Tehran Province
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Tehran Province
استان تهران
Location
Map of Iran with Tehran highlighted.
Info
Admin. Center:
 • Coordinates:
Tehran
 35.7117° N 51.4070° E
Area : 18,814 km²
Population(2005):
 • Density :
12,150,742
 645.8/km²
No. of Counties: 13
Time zone: IRST (UTC+3:30)
  -Summer (DST): IRST (UTC+4:30)
Main language(s): Persian,
Azeri,
Gilaki and Mazandarani,Kurdish,
Other Iranian languages

Tehran Province (Persian: استان تهران; transliterated ostān-e Tehrān;) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It covers on area of 18,909 square kilometers and is located to the north of the central plateau of Iran.

Tehran Province borders Māzandarān Province in the north, Qom Province in the south, Semnān Province in the east, and Qazvīn Province in the west. The metropolis of Tehran is the capital city of the province and of Iran. As of June 2005, this province includes 13 townships, 43 municipalities, and 1358 villages.

The province gained importance when Tehran was claimed the capital by the Qajar dynasty in 1778. Today Tehran ranks in the top 20 metropolitan cities of the world in size.

Contents

Geography

Tehran has been Iran's capital since 1778.
Tehran has been Iran's capital since 1778.
The towering Alborz mountain range in Tehran rises above modern high-rises of Elahiyeh district.
The towering Alborz mountain range in Tehran rises above modern high-rises of Elahiyeh district.

The province of Tehran has over 14 million inhabitants and is Iran's most densely-populated region. [1] Approximately 84.15 percent reside in urban areas and 15.85 percent in rural areas of the province.

The highest point of the province is Mount Damavand, at an elevation of 5678 m above sea level; the lowest point of the province is the plains of Varamin, 790 m above sea level.

The largest rivers of this province are Karaj River and Jajrud River.

Mountain ranges such as The Alborz span the north; Savad Kooh and Firooz Kooh are located in the north east; Lavasanat, Qarah Daq, Shemiranat, Hassan Abad and Namak Mountains are in the southern areas; Bibi Shahr Banoo and Alqadr are situated in the south east and the heights of Qasr-e-Firoozeh being located to the east of the province.

Environmentally speaking, the climate of Tehran province in the southern areas is warm and dry, but in the mountain vicinity is cold and semi-humid, and in the higher regions is cold with long winters. The hottest months of the year are from mid-July to mid-September when temperatures range from 28°-30°C and the coldest months experience 1°C around December-January. Tehran city has moderate winters and hot summers. Average annual rainfall is approximately 200 mm, the maximum being during the winter season.

History

The Achaemenid collection of The National Museum of Iran in Tehran.
The Achaemenid collection of The National Museum of Iran in Tehran.

Tehran Province has several archeological sites indicating settlements dating back several thousand years old. Until 300 years ago, Ray was the most prominent of the cities of the province. However, the city of Tehran rose to become the larger city and capital of Iran by 1778, and since then has been the political, cultural, economical, and commercial nucleus of Iran.

Tehran has over 1500 historical sites of cultural significance registered with the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran. The oldest of these in Tehran province are the remains of two sites in Firuzkuh County that date back to the 4th millennium BCE.

Divisions

  • Counties:
  1. Damavand County
  2. Eslamshahr County
  3. Firouzkouh County
  4. Karaj County
  5. Nazarabad County
  6. Pakdasht County
  7. Ray County
  1. Robat Karim County
  2. Savojbolagh County
  3. Shahriar County
  4. Shemiranat County
  5. Tehran County
  6. Varamin County

Tehran province today

Tehran is the commercial heart of Iran. Tehran province has over 17,000 industrial units employing 390,000 people, 26% of all units in Iran. The province contains 30% of Iran's economy, and comprises 40% of Iran's consumer market. The province has three hydro dams namely Latiyan, Lar, and Amir Kabir as well as two natural lakes, providing the water supply of Tehran and the province.[1]

The province contains 170 mines, over 330 square kilometres of forests, and over 12800 square kilometres of pasture.[1]

Generally speaking, year round, regions such as the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains, especially in the mountains, valleys, and rivers and artificial lakes formed behind the great dams of Amir Kabir, Latiyan and Lar along with natural lakes of Jaban and Tarr provide considerable recreation for the province.

Moreover, due to excessive snowfall in the northern areas of the province during the winter season, the Alborz mountains form an excellent environment for winter sports such as skiing. Dizin, Shemshak, and Tochal are the most popular skiing resorts.

Parks, Recreation and other Attractions

The Niavaran Public Library is nestled snuggly within the Niavaran city park.
The Niavaran Public Library is nestled snuggly within the Niavaran city park.

Religious centers

View of Mount Damavand as seen from the Dizin ski resort.
View of Mount Damavand as seen from the Dizin ski resort.

Mosques, shrines, mausoleums, and tombs

Churches

  • Surep Georg Church, 1790
  • Thaddeus Bartoqimus Church, 1808
  • Tatavus Church, from the Qajar era
  • Enjili Church, 1867
  • Assyrian Church

Colleges and universities

Click here for videoclip about Tehran University.
Click here for videoclip about Tehran University.

See main list: List of Universities in Tehran Province.

Tehran province's major universities are:

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

See the city of Tehran for further information and links, also: List of the localities around Tehran

References

[1]: According to the information released by the Office of the provincial governor, linked above.

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