List of regions of Iran
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Iran has been divided into regions in a number of different ways historically. It has been divided into five administrative regions ( , singular ) since 2014.


Current administrative regions

Iran's thirty-one provinces were grouped into five regions on 22 June 2014, based on a decision by the Ministry of Interior. In this change, the adjacency, geographical location and similarities of the provinces were considered. The
Constitution of Iran The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, قانون اساسی جمهوری اسلامی ایران, ''Qanun-e Asasi-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran'') was adopted by referendum on 2 and 3 December 1979, and went into force replac ...
does not provide for regions and they are not the constituent units of the country but exist purely for the convenience of governmental administration. According to Javad Naserian, the Ministry of Interior's Management Development and Human Resources Vice-Minister, the purpose of this grouping of provinces was the creation of synergy, transfer of experience, information exchange, and regional development. Also, it now provides an intermediate level where provinces can discuss their problems among themselves, instead of going immediately to Tehran. The intention was for each region to have regularly scheduled meetings of the constituent provinces' Governors-general, rotating the meeting place through the provincial capitals. The host province would provide the chairman of each meeting. A regional secretariat would be established in the capital city of the main province of each region, with a coordinating bureau in the Ministry of Interior headquarters in Tehran.


Historical regions

In 1937 the territory of Iran was divided into ten administrative regions: , , , etc.( fa) For example, or "Seventh Province" corresponded to present-day Fars Province per the "Territorial Subdivision Act of 1316 Š./1937 (Qānūn-e taqsīmāt-e kešvar)." Histories, travel books and economic analyses often refer to less formal, more historical or geographical, Iranian regions. The borders of these are not fixed and often have changed over time, and even overlapped at the same time. *
Alamut Alamut ( fa, الموت) is a region in Iran including western and eastern parts in the western edge of the Alborz (Elburz) range, between the dry and barren plain of Qazvin in the south and the densely forested slopes of the Mazandaran provinc ...
- in the
Alborz mountain range The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs nort ...
of northern Iran; * Central Iran: Known as ''Iraq-i Ajam ('' Persian Iraq) *
Baluchistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
(Southeastern Iran) - sometimes just Sistan and Baluchestan Province and sometimes all of Baluchistan; *
Caspian Iran Northern Iran consists of the southern border of the Caspian Sea and the Alborz mountains. It includes the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan. (Ancient kingdom of Hyrcania, medieval region of Tabaristan). The major provinces, Gilan ...
(Northern Iran, Tabaristan or "Mardi and Hyrcania") - Gilan Province, Mazandaran Province, and Golestan Province, and historically sometimes northern Semnan * Eastern Iran *
Iranian Azerbaijan Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan ( fa, آذربایجان, ''Āzarbāijān'' ; az-Arab, آذربایجان, ''Āzerbāyjān'' ), also known as Iranian Azerbaijan, is a historical region in northwestern Iran that borders Iraq, Turkey, the Nakhchivan ...
- approximately the current provinces of Region 3, but often excluding Kurdistan Province and often excluding the Caspian province of Gilan; * Iranian Kurdistan - including Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province and parts of Ilam Province and parts of West Azerbaijan Province; *
Khorasan Khorasan may refer to: * Greater Khorasan, a historical region which lies mostly in modern-day northern/northwestern Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan * Khorasan Province, a pre-2004 province of Ira ...
- consisting of North Khorasan Province, Razavi Khorasan Province, South Khorasan Province, and sometimes eastern Semnan Province ** Quhistan - southern Khorasan; * Persian Gulf Iran (Persian Gulf region of Iran, Southern Iran) - Fars, Kohgiluyeh and Buyer Ahmad, Hormozgan and Bushehr provinces; * Southeastern Iran ( Carmania) - mostly Kerman Province, but often extending to the coast; * Western Iran (
Khuzestan Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it covers ...
,
Elam Elam (; Linear Elamite: ''hatamti''; Cuneiform Elamite: ; Sumerian: ; Akkadian: ; he, עֵילָם ''ʿēlām''; peo, 𐎢𐎺𐎩 ''hūja'') was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of modern-day Iran, stretc ...
) - the 'birthplace of Iran', similar to Region 4 ( Hamadan Province, Ilam Province, Kermanshah Province, Khuzestan Province, Lorestan Province, Markazi Province), but often including all of or some of Qazvin Province, Kurdistan Province, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province;


See also

*


References


Further reading

* {{Asia topic, List of regions of Subdivisions of Iran Iran, Regions Iran 1 Iran geography-related lists