Also known as Persia, Iran is religiously, ethnically and linguistically diverse. It is an overwhelmingly Muslim nation, with Shia Islam as the official state religion.
The majority of Iran’s population is ethnically Persian and their most commonly used languages is Farsi, in which all government business and public instruction is conducted.
However, millions of people from various religious, ethnic, and linguistic minority backgrounds – including Azeris, Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and Sunni Muslims – also reside in the country.