[Middle East Strategy at Harvard] Philip Carl Salzman - In the case of Iran, it would be a great error to think of the population as being homogeneous, for the people of Iran are in fact quite ethnically diverse. The core population consists of the Persian (Farsi)-speaking city and village dwellers in central Iran who make up about half of the population. On the geographical peripheries of the country are a number of important populations who differ ethnically and linguistically from Persians. Many of these populations have ethnic compatriots across the boundaries of Iran: Arabs in Iraq and across the Gulf, Kurds in Iraq and Turkey, Azeris in Azerbaijan, Turkmen in Central Asia, and Baluchis in Pakistan. Note: This article contains unique maps detailing the ethnic, religious, and linguistic make-up of Iran. The writer is Professor of Anthropology at McGill University.
2009-04-17 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive