Discussion Basically there has never been any census on the number of Iran’s ethnic groups. In the national census of 1986 there was a box asking people about the language spoken at home. But later, the officials changed their mind and asked people not to check that box. But now it seems it is necessary to have a census to find out the exact number of ethnic minorities/nationalities (such as; Azeri Turks, Kurds, Baluchis, Persian, Arab, Talyshis, Gilakis, Mazendaranis, Lor & Bakhtiyari, Turkmen people) in order to determine accurately, Iran’s ethnic diversity. United Nations has 191 members. About 179 of them are multinational countries. At the top of the multinational countries is India with 1300 nationalities. Only 12 countries have nearly one nation. Iran is among top ten multinational countries of the world with about eleven distinct major minorities / nationalities and some a few others. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaimed that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Sadly, for all minorities and indigenous peoples in Iran, this inspirational text, with its emphasis on equality and non-discrimination, remains a dream, not a reality. Iran was called the United States of Iran (Mamalek-e Mahrooseh Iran with a decentralised system / Anjoman-haye Eyalati-va-Velayati), 1911 AD. The name of Anjoman-haye Eyalati-va-Velayati of that day is reshaped and updated on today as Congress of Nationalities for a Federal Iran (CNFI) at present time (www.iran-federal.org ). The struggle of minorities in Iran for decentralizing the ruling system has taken a long time with very high prices so far, which is so sad, and it is time that some things to be done. Iran has 30 provinces, which 20 of them are dominated by minorities such as; Kurds, Baluchs, Lor & Bakhtiyari, Azeri Turks, Turkmen, Mazendarani, Gilakis, Arab and Taleshis. The others are mixed. Fore example: About 65% of the population of Tehran are from Iranian minorities (none-Persian). There are 11 provinces which have Sunni minority, and some of them are Sunni dominated. These Provinces include: Kurdistan, Baluchistan, West Azerbaijan, Northern Khorasan, Southern Khorasan, Golestan, Bushehr, Khuzistan, Kermanshah, Gilan (Talyshis areas) and Ilam. Iran is divided into 31 Provinces Province Alborz Ardebil Bushehr Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari East Azarbaijan Esfahan Fars Gilan Golestan Hamadan Population 2,412,513 1,248,488 1,032,949 895,263 3,724,620 4,879,312 4,596,658 2,480,874 1,777,014 1,758,268 Area(km.² Area(mi.²) ) 5,122 17,800 22,743 16,328 45,651 107,018 122,608 14,042 20,367 19,368 1,977 6,873 8,781 6,304 17,626 41,320 47,339 5,422 7,864 7,478 Capital Karaj Ardebil Bushehr Shahr-e-Kord Tabriz Esfahan Shiraz Rasht Gorgan Hamadan