Kerman province () is the largest of the 31

provinces of Iran Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces ( ''Ostân''), each governed from a local centre, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital (Persian: , ''Markaz (country subdivision), Markaz'') of that province. The provincial ...

. Its capital is the city of

Kerman Kerman (; ) is a city in the Central District (Kerman County), Central District of Kerman County, Kerman province, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. History Kerman was founded as a def ...

. The province is in the southeast of Iran. In 2014 it was placed in Region 5. Mentioned in ancient times as the

Achaemenid The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the large ...

satrapy of Carmania, Kerman province has an area of , encompassing nearly 11% of the land area of Iran.http://www.sci.org.ir/content/userfiles/_sci_en/sci_en/sel/year85/f1/CS_01_4.HTM

History

According to a text from the 8th century commontly attributed to the

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

historian

Movses Khorenatsi Movses Khorenatsi ( 410–490s AD; , ) was a prominent Armenians, Armenian historian from late antiquity and the author of the ''History of Armenia (book), History of the Armenians''. Movses's ''History of the Armenians'' was the first attempt at ...

, present-day Kerman province was situated in the southern quarter of the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

. The main city of the region from the Sasanian era to the 10th century was

Sirjan Sirjan (; ) is a city in the Central District of Sirjan County, Kerman province, in the south of Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The city is from the Iranian capital of Tehran, and from the provincial capita ...

. Early Muslim geographers considered the area as part of the hot climatic zone and the mountainous interior as home of predatory people including the Kufečs (or Kofejān).

Hamdallah Mustawfi Hamdallah Mustawfi Qazvini (; 1281 – after 1339/40) was a Persian official, historian, geographer and poet. He lived during the last era of the Mongol Ilkhanate, and the interregnum that followed. A native of Qazvin, Mustawfi belonged to fami ...

stated that predatory beasts roamed the area which by then had undergone forestation. In the 13th century it came under the rule of the Qutlugh-Khanids founded by ethnic

Khitans The Khitan people (Khitan small script: ; ) were a historical nomadic people from Northeast Asia who, from the 4th century, inhabited an area corresponding to parts of modern Mongolia, Northeast China and the Russian Far East. As a people desce ...

, than under the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

. It was under the

Timurid empire The Timurid Empire was a late medieval, culturally Persianate, Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and parts of co ...

in 15th century.

Demographics

Language

The main languages of Kerman province are

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and Garmsiri. Smaller languages include Achomi, Turkic dialects and a Median-type

dialect A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...

spoken by the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

and

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...

communities. The Persian varieties can be considered one single Kermani accent and they are sufficiently close to Standard Persian which they share intelligibility with.

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 2,584,834 in 612,996 households. The 2011 census recorded a population of 2,938,988 people (1,482,339 male and 1,456,649 female) in 785,747 households. Urban areas accounted for 1,684,982 people, whereas 1,242,344 lived in rural vicinities; 6,082 were non-residents. The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 3,164,718 in 932,721 households. The capital city of Kerman, with a population of 537,718, comprises about 29% of the provincial urban population of 1.85 million, being the most developed and largest city of the province.

Administrative divisions

The population history and structural changes of Kerman province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.

Cities

According to the 2016 census, 1,858,587 people (over 58% of the population of Kerman province) live in the following cities:

Most populous cities

The following sorted table, lists the most populous cities in Kerman.

Geography

The altitudes and heights of the province are the continuation of the central mountain ranges of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. They extend from the volcanic folds beginning in

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

and, by branching out in the central plateau of Iran, terminate in Baluchestan. These mountain ranges have brought about vast plains in the province. The Bashagard and

Kuhbonan Mountains Kuhbonan Mountains or Kuhbonan Highlands, (Kuhbonan also pronounced as Kuhbanan), are a group of mountains that are located in the northern part of Kerman province in Iran. Stretching in a northwest–southeast direction, the mountain range is situ ...

are the highest in this region and include

peaks PEAKS is a proteomics software program for tandem mass spectrometry designed for peptide sequencing, protein identification and quantification. Description PEAKS is commonly used for peptide identification (Protein ID) through de novo peptide ...

such as Toghrol, Aljerd, Palvar, Sirach, Abareq and Tahrood. Other ranges that stretch out from

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

to Kerman and Challeh-ye-Jazmoorian include high peaks like

Hazaran Hazaran (Hazar, Hezar), is a massif of the Central Iranian Plateau, and an eastern outlier of the Zagros Mountains. Hazaran is located in Kerman Province, in southeast Iran. With an elevation of 4,500 metres, it is the highest peak in Kerman Pro ...

which is 4,501 meters above sea level (ASL), Kuh-e Shah 4,402 meters ASL, Joupar, Bahr Aseman and Khabr mountain in Khabr National Park and others. Most of the province is largely

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...

or sandy desert, although there are some

oases In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentdates, oranges (said to be the best in Iran), and

pistachio The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

s are cultivated. In antiquity " Carmanian" wine was famed for its quality nowiki/>Strabo XV.2.14 (cap. 726)">Strabo.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Strabo">nowiki/>Strabo XV.2.14 (cap. 726) The province is dependent on qanats (underground water channels) for its irrigation. In the central parts, Mount Hezar is the highest peak, 4501 meters above sea level. Kerman is prone to natural disasters. A recent flood for example, unearthed the archeological ancient city of

Jiroft Jiroft (; ) is a city in the Central District of Jiroft County, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is south of the city of Kerman, and south of Tehran along Road 91. In the past it was also ...

, in the south of Kerman province. Arg-é Bam on the other hand, the world's largest

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

structure, was destroyed in an earthquake in December 2003. On February 22, 2005, a major earthquake killed hundreds of residents in the town of Zarand and several nearby villages in north Kerman.

Economy

As of 1920, the province was known for the quality of its

caraway Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Etymology The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been ...

. Today, Kerman is where a large portion of Iran's auto industry is based.

, a specially designated economic zone, is considered a passageway for transfer of imported commercial goods from the south (through the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

). Arg e Jadid, is another specially designated economic zone of Iran, located in Kerman province. Furthermore, Kerman province is famous for its abundance of pistachio fields both in the city itself and surrounding ones such as

Rafsanjan Rafsanjan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Rafsanjan County), Central District of Rafsanjan County, Kerman province, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Demographics Population At the time o ...

, Ravar and Nooq. The Gol Gohar mine, the largest

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

mine in Iran, is located in Kerman province.

Education

Colleges and universities

Kerman province contains the following universities: * Jiroft University * Kerman University of Medical Sciences * Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences *

Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman (SBUK) is a research institution and university of engineering and science in Iran, which offers both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Located in the Kerman province of Iran, the university is among the ...

* Sirjan University of Technology * ValiAsr University of Rafsanjan

Notes

References

* * * *

External links

* * (Bibliography)
Kerman Specially Designated Economic Zone
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerman Province Provinces of Iran