Golestan Province

Iran / Mazandaran / Aliabad /
 province, first-level administrative division, draw only border

Golestan (Persian: گلستان, Golestān) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran, located in the northeastern part of the country, south of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is Gorgan. It was split off from the province of Mazandaran in 1997. Present-day Gorgan was called Esteraba or Astarabad until 1937. Golestan Province has a population of 1.7 million (2005) and an area of 20,380 km². The major townships of the province are: Bandar Torkaman, Bandar Gaz, Ali Abad, Kord Kooy, Gorgan, Gonbad Kavoos, Fenderesk and Minoo Dasht.

Golestan enjoys mild weather and a temperate climate most of the year. Geographically, it is divided into two sections, the plains and the mountains of the Alborz range. In the eastern Alborz section, the direction of mountains faces northeast and gradually decreases in height. The highest point of the province is Shavar, at 3,945m. in elevation.

Human settlements in this area date back to 10,000 BCE. Evidence of the ancient city of Jorjan can still be seen near the current city of Gorgan. This was an important city of Persia, located on the Silk Road.

The Turkmen minority reside in the north of the province, particularly in the cities of Gonbad and Bandar Turkaman. Other minority communities such as Baluchs, Turks, Afghans, and Armenians also reside in this area, and have preserved their traditions and rituals.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   37°16'59"N   55°4'33"E

Comments

  • Polygon by shbn.
  • Double-lined polygon corrected by shbn.
  • Photo #4 by Abolhasan Nazar Nokande
  • Photos from Wikipedia by: 1- Reza Babri 2- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gonbad-e_Qabus.JPG 3- Mohammad Hesamian
This article was last modified 11 years ago