Iran and Portugal
Alex James
Iran
Location
Middle East between Iraq and Palestine
Capital city is Tehran
Culture
Language- 53% Persian, Azen and Turkic dialect 18%, Kurdish 10%, 19% Other
Population- 78,868,711 Religion- 98% Muslim Subcultures- Shia, Sunni
Flag and National Symbols
National Symbol- Representation of Allah in the shape of a tulip
Green- growth White- honesty and
peace Red- bravery and
martyrdom
Values, Norms, Beliefs
Fundamentalist Islam Restricted role of women Individualism- because of geographic
conditions and the despotic nature of the political regimes it leads people to fend for themselves
Economy
Uses a private sector type economy This is inefficient because of informal
market activity and corruption Government regulation stifles the
economy Biggest sector of industry is oil Unemployement rate: 15.3%
History
Known as Persia until 1935 Formally became recognized as Islamic
republic in 1979 Bloody war with Iraq from 1980-88 Conflict with Ottoman empire during its
reign
Conflicts
Nuclear Weapons- Speculation that Iran is developing nuclear weapons
Mahmound Ahmidinejad Israel Closing of the Strait of Hormuz
Likes and Dislikes
Like- Persian Art and architecture
Dislike-many international conflicts, a lot of human trafficking, drug problems
Would I live here?
I would not like to live in Iran. For one, the culture is dominated by Islam, and I am not Muslim. There are also many foreign conflicts with Iran and the Iranian government openly speaks out against American so as an American I don’t think I would be very welcomed. They are also very backward in some aspects of their culture.
Portugal
Location
Iberian Peninsula, Southwest Europe next to Spain
Capital City- Lisbon (though it has never been officially recognized)
Culture
Language- Portuguese and Mirandese Population- 10,781,459 Religion- 84.5% Roman Catholic Subcultures- Socialist Party and Social
Democratic party.
Flag and National Symbol
National Symbol- coat of arms on the flag
Green- hope Red- blood of those
defending the nation
Economy
Portugal has a service-based economy In recent years, Portugal has been
privatizing many government firms Not a very strong economy because of
a poor educational system as well as a rigid labor market
Unemployement rate: 12.4%
History
Global maritime power in the 15th and 16th centuries
Lost much of its international power with the 1755 earthquake in Lisbon, occupation during the Napoleonic wars, and the independence of Brazil
Conflicts
In the past the Portuguese have had conflicts with many of the European powers and the Ottoman Empire, as well as a colonial conflict with Angola in the 1970’s.
There are many street protests because of the government’s strict measures in their 2012-2013 budget.
Values, Beliefs, and Norms
Traditional and Conservative Very family oriented, extended families
are often close Place a lot of value on social
appearance
Likes and Dislikes
Like-no conflicts, nice part of the world, very soccer oriented
Dislikes-the population is very homogenous, not the best educational system.
Would I live here?
I would actually like to live in Portugal. It is a very peaceful country, where everyone seems to get along very well, as well as it is in a very nice part of the world in terms of climate and geography.
U.S. Or anywhere else?
I would prefer to live in the U.S. Over any other country in the world. I would like to visit many places in the world but as far as perminant residence goes I would rather live in the U.S. Because though we have our problems, I still feel it is the best country in the world.
Works Cited
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/po.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/portugal.html
http://www.herzliyaconference.org/_Uploads/2614Iranianself.pdf