Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province

Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province (Persian: استان چهارمحال و بختیاری, Ostān-e Chahār-Mahāl-o Bakhtiyārī) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies in the southwestern part of the country. Its capital is Shahr-e Kord.

Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari Province
استان چهارمحال و بختیاری
Province
Counties of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province
Location of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province in Iran
Coordinates: 31°58′N 50°29′E
CountryIran
RegionRegion 2[1]
CapitalShahrekord
Counties11
Government
 • Governor-generalGholamali Heydari Soudjani
Area
 • Total16,332 km2 (6,306 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total947,763
 • Density58/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+03:30 (IRST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+04:30 (IRST)
Main language(s)Luri language
Persian
Qashqai Turkish
HDI (2017)0.798[3]
high · 13th

The province was classified as part of Region 2 upon the division of the provinces into 5 regions solely for coordination and development purposes on June 22, 2014.[1]

It has an area of 16,332 square kilometers, and had a population of 947,763 in 2016.[4]

Languages

Bakhtiāri, which belongs to the Luri language of the Iranian language family, is the province's main language. Bakhtiāri is primarily spoken in the valleys of the higher areas in the western half of the province. It is also spoken in the lower areas around Lordegān in the south, and by speakers who have moved into the cities in the north-east.[5]

In the north-east quarter of the province, people in most cities and villages speak either Chārmahāli (also in the Southwestern branch of Iranian) or Chaharmahali Turkic. Chārmahāli is transitional between Bakhtiari and Persian varieties of Esfahan Province, but more similar to the latter. Chārmahāli varieties spoken in cities include Dehkordi (in Shahr-e Kord), Ghafarrokhi (in Farrokh Shahr), Heysheguni (in Hafshejān), and Borujeni (in Borujen). There are also many other varieties of Chārmahāli spoken in rural areas. Most types of Turkic spoken in this province are similar to Qashqa’i of Fars Province, but they are transitional to the Āzarbāyjāni (Azerbaijani) language of north-west Iran. The Chārmahāli and Turkic language areas overlap with one another, and in the foothills of the Zagros and in the larger cities, they intermingle with Bakhtiāri as well.[5]

Tehrani-type Persian is now being taught by parents to children as a first language in some parts of the province, with the highest concentrations in the cities.[5]

Linguistic map of Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Province

The Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI) published a series of language maps for Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Province, including a point-based and polygon (area-based) language distribution maps, and several linguistic data maps.[5]

Written descriptions of some of the Bakhtiāri varieties in the province.[6][7] and a lexicon of the Bakhtiāri language[8] have also been published.

Administrative divisions

Counties (Shahrestans)
MapShahrestan
(≈County)		Bakhsh
(≈District)		District Center
ArdalCentralArdal
MiankuhSarkhun
BenCentralBen
ShidaYan Cheshmeh
BoroojenCentralBoroojen
BoldajiBoldaji
GandomanGandoman
FalardCentralMal-e Khalifeh
Ememzadeh HassanShah Najaf
FarsanCentralFarsan
BabaheydarBabaheydar
JunqanJunqan
KhanmirzaCentralAluni
ArmandArmand
KiarCentralShalamzar
NaghanNaghan
KoohrangCentralChelgerd
BazoftBazoft
Doab-SamsamiSamsami
LordeganCentralLordegan
ManjManj
RudashtSardasht
SamanCentralSaman
Zayandeh RudHureh
Shahr-e KordCentralShahr-e Kord
LaranSoureshjan
Farrokh ShahrFarrokh Shahr

Cities and towns
  • Shahr-e Kord
  • Kian
  • Hafshejan
  • Borujen
  • Lordegan
  • Farsan
  • Ardal
  • Dashtak
  • Kaj
  • Farrokhshahr
  • Lepir
  • Nafech
  • Saman
  • Junqan
  • Ben
  • Gandoman
  • Boldaji
  • Faradonbeh
  • Vardanjan

Natural attractions

Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province is the source and birthplace of many springs, rivers and waterfalls that supply the water of the two great and vital rivers of Zayanderud and Karoon and cause the development of many cities in the country. Natural attractions include Zayanderud river, Zamankhan bridge, Kouhrang 1 Dam, Dime spring, Sheik Ali Khan waterfall, Chama Ice cave, Darkesh varkesh canyon, Rostam Abad Sardab spring, Do Polan, Karoon-4 dam, Darreh Esgh (love valley), Atashgah waterfall, Choghakhor Wetland, Pire Ghar cave, Siasard spring, Helen protected area, Barm spring, Sendegan spring, Tang Sayyad national Park, Parvaz national park, Sarab cave, Gandoman wetland, Zard lime waterfall, Kordikon waterfall.[9]

Economy

The province is mainly active in the agriculture sector. Most of the industrial sector is clustered around the center of the province.

The province has the potential to become a vibrant tourist attraction because of its natural resources.[10]

Colleges and universities
  • Islamic Azad University of Borujen
  • Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch[11]
  • Shahrekord University
  • Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences

References
  1. "استان‌های کشور به ۵ منطقه تقسیم شدند". همشهری آنلاین. June 22, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  2. "National census 2016". amar.org.ir. Retrieved 2017-03-14.[]
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-09-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) National Census 2011
  5. "Language distribution: Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Province". Iran Atlas. Archived from the original on 2017-12-05. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  6. Khosravi, Abdol’ali. 1996/1375. Guyesh-e Bakhtiāri: Ketāb-e chahārom [Bakhtiari dialect: Fourth book]. Esfahan: Nashr-e Ghazal.
  7. Tāheri, Esfandyār. 2010/1389. Guyesh-e Bakhtiāri-ye Kuhrang [The Bakhtiari dialect of Kuhrang]. Tehran: IHCS Press.
  8. Madadi, Zohrāb. 1996/1375. Vāzhehnāmeh-ye zabān-e Bakhtiāri [Lexicon of the Bakhtiari language]. Tehran & Esfahan: Enteshārāt-e Āyāt.
  9. "A trip to Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari".
  10. "Choghakhor to become a tourist hub by 2008". www.payvand.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  11. "Islamic Azad University Shahrekord Branch - About Shahrekord". August 15, 2011. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
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