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Tehran province

Province of Iran

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  • 7 chapters
Compounds of the Foreign Ministry of Iran . Building seen at the end of the way is the old building of the Foreign Ministry from the Qajar era. The new building is seen to the right.
Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.5

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Tehran Province covers an area of 18,814 square kilometres (7,264 sq mi) and is located to the north of the Central Plateau of Iran. It was made a part of the First Region with its secretariat located in Tehran, upon the division of the provinces into 5 regions, solely for coordination and development purposes on June 22, 2014.

Tehran Province is situated in north-central Iran, lying on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains. The province’s location within the Alborz range gives it a diverse topography, with high mountains in the north and gradually descending plains toward the south. This geographical setting creates a varied climate, from cool alpine conditions to semi-arid lowlands.

The province of Tehran has over 12 million inhabitants and is Iran's most densely populated region. Approximately 86.5 percent reside in urban areas and 13.5 percent in rural areas of the province.

History

Tehran province has several archeological sites indicating settlements dating back several thousand years. Until 300 years ago, Rey was the most prominent of the cities of the province. However, the city of Tehran rose to become the largest city and capital of Iran by 1796, and since then has been the political, cultural, economic, and commercial nucleus of Iran.

Tehran has over 1,500 historical sites of cultural significance registered with the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran. The oldest of these in Tehran Province is the remains of two sites in Firuzkuh County that date back to the fourth millennium BCE.

After the 2006 census, Karaj, Nazarabad, and Savojbolagh Counties were separated from the province in the establishment of Alborz province.

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 hydrodams (Latiyan, Lar, and Amir Kabir)as well as two natural lakes, providing the water supply of Tehran and the province.

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

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.

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