Provinces of Iran – Wikipedia

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National subdivisions of Iran

Provinces of Iran by population in 2021

Provinces of Iran by population density in 2013

Map of the Iranian provinces by Human Development Index in 2017.
Legend:

  0.800 – 1.000 (Very high)

  0.700 – 0.799 (High)

  0.600 – 0.699 (Medium)

Provinces of Iran by contribution to national GDP in 2014

Provinces of Iran by GDP per capita in 2012

Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces (Persian: استان ostân), each governed from a local centre, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital (Persian: مرکز, markaz) of that province. The provincial authority is headed by a governor-general (Persian: استاندار ostândâr), who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior subject to approval of the cabinet.[1]

Modern history[edit]

Map of Administrative Subdivisions of Iran in 1911, Tehran, Eyalats, and Velayats

Iran has held its modern territory since the Treaty of Paris in 1857. Prior to 1937, Iran had maintained its feudal administrative divisional structure, dating back to the time the modern state was centralized by the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century. Although the boundaries, roles, and rulers changed often. On the eve of Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1905, Iran was composed of Tehran, being directly ruled by the Monarch, 4 “Eyalats”, ruled by Qajar princes, and various “Velayats”. Nomadic tribal confederations, such as Bakhtiari people and Qashqai people were largely independent of the domestic administrative divisions and were autonomous.

With the Constitutional revolution, and the formation of the first National Consultative Assembly, Iran’s administrative subdivisions were legally defined in 1907.[2] Any change in the boundaries of Eyalats, Velayats, or their respective sub-districts was banned as per the Iranian constitution, except with the passage of a new law by the assembly. As per the 1907 law, the following were defined:[2]

ماده 1 – مملكت محروسه ايران براي تسهيل امور سياسي بايالات و ولايات منقسم ميشود.

ماده 2 – ايالت قسمتي از مملكت است كه داراي حكومت مركزي و ولايات حاكم‌نشين جزء است و فعلاً منحصر به چهار ايالت است (‌آذربايجان)(‌كرمان و بلوچستان) (‌فارس) (‌خراسان)

ماده 3 – ولايات قسمتي از مملكت است كه داراي يك شهر حاكم‌نشين و توابع باشد اعم از اينكه حكومت آن تابع پايتخت يا تابع مركز ايالتي ‌باشد.

Article 1 – Guarded Domain of Iran, for the facilitation of political affairs, will be subdivided into Eyalats and Velayats

Article 2 – Eyalat is a part of the kingdom which includes a central government and subordinate governor-ruled Velayats and at the moment there only are four Eyalat: Azerbaijan, Kerman and Baluchistan, Fars, Khurasan.

Article 3 – Velayat is a part of the kingdom which includes a governor-residence city and subordinate areas, whether its governance is subordinate to the capital [Tehran], or to the capital of an Eyalat.

On October 22, 1911, Iranian National Consultative Assembly passed another law, titled “The law of Election of National Consultative Assembly” (Persian: قانون انتخابات مجلس شوراي ملي). This law presented a complete list of all Eyalats and Velayats of the country, as well as their constituent districts and cities. This list presented the grouping of various towns and districts into Electoral districts for the purpose of the election. According to this law, in 1911, Iran was made up of 27 administrative subdivisions, the region of Tehran, 4 Eyalats, and 22 Velayats.[3] Below is a list:

In 1937, Iran was reorganized to form ten numbered provinces with subordinate governorates: Gilan; Mazandaran; East Azerbaijan; West Azerbaijan; Kermanshah; Khuzestan; Fars; Kerman; Khorasan; Isfahan.[4]

Iran has had a historical claim to Bahrain as its 14th province: Bahrain Province, until 1971 under British colonial occupation. Prior to 1957, Bahrain was placed under Fars Province.[5] During Safavid Iran, Bahrain was subordinate to Bushehr governorship and Zubarah (located in modern-day country of Qatar) was its capital city. In 1737, under Afsharid dynasty Bahrain was made subject to Fars governorship.[6] This claim was reasserted by the new theocratic Iranian leadership after 1979 with the famous 1981 coup attempt that occurred.[7]

From 1960 to 1981, the governorates were raised to provincial status one by one. Since then several new provinces have been created, most recently in 2010 when the new Alborz Province was split from Tehran Province, and before that in 2004 when the province of Khorasan was divided into three provinces.[8]

Map of the 31 provinces of Iran

Information[edit]

Iran population broken down by province

Iran's GDP contribution by province.png

Current provinces[edit]

According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, between 2017 and 2019, some 11 of the 20 poorest Iranian cities were in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan. Three other markedly poor cities were located in Kerman province. [9]

Iranian provinces along with additional information and statistics
Province Abbreviation Capital Population (2023)[10] Area (km2) Population density (/km2) Counties Notes Map
Alborz AL Karaj 2,730,000 5,833 465.01 7 Until 23 June 2010, it was part of Tehran province. IranAlborz-SVG.svg
Ardabil AR Ardabil 1,284,000 17,800 71.37 12 Until 1993, it was part of East Azerbaijan province.[11] IranArdabil-SVG.svg
Bushehr BU Bushehr 1,174,000 22,743 51.15 10 Originally part of Fars province. Until 1977, it was known as Khalij-e Fars (Persian Gulf).[4] IranBushehr-SVG.svg
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari CB Shahrekord 973,000 16,332 58.03 11 Until 1973, it was part of Isfahan province.[12] IranChaharMahaalBakhtiari-SVG.svg
East Azerbaijan EA Tabriz 3,925,000 45,650 85.64 21 IranEastAzerbaijan-SVG.svg
Fars FA Shiraz 4,904,000 122,608 39.57 37 IranFars-SVG.svg
Gilan GN Rasht 2,546,000 14,042 180.22 17 IranGilan-SVG.svg
Golestan GO Gorgan 1,893,000 20,195 92.53 14 On 31 May 1997, the counties of Aliabad, Gonbad-e Kavus, Gorgan, Kordkuy, Minudasht, and Torkaman were separated from Mazandaran province to form Golestan province. Gorgan was known as Esteraba or Astarabad until 1937.[4] IranGolestan-SVG.svg
Hamadan HA Hamadan 1,756,000 19,368 90.78 10 Originally part of Kermanshah province.[4] IranHamadan-SVG.svg
Hormozgan HO Bandar Abbas 1,806,000 70,669 25.14 13 Originally part of Kerman province.[4] Until 1977, the province was known as Banader va Jazayer-e Bahr-e Oman (Ports and Islands of the Sea of Oman).[4] IranHormozgan-SVG.svg
Ilam IL Ilam 591,000 20,133 28.82 11 Originally part of Kermanshah province.[4] IranIlam-SVG.svg
Isfahan IS Isfahan 5,136,000 107,029 47.85 28 In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.[4] IranEsfahan-SVG.svg
Kerman KN Kerman 3,184,000 183,285 17.27 23 IranKerman-SVG.svg
Kermanshah KE Kermanshah 2,003,000 24,998 78.10 14 Between 1950 and 1979, both Kermanshah province and city were known as Kermanshahan, and between 1979 and 1995 as Bakhtaran.[4] IranKermanshah-SVG.svg
Khuzestan KH Ahvaz 4,725,000 64,055 73.54 29 IranKhuzestan-SVG.svg
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad KB Yasuj 728,000 15,504 45.99 9 Originally part of Khuzestan province. Until 1990, the province was known as Bovir Ahmadi and Kohkiluyeh.[4] IranKohkiluyehBuyerAhmad-SVG.svg
Kurdistan KU Sanandaj 1,614,000 29,137 55.02 10 Originally part of Gilan province.[4] IranKurdistan-SVG.svg
Lorestan LO Khorramabad 1,784,000 28,294 62.23 11 Originally part of Khuzestan province.[4] IranLorestan-SVG.svg
Markazi MA Arak 1,436,000 29,130 49.07 12 Originally part of Mazandaran province.[4] In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.[4] IranMarkazi-SVG.svg
Mazandaran MN Sari 3,302,000 23,701 138.54 22 IranMazandaran-SVG.svg
North Khorasan NK Bojnord 868,000 28,434 30.35 8 On 29 September 2004, Khorasan province was divided into three provinces: North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and South Khorasan.[8] IranNorthKhorasan-SVG.svg
Qazvin QA Qazvin 1,284,000 15,549 81.92 6 On 31 December 1996, the counties of Qazvin and Takestan were separated from Zanjan province to form Qazvin province.[4] IranQazvin.svg
Qom QM Qom 1,300,000 11,526 112.12 3 Until 1995, Qom was a county of Tehran province.[4] IranQom.svg
Razavi Khorasan RK Mashhad 6,444,000 118,884 54.12 33 On 29 September 2004, Khorasan province was divided into three provinces: North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and South Khorasan.[8] IranRazaviKhorasan-SVG.svg
Semnan SE Semnan 715,000 97,491 7.20 8 Originally part of Mazandaran province.[4] In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.[4] IranSemnan-SVG.svg
Sistan and Baluchestan SB Zahedan 2,777,000 180,726 15.35 26 Until 1986, the province was known as Baluchestan and Sistan.[4] IranSistanBaluchistan-SVG.svg
South Khorasan SK Birjand 786,000 151,913 5.06 11 On 29 September 2004, Khorasan province was divided into three provinces: North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and South Khorasan.[8] IranSouthKhorasan-SVG.svg
Tehran TE Tehran 13,323,000 18,814 705.20 16 Until 1986, Tehran was part of Markazi province. IranTehran-SVG.svg
West Azerbaijan WA Urmia 3,278,000 37,437 87.22 17 During the Pahlavi Dynasty, Urmia was known as Rezaiyeh.[13] IranWestAzerbaijan-SVG.svg
Yazd YA Yazd 1,156,000 76,469 14.89 10 Originally part of Isfahan province.[12] In 1986, part of Kerman province was transferred to Yazd province. In 2002, Tabas County (area: 55,344 km2) was transferred from Khorasan province to Yazd province.[4] Location of Yazd province in Iran.svg
Zanjan ZA Zanjan 1,103,000 21,773 48.57 8 Originally part of Gilan province. In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.[4] IranZanjan-SVG.svg
Iran (Total) IR Tehran 79,937,000 1,628,554 km2 (628,788 sq mi) 49.078 467 Iran location map.svg

Historical provinces[edit]

See also[edit]

References and notes[edit]

  1. ^ IRNA, Online Edition. “Paris for further cultural cooperation with Iran”. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
  2. ^ a b “The law on the formation of Eyalats and Velayats and the instructions of the governors, Passed on December 18, 1907″. Laws and Regulations Portal of Islamic Republic of Iran. Retrieved 8 February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ “The law of Election of National Consultative Assembly, Passed on October 22, 1911”. Laws and Regulations Portal of Islamic Republic of Iran. Retrieved 8 February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Gwillim Law, Statoids website. “Provinces of Iran”. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2006.
  5. ^ Ebrahimi, Mansoureh; Rad Goudarzi, Masoumeh; Yusoff, Kamaruzaman (2018), The Dynamics of Iranian Borders: Issues of Contention, Springer, p. 106, ISBN 9783319898360
  6. ^ Mojtahed-Zadeh, Pirouz (2013). Security and Territoriality in the Persian Gulf: A Maritime Political Geography. Routledge. p. 139. ISBN 978-0700710980.
  7. ^ “Former IRGC General Close To Supreme Leader Khamenei: ‘Bahrain Is A Province Of Iran That Should Be Annexed To [It]’“. MEMRI. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d Online edition, Al-Jazeera Satellite Network. “Iran breaks up largest province”. Archived from the original on 20 May 2006. Retrieved 30 April 2006.
  9. ^ Monday, 23 Aug 2021 11:30 (23 August 2021). “Iran Enters A New Economic Era Marked By Poverty | Iran International”. Iranintl.com. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  10. ^ “Census 2023: Population and Households of the Country by Province and Sub-province (Shahrestan)” (Excel). Iran Data Portal. The Statistical Center of Iran. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  11. ^ Chamber Society, Iranian. “Ardabil Province”. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  12. ^ a b Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Ostandarie. “Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari Province”. Retrieved 23 July 2008.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ “Urmia”. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.

External links[edit]

Official provincial websites