Counties of Iran
The counties of Iran, called shahrestan (Persian: شهرستان, also Romanized as "šahrestân"), are administrative divisions of larger provinces (ostan). The word shahrestan comes from the Persian words šahr ("city, town") and stân ("province, state"). "County", therefore, is a near equivalent to shahrestan.
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Iranian counties are divided into one or more baxš (بخش), or districts. A typical county includes both cities (شهر šahr) and rural agglomerations (دهستان dehestân), which are groupings of adjacent villages. One city within the county serves as the capital of that county.
Each county is governed by an office known as farmândâri, which coordinates different public events and agencies and is headed by a farmândâr, the governor of the county and the highest-ranking official in the division.
Among the provinces of Iran, Fars has the highest number of shahrestans (23), while Qom uniquely has only one, being coextensive with its namesake county. In 2005, Iran had 324 shahrestans.
Guide
To better understand these subdivisions, the following table is useful. Assume that province P is divided into two counties: A and B. County A has 3 districts: Central, X, and Y. The Central district is the district that contains City M, the capital of the county. Each district contains one or more cities and/or one or more RAs (rural agglomerations). In our example, the Central district contains City M, City N, and RA T, which is composed of the villages V1, V2, V3, and V4; district X contains City O and RA U; and district Y has no cities and one RA V. The minimal county consists of only one city as the only district, named Central. The county B in the following table is of such type, containing only one city Q.
Ostan (province) | Shahrestan (county) | District | City / RA* | Villages |
---|---|---|---|---|
P | A | Central | City M (c) | |
City N | ||||
RA T | V1, V2, V3, V4 | |||
X | City O | |||
RA U | V5, V6 | |||
Y | RA V | V7, V8, V9 | ||
B | Central | City Q |
The counties are listed below, by province:
East Azerbaijan Province
- Ahar County
- Ajab Shir County
- Azarshahr County
- Bonab County
- Bostanabad County
- Charuymaq County
- Hashtrud County
- Heris County
- Hurand County
- Jolfa County
- Kaleybar County
- Khoda Afarin County
- Malekan County
- Maragheh County
- Marand County
- Mianeh County
- Osku County
- Sarab County
- Shabestar County
- Tabriz County
- Varzaqan County
Isfahan Province
- Aran va Bidgol County
- Ardestan County
- Borkhar County
- Buin va Miandasht County
- Chadegan County
- Dehaqan County
- Falavarjan County
- Faridan County
- Fereydunshahr County
- Golpayegan County
- Isfahan County
- Kashan County
- Khansar County
- Khomeyni Shahr County
- Khur and Biabanak County
- Lenjan County
- Mobarakeh County
- Nain County
- Najafabad County
- Natanz County
- Semirom County
- Shahreza County
- Shahin Shahr and Meymeh County
- Tiran and Karvan County
Fars Province
- Abadeh County
- Arsanjan County
- Bavanat County
- Darab County
- Eqlid County
- Estahban County
- Farashband County
- Fasa County
- Firuzabad County
- Gerash County
- Jahrom County
- Kavar County
- Kazerun County
- Kharameh County
- Khonj County
- Khorrambid County
- Lamerd County
- Larestan County
- Mamasani County
- Marvdasht County
- Mohr County
- Neyriz County
- Pasargad County
- Qir and Karzin County
- Rostam County
- Sarvestan County
- Sepidan County
- Shiraz County
- Zarrin Dasht County
Kerman Province
- Anar County
- Anbarabad County
- Arzuiyeh County
- Baft County
- Bam County
- Bardsir County
- Fahraj County
- Faryab County
- Jiroft County
- Kahnuj County
- Kerman County
- Kuhbanan County
- Manujan County
- Narmashir County
- Qaleh Ganj
- Rabor County
- Rafsanjan County
- Ravar County
- Rigan County
- Rudbar-e Jonubi County
- Shahr-e Babak County
- Sirjan County
- Zarand County
Khuzestan Province
- Abadan County
- Ahvaz County
- Andika County
- Andimeshk County
- Bagh-e Malek County
- Bavi County
- Behbahan County
- Dasht-e Azadegan County
- Dezful County
- Gotvand County
- Haftkel County
- Hendijan County
- Hoveyzeh County
- Izeh County
- Khorramshahr County
- Lali County
- Mahshahr County
- Masjed Soleyman County
- Omidiyeh County
- Ramhormoz County
- Ramshir County
- Shadegan County
- Shush County
- Shushtar County
Mazandaran Province
- Abbasabad County
- Amol County
- Babol County
- Babolsar County
- Behshahr County
- Chalus County
- Galugah County
- Juybar County
- Kelardasht County
- Mahmudabad County
- Miandorud County
- Neka County
- North Savadkuh County
- Nowshahr County
- Nur County
- Qaem Shahr County
- Ramsar County
- Sari County
- Savadkuh County
- Tonekabon County
Razavi Khorasan Province
- Bajestan County
- Bakharz County
- Bardaskan County
- Chenaran County
- Dargaz County
- Davarzan County
- Fariman County
- Firuzeh County
- Gonabad County
- Jowayin County
- Joghatai County
- Kalat County
- Kashmar County
- Khaf County
- Khalilabad County
- Khoshab County
- Mahvelat County
- Mashhad County
- Nishapur County
- Quchan County
- Roshtkhar County
- Sabzevar County
- Sarakhs County
- Taybad County
- Torqabeh and Shandiz County
- Torbat-e Jam County
- Torbat-e Heydarieh County
- Zaveh County
Sistan and Baluchestan Province
- Bampur County
- Chabahar County
- Dalgan County
- Fanuj County
- Hamun County
- Hirmand County
- Iranshahr County
- Khash County
- Konarak County
- Mehrestan County
- Mirjaveh County
- Nik Shahr County
- Nimruz County
- Qasr-e Qand County
- Saravan County
- Sarbaz County
- Sib and Suran County
- Zabol County
- Zahedan County
- Zehak County
Zanjan Province
- Abhar County
- Ijrud County
- Khodabandeh County
- Khorramdarreh County
- Mahneshan County
- Soltaniyeh County
- Tarom County
- Zanjan County
See also
- Ostan
- Bakhsh
- Provinces of Iran
References
- اطلس گیتاشناسی استانهای ایران [Atlas-e Gitashenasi-ye Ostanha-ye Iran] (Gitashenasi Province Atlas of Iran)