradition that goes back millenia.