The Shi'ite Muslim population is concentrated in Iran and part of which neighbor country?

The Shi'ite Muslim population is concentrated in Iran and part of which neighbor country?

• A. Iraq
• B. Saudi Arabia
• C. Afghanistan
• D. Syria

Answer: (A)

Shi'a Islam is the majority in Iran and has a historic, culturally strong presence across the border in southern Iraq, where large Shia communities are centered around key religious sites in Najaf and Karbala. This gives the neighboring country a substantial Shi’a population alongside Iran. The other neighboring countries have Shi’a populations too, but not in the same concentrated way: Afghanistan’s Shi’a are a minority, Syria has a significant but smaller Shi’a-aligned group, and Saudi Arabia’s Shi’a communities are a minority mainly in the eastern region. So, the neighbor country where Shi’a population is notably concentrated alongside Iran is Iraq.

Shi'a Islam is the majority in Iran and has a historic, culturally strong presence across the border in southern Iraq, where large Shia communities are centered around key religious sites in Najaf and Karbala. This gives the neighboring country a substantial Shi’a population alongside Iran. The other neighboring countries have Shi’a populations too, but not in the same concentrated way: Afghanistan’s Shi’a are a minority, Syria has a significant but smaller Shi’a-aligned group, and Saudi Arabia’s Shi’a communities are a minority mainly in the eastern region. So, the neighbor country where Shi’a population is notably concentrated alongside Iran is Iraq.