Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces ({{langx|fa|استان}} Ostân), each governed from a local centre, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital (Persian: {{lang|fa|مرکز}}, Markaz) of that province. The provincial authority is headed by a governor-general (Persian: {{lang|fa|استاندار}} Ostândâr), who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior subject to approval of the cabinet.

Modern history

File:Iran Administrative Division (Eyalat and Velayat) map 1911 (1290 SH) - English.png, 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 the Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1905, Iran was composed of Tehran, being directly ruled by the monarch; four eyalats ({{langx|fa|ایالات}} elâyât pl., {{lang|fa|ایالت}} elayat sin.), ruled by Qajar princes; and various velayats ({{langx|fa|ولایات}} velâyât pl., {{lang|fa|ولایت}} velayat sin.). Nomadic tribal confederations, such as the 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.{{cite web|website=Laws and Regulations Portal of Islamic Republic of Iran| url=https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/85504| title=The law on the formation of Eyalats and Velayats and the instructions of the governors, Passed on December 18, 1907| access-date=2023-02-08}} 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:

{{Text and translation|.ماده ۱ ــ مملکت محروسه ایران برای تسهیل امور سیاسی بایالات و ولایات منقسم می‌شود

ماده ۲ ــ ایالت قسمتی از مملکت است که دارای حکومت مرکزی و ولایات حاکم‌نشین جزء است و فعلاً منحصر به چهار ایالت است: آذربایجان، کرمان و بلوچستان، فارس، خراسان

ماده ۳ ــ ولایات قسمتی از مملکت است که دارای یک شهر حاکم‌نشین و توابع باشد اعم از اینکه حکومت آن تابع پایتخت یا تابع مرکز ایالتی 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 22 October 1911, Iranian National Consultative Assembly passed another law, titled "The law of Election of National Consultative Assembly" ({{langx|fa|قانون انتخابات مجلس شورای ملی}}). 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.{{cite web |title=The law of Election of National Consultative Assembly, Passed on October 22, 1911 |url=https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/115543 |url-status= |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=Laws and Regulations Portal of Islamic Republic of Iran}} Below is a list:

;Capital city

Tehran

;Eyalats

;Provinces

In 1937, Iran was reorganized to form ten numbered provinces with subordinate governorates: Gilan, Mazandaran, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Fars, Kerman, Khorasan, and Isfahan.{{cite web| url=http://www.statoids.com/uir.html| title=Provinces of Iran| first=Statoids website| last=Gwillim Law| access-date=2006-04-30| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022043249/http://www.statoids.com/uir.html| archive-date=22 October 2016| url-status=live}}

Iran has had a historical claim to Bahrain as its 14th province: Bahrain province, which was under British colonial occupation until 1971. Prior to 1957, Bahrain was placed under Fars province.{{citation|first1=Mansoureh|last1=Ebrahimi|first2=Masoumeh|last2=Rad Goudarzi|first3=Kamaruzaman|last3=Yusoff|title=The Dynamics of Iranian Borders: Issues of Contention|publisher=Springer|date=2018|isbn=9783319898360|page=106}} 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.{{Cite book|last=Mojtahed-Zadeh|first=Pirouz|title=Security and Territoriality in the Persian Gulf: A Maritime Political Geography|publisher=Routledge|year=2013|isbn=978-0700710980|page=139}} This claim was reasserted by the new theocratic Iranian leadership after 1979 with the famous 1981 coup attempt that occurred.{{cite web|url=https://www.memri.org/reports/former-irgc-general-close-supreme-leader-khamenei-bahrain-province-iran-should-be-annexed-it |title=Former IRGC General Close To Supreme Leader Khamenei: 'Bahrain Is A Province of Iran That Should Be Annexed To [It]' |publisher=MEMRI |date=2016-03-23 |accessdate=2022-03-15}}

From 1960 to 1981, the governorates were gradually 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.{{cite web| url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2B2C2624-ECBE-473A-AF89-A62AF91E7550.htm| title=Iran breaks up largest province| first=Al-Jazeera Satellite Network| last=Online edition| access-date=2006-04-30| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060520194602/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2B2C2624-ECBE-473A-AF89-A62AF91E7550.htm| archive-date=20 May 2006| df=dmy-all}}

File:Map of Iran with province names and neighboring land.svg

Information

File:Iran population by province (bar chart).png

803x803px

Current provinces

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.{{cite web |url=https://iranintl.com/en/iran/iran-enters-new-economic-era-marked-poverty |title=Iran Enters A New Economic Era Marked By Poverty |work=Iran International |date=2021-08-23 |accessdate=2022-03-15}}

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ Iranian provinces along with additional information and statistics
style="background:#ace1af;" !Province !Abbreviation !Capital !data-sort-type="number"\|Population (2023){{cite web \|url=https://irandataportal.syr.edu/census/census-2023 \|title=Census 2023: Population and Households of the Country by Province and Sub-province (Shahrestan) \|format=Excel \|author= \|website=Iran Data Portal \|publisher=The Statistical Center of Iran \|access-date=17 December 2022}} !Area (km²) ! data-sort-type="number" \|Population density (/km²) !Counties !class="unsortable"\|Notes !class="unsortable"\|Map
Alborz	AL	Karaj	style="text-align:right" \| 2,730,000	style="text-align:right" \| 5,833	style="text-align:right" \| 465.01	style="text-align:right" \|7	Until 23 June 2010, it was part of Tehran province.{{cite web \|title = Alborz province establishment law \|language = fa \|website = Lamtakam \|url = https://lamtakam.com/law/council_of_ministers/782290 \|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231216152645/https://lamtakam.com/law/council_of_ministers/782290 \|publisher = Guardian Council \|last = Larijani \|first = Ali \|date = 16 April 1389 \|archive-date = 16 December 2023 \|access-date = 16 December 2023}}	80px
Ardabil	AR	Ardabil	style="text-align:right" \| 1,284,000	style="text-align:right" \| 17,800	style="text-align:right" \| 71.37	style="text-align:right" \|12	Until 1993, it was part of East Azerbaijan province.{{cite web\| url=http://www.Iranchamber.com/provinces/06_ardabil/06_ardabil.php\| title=Ardabil Province\| first=Iranian\| last=Chamber Society\| access-date=2008-07-23\| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612055812/http://www.iranchamber.com/provinces/06_ardabil/06_ardabil.php\| archive-date=12 June 2008\| url-status=live}}	80px
Bushehr	BU	Bushehr	style="text-align:right" \| 1,174,000	style="text-align:right" \| 22,743	style="text-align:right" \| 51.15	style="text-align:right" \|10	Originally part of Fars province. Until 1977, it was known as Khalij-e Fars (Persian Gulf).	80px
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari	CB	Shahr-e Kord	style="text-align:right" \| 973,000	style="text-align:right" \| 16,332	style="text-align:right" \| 58.03	style="text-align:right" \|12	Until 1973, it was part of Isfahan province.{{cite web\| url=http://www.ostan-cb.ir/default.aspx?page=185\| title=Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari Province\| first=Ostandarie\| last=Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province\| access-date=2008-07-23}}{{dead link\|date=September 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}	80px
East Azerbaijan	EA	Tabriz	style="text-align:right" \| 3,925,000	style="text-align:right" \| 45,650	style="text-align:right" \| 85.64	style="text-align:right" \|23		80px
Fars	FA	Shiraz	style="text-align:right" \| 4,904,000	style="text-align:right" \| 122,608	style="text-align:right" \| 39.57	style="text-align:right" \|37		80px
Gilan	GN	Rasht	style="text-align:right" \| 2,546,000	style="text-align:right" \| 14,042	style="text-align:right" \| 180.22	style="text-align:right" \|17		80px
Golestan	GO	Gorgan	style="text-align:right" \| 1,893,000	style="text-align:right" \| 20,195	style="text-align:right" \| 92.53	style="text-align:right" \|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.	80px
Hamadan	HA	Hamadan	style="text-align:right" \| 1,756,000	style="text-align:right" \| 19,368	style="text-align:right" \| 90.78	style="text-align:right" \|10	Originally part of Kermanshah province.	80px
Hormozgan	HO	Bandar Abbas	style="text-align:right" \| 1,806,000	style="text-align:right" \| 70,669	style="text-align:right" \| 25.14	style="text-align:right" \|13	Originally part of Kerman province. Until 1977, the province was known as Banader va Jazayer-e Bahr-e Oman (Ports and Islands of the Sea of Oman).	80px
Ilam	IL	Ilam	style="text-align:right" \| 591,000	style="text-align:right" \| 20,133	style="text-align:right" \| 28.82	style="text-align:right" \|12	Originally part of Kermanshah province.	80px
Isfahan	IS	Isfahan	style="text-align:right" \| 5,136,000	style="text-align:right" \| 107,029	style="text-align:right" \| 47.85	style="text-align:right" \|28	In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.	80px
Kerman	KN	Kerman	style="text-align:right" \| 3,184,000	style="text-align:right" \| 183,285	style="text-align:right" \| 17.27	style="text-align:right" \|25		80px
Kermanshah	KE	Kermanshah	style="text-align:right" \| 2,003,000	style="text-align:right" \| 24,998	style="text-align:right" \| 78.10	style="text-align:right" \|14	Between 1950 and 1979, both Kermanshah province and city were known as Kermanshahan, and between 1979 and 1995 as Bakhtaran.	80px
Khuzestan	KH	Ahvaz	style="text-align:right" \| 4,725,000	style="text-align:right" \| 64,055	style="text-align:right" \| 73.54	style="text-align:right" \|30		80px
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad	KB	Yasuj	style="text-align:right" \| 728,000	style="text-align:right" \| 15,504	style="text-align:right" \| 45.99	style="text-align:right" \|9	Originally part of Khuzestan province. Until 1990, the province was known as Bovir Ahmadi and Kohkiluyeh.	80px
Kurdistan	KU	Sanandaj	style="text-align:right" \| 1,614,000	style="text-align:right" \| 29,137	style="text-align:right" \| 55.02	style="text-align:right" \|10	Originally part of Gilan province.	80px
Lorestan	LO	Khorramabad	style="text-align:right" \| 1,784,000	style="text-align:right" \| 28,294	style="text-align:right" \| 62.23	style="text-align:right" \|12	Originally part of Khuzestan province.	80px
Markazi	MA	Arak	style="text-align:right" \| 1,436,000	style="text-align:right" \| 29,130	style="text-align:right" \| 49.07	style="text-align:right" \|12	Originally part of Mazandaran province. In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.	80px
Mazandaran	MN	Sari	style="text-align:right" \| 3,302,000	style="text-align:right" \| 23,701	style="text-align:right" \| 138.54	style="text-align:right" \|22		80px
North Khorasan	NK	Bojnord	style="text-align:right" \| 868,000	style="text-align:right" \| 28,434	style="text-align:right" \| 30.35	style="text-align:right" \|10	On 29 September 2004, Khorasan province was divided into three provinces: North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and South Khorasan.	80px
Qazvin	QA	Qazvin	style="text-align:right" \| 1,284,000	style="text-align:right" \| 15,549	style="text-align:right" \| 81.92	style="text-align:right" \|6	On 31 December 1996, the counties of Qazvin and Takestan were separated from Zanjan province to form Qazvin province.	80px
Qom	QM	Qom	style="text-align:right" \| 1,300,000	style="text-align:right" \| 11,526	style="text-align:right" \| 112.12	style="text-align:right" \|3	Until 1995, Qom was a county of Tehran province.	80px
Razavi Khorasan	RK	Mashhad	style="text-align:right" \| 6,444,000	style="text-align:right" \| 118,884	style="text-align:right" \| 54.12	style="text-align:right" \|34	On 29 September 2004, Khorasan province was divided into three provinces: North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and South Khorasan.	80px
Semnan	SE	Semnan	style="text-align:right" \| 715,000	style="text-align:right" \| 97,491	style="text-align:right" \| 7.20	style="text-align:right" \|8	Originally part of Mazandaran province. In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.	80px
Sistan and Baluchestan	SB	Zahedan	style="text-align:right" \| 2,777,000	style="text-align:right" \| 180,726	style="text-align:right" \| 15.35	style="text-align:right" \|26	Until 1986, the province was known as Baluchestan and Sistan.	80px
South Khorasan	SK	Birjand	style="text-align:right" \| 786,000	style="text-align:right" \| 151,913	style="text-align:right" \| 5.06	style="text-align:right" \|12	On 29 September 2004, Khorasan province was divided into three provinces: North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and South Khorasan.	80px
Tehran	TE	Tehran	style="text-align:right" \| 13,323,000	style="text-align:right" \| 18,814	style="text-align:right" \| 705.20	style="text-align:right" \|16	Until 1986, Tehran was part of Markazi province.	80px
West Azerbaijan	WA	Urmia	style="text-align:right" \| 3,278,000	style="text-align:right" \| 37,437	style="text-align:right" \| 87.22	style="text-align:right" \|20	During the Pahlavi dynasty, Urmia was known as Rezaiyeh.{{cite web\|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0850203.html\|title=Urmia\|access-date=2008-07-23\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908103150/http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0850203.html\|archive-date=8 September 2008\|url-status=live}}	80px
Yazd	YA	Yazd	style="text-align:right" \| 1,156,000	style="text-align:right" \| 76,469	style="text-align:right" \| 14.89	style="text-align:right" \|12	Originally part of Isfahan province. 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.	80px
Zanjan	ZA	Zanjan	style="text-align:right" \| 1,103,000	style="text-align:right" \| 21,773	style="text-align:right" \| 48.57	style="text-align:right" \|8	Originally part of Gilan province. In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.	80px
class="sortbottom" \| Iran (total)	IR	Tehran	style="text-align:right" \|80,528,000 \|{{convert\|1628554\|km2\|sqmi\|abbr=on}}	style="text-align:right" \| 49.078	style="text-align:right" \|484		80px

Provincial abbreviations

Table below shows the provinces' abbreviation, which can be used in postal addresses and academic affiliations for the sake of simplicity.

class="wikitable sortable"

!Province

!Abbreviation

!Method

Alborz

|AL

|First two letters

Ardabil

|AR

|First two letters

Azerbaijan, East

|EA

|First two words

Azerbaijan, West

|WA

|First two words

Bushehr

|BU

|First two letters

Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari

|CB

|First two words

Fars

|FA

|First two letters

Gilan

|GI

|First two letters

Golestan

|GO

|First two letters

Hamadan

|HA

|First two letters

Hormozgan

|HO

|First two letters

Ilam

|IL

|First two letters

Isfahan

|IS

|First two letters

Kerman

|KE

|First two letters

Kermanshah

|KS

|First two words

Khorasan, North

|NK

|First two words

Khorasan, Razavi

|RK

|First two words

Khorasan, South

|SK

|First two words

Khuzestan

|KH

|First two letters

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad

|KB

|First two words

Kurdistan

|KU

|First two letters

Lorestan

|LO

|First two letters

Markazi

|MA

|First two letters

Mazandaran

|MN

|First and last letter

Qazvin

|QA

|First two letters

Qom

|QO

|First two letters

Semnan

|SE

|First two letters

Sistan and Baluchestan

|SB

|First two words

Tehran

|TE

|First two letters

Yazd

|YA

|First two letters

Zanjan

|ZA

|First two letters

Historical provinces

= Safavid Dynasty =

The Tadhkirat Al-Muluk, a work made circa 1725 (1137) which details the Safavid administration mentions that Iran had four territories governed by Valis: (Arabistan, Luristan, Georgia and Kurdistan).

And thirteen provinces governed by Beglarbegis: (Azarbayjan (also called Tabriz Province), Chukhur-i Sa'd, Qarabagh-Ganja, Shirvan, Astarabad, Mashhad, Marv, Herat, Qandahar, Kirman, Kuh-Giluya, Qazvin and Hamadan).{{cite book |last=Minorsky |first=Vladimir |date=1943 |title=Tadhkirat al-Mulūk, A Manual of Safavid Administration |url=https://archive.org/details/tadhkirat-al-muluk-1943-minorsky |location=Cambridge, England |publisher=E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Trust |page=163 |isbn=0906094127}}

References and notes

External links

{{Wikiatlas|Iran}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060825031041/http://www.sci.org.ir/english/default.htm Statistical Centre, Government of Iran]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110910061604/http://en.tpo.ir/documents/document/13244/13512/portal.aspx Iranian Provinces Investment] – trade promotion organization of Iran, affiliated to the Ministry of Commerce (Iran)
{{Statoids|id=uir|title=Provinces of Iran}}

; Official provincial websites

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080913131408/http://www.ardabil.ir/Default.aspx Ardabil]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110303194405/http://www.ostan-as.gov.ir/ East Azarbaijan]
[http://www.ostan-ag.gov.ir West Azarbaijan]
[http://www.ost-boushehr.ir Bushehr]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080916081623/http://www.ostan-cb.ir/ Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080913200943/http://www.farsp.ir/Portal/Show.aspx?Page=322 Fars]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20050125080542/http://ostan-gl.ir/ Gilan]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080826082421/http://www.golestanstate.ir/ Golestan]
[http://www.ostan-hm.ir Hamadan]
[http://www.hormozgan.ir Hormozgan]
[http://www.portal-il.ir Ilam]
[http://www.ostan-es.ir/user/Index.jsp Isfahan]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080806200638/http://www.kermanprovince.ir/ Kerman]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090601072725/http://www.portal-ks.ir/ Kermanshah]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141217235031/http://nkhorasan.ir/ North Khorasan]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140831113123/http://www.khorasan.ir/ Razavi Khorasan]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080825121356/http://www.sk-portal.ir/ South Khorasan]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070623153445/http://www.ostan-kz.ir/ Khuzestan]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080913170703/http://www.ostan-kb.ir/ Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080913081650/http://www.ostan-kd.ir/ Kurdistan]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929101010/http://www.lorestan.ir/ Lorestan]
[http://www.ostan-mr.ir Markazi]
[http://www.ostan-mz.ir Mazandaran]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080820081327/http://www.qazvin.gov.ir/ Qazvin]
[http://www.qomict.ir/old-site/portal Qom]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
[http://www.ostan-sm.ir Semnan]
[http://www.sbportal.ir Sistan and Baluchestan]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20050204165358/http://www.ostan-th.ir/ Tehran]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080913094446/http://www.ostan-yz.ir/ Yazd]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070919150628/http://www.ostan-zn.ir/ Zanjan]

{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries}}

Iran 1

Provinces, Iran

Category:Iran geography-related lists

Iran, Provinces

Category:Subdivisions of Iran

Provinces of Iran

Modern history

Information

Current provinces

Provincial abbreviations

Historical provinces

= Safavid Dynasty =

See also

References and notes

External links