The following are international rankings for Iran: § == Agriculture == == Communication and information technology == == Demographics == == Economy == == Education == == Energy == == Environment and ecology == == General == == Globalization == == Health == == History and culture == == Industry and mining == == Military and defense == == Politics == == Religion == == Science and technology == == Society == == Transport == == Notes == §.^ The surveys producing these world rankings have been done in different times and might not be current. Please refer to...

Below is a list of sovereign states with the dates of their formation (date of their independence or of their constitution), sorted by continent. This list includes the 195 states which are currently full member states or observer states of the United Nations. This does not include extinct states, but does include several states with limited recognition. For proposed states or various indigenous nations which consider themselves still under occupation, see list of active autonomist and secessionist movements. Micronations are not included in this list. Nation-building is a long evolutionary process...

The Achaemenid Empire (; Old Persian: 𐎧𐏁𐏂, romanized: Xšāça, lit. 'The Empire'), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire based in Western Asia founded by Cyrus the Great. Ranging at its greatest extent from the Balkans and Eastern Europe proper in the west to the Indus Valley in the east, it was larger than any previous empire in history, spanning 5.5 million square kilometers (2.1 million square miles). It is notable for its successful model of a centralised, bureaucratic administration (through satraps under the King of Kings), for its multicultural policy, ...