Provinces of Iran

Iran has held its modern territory since the Treaty of Paris in 1857. From 1906 until 1950, Iran was divided into twelve provinces: Ardalan, Azerbaijan, Baluchestan, Fars, Gilan, Araq-e Ajam, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kerman, Larestan, Lorestan, and Mazandaran.[2]

In 1950, Iran was reorganized to form ten numbered provinces with subordinate governorates: Gilan; Mazandaran; East Azerbaijan; West Azerbaijan; Kermanshah; Khuzestan; Fars; Kerman; Khorasan; Isfahan.[2]

Iran has had a historical claim to Bahrain as its 14th province: Bahrain Province, until 1971 under British colonial occupation. Prior to 1957, Bahrain was placed under Fars Province.[3] During Safavid Iran, Bahrain was subordinate to Bushehr governorship and Zubarah (located in modern-day country of Qatar) was its capital city. In 1737, under Afsharid dynasty Bahrain was made subject to Fars governorship.[4] This claim was reasserted by the new theocratic Iranian leadership after 1979 with the famous 1981 coup attempt that occurred.[5]

From 1960 to 1981, the governorates were raised to provincial status one by one. Since then several new provinces have been created, most recently in 2010 when the new Alborz Province was split from Tehran Province, and before that in 2004 when the province of Khorasan was divided into three provinces.[6]

Map of the 31 provinces of Iran

According to Donyaye Eqtesad, between 2017 and 2019, some 11 of the 20 poorest Iranian cities were in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan. Three other markedly poor cities were located in Kerman province. [7]

Iranian provinces along with additional information and statistics

Province	Capital	Population (2016)[8]	Area (km2)	Population density (/km2)	Counties	Notes	Map
Alborz	Karaj	2,712,400	5,833	465.01	4	Until 23 June 2010, Alborz was part of Tehran province.
Ardabil	Ardabil	1,270,420	17,800	71.37	9	Until 1993, Ardabil was part of East Azerbaijan province.[9]
Azerbaijan, East	Tabriz	3,909,652	45,650	85.64	19
Azerbaijan, West	Urmia	3,265,219	37,437	87.22	14	During the Pahlavi Dynasty Urmia was known as Rezaiyeh.[10]
Bushehr	Bushehr	1,163,400	22,743	51.15	9	Originally part of Fars province. Until 1977, the province was known as Khalij-e Fars (Persian Gulf).[2]
Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari	Shahrekord	947,763	16,332	58.03	6	Until 1973 was part of Isfahan province.[11]
Fars	Shiraz	4,851,274	122,608	39.57	23
Gilan	Rasht	2,530,696	14,042	180.22	16
Golestan	Gorgan	1,868,819	20,195	92.53	11	On the 31 May 1997, the shahrestans of Aliabad, Gonbad-e-kavus, Gorgan, Kordkuy, Minudasht, and Torkaman were separated from Mazandaran province to form Golestan province. Gorgan was called Esteraba or Astarabad until 1937.[2]
Hamadan	Hamadan	1,738,234	19,368	90.78	8	Originally part of Kermanshah province.[2]
Hormozgan	Bandar Abbas	1,776,415	70,669	25.14	11	Originally part of Kerman province.[2] Until 1977, the province was known as Banader va Jazayer-e Bahr-e Oman (Ports and Islands of the Sea of Oman).[2]
Ilam	Ilam	580,158	20,133	28.82	7	Originally part of Kermanshah province.[2]
Isfahan	Isfahan	5,120,850	107,029	47.85	21	In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.[2]
Kerman	Kerman	3,164,718	183,285	17.27	14
Kermanshah	Kermanshah	1,952,434	24,998	78.10	13	Between 1950 and 1979, both Kermanshah province and city were known as Kermanshahan and between 1979 and 1995 were known as Bakhtaran.[2]
Khorasan, North	Bojnourd	863,092	28,434	30.35	6	On 29 September 2004, Khorasan was divided into three provinces. North Khorasan; Razavi Khorasan; South Khorasan.[6]
Khorasan, Razavi	Mashhad	6,434,501	118,884	54.12	29	On 29 September 2004, Khorasan was divided into three provinces. North Khorasan; Razavi Khorasan; South Khorasan.[6]
Khorasan, South	Birjand	768,898	151,913	5.06	8	On 29 September 2004, Khorasan was divided into three provinces. North Khorasan; Razavi Khorasan; South Khorasan.[6]
Khuzestan	Ahvaz	4,710,509	64,055	73.54	18
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad	Yasuj	713,052	15,504	45.99	5	Originally part of Khuzestan province. Until 1990, the province was known as Bovir Ahmadi and Kohkiluyeh.[2]
Kurdistan	Sanandaj	1,603,011	29,137	55.02	9	Originally part of Gilan province.[2]
Lorestan	Khorramabad	1,760,649	28,294	62.23	9	Originally part of Khuzestan province.[2]
Markazi	Arak	1,429,475	29,130	49.07	10	Originally part of Mazandaran province.[2] In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.[2]
Mazandaran	Sari	3,283,582	23,701	138.54	15
Qazvin	Qazvin	1,273,761	15,549	81.92	5	On 31 December 1996, the shahrestans of Qazvin and Takestan were separated from Zanjan province to form the province of Qazvin.[2]
Qom	Qom	1,292,283	11,526	112.12	1	Until 1995, Qom was a shahrestan of Tehran province.[2]
Semnan	Semnan	702,360	97,491	7.20	4	Originally part of Mazandaran province.[2] In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.[2]
Sistan and Baluchestan	Zahedan	2,775,014	180,726	15.35	8	Until 1986, the province was known as Baluchestan and Sistan.[2]
Tehran	Tehran	13,267,637	18,814	705.20	13	Until 1986, Tehran was part of Markazi province.
Yazd	Yazd	1,138,533	76,469	14.89	10	Originally part of Isfahan province.[11] In 1986, part of Kerman province was transferred to Yazd province. In 2002, Tabas shahrestan (area: 55,344 km2) was transferred from Khorasan province to Yazd.[2]
Zanjan	Zanjan	1,057,461	21,773	48.57	7	Originally part of Gilan province. In 1986, some parts of Markazi province were transferred to Isfahan, Semnan, and Zanjan provinces.[2]
Iran (Total)	Tehran	79,926,270	1,628,554 km2 (628,788 sq mi)	49.078	342

Table below shows the provinces' abbreviation, which can be used in postal addresses and academic affiliations for the sake of simplicity.

• Khorasan Province
• Bahrain Province

• List of current Iran governors-general
• List of Iranian provinces by Human Development Index
• Administrative divisions of Iran
  • Regions of Iran
  • Counties of Iran
• Geography of Iran
• ISO 3166-2:IR

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Provinces of Iran.

• Wikimedia Atlas of Iran
• Statistical Centre, Government of Iran
• Iranian Provinces Investment – Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, affiliated to the Ministry of Commerce (Iran)
• "Provinces of Iran". Statoids.

Official provincial websites