Provinces of Iran

Modern history

Iran has held its modern territory since the Treaty of Paris in 1857. Prior to 1937, Iran had maintained its feudal administrative divisional structure, dating back to the time the modern state was centralized by the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century, although the boundaries, roles, and rulers changed often. On the eve of the Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1905, Iran was composed of Tehran, being directly ruled by the monarch; four eyalats ( eyâlât pl., ایالت eyâlat sin.), ruled by Qajar princes; and various velayats ( velâyât pl., ولایت velayat sin.). Nomadic tribal confederations, such as the Bakhtiari people and Qashqai people, were largely independent of the domestic administrative divisions and were autonomous.

With the Constitutional Revolution, and the formation of the first National Consultative Assembly, Iran's administrative subdivisions were legally defined in 1907. Any change in the boundaries of eyalats, velayats, or their respective sub-districts was banned by the Iranian constitution, except with the passage of a new law by the assembly. Per the 1907 law, the following were defined:

ماده ۲ ــ ایالت قسمتی از مملکت است که دارای حکومت مرکزی و ولایات حاکم‌نشین جزء است و فعلاً منحصر به چهار ایالت است: آذربایجان، کرمان و بلوچستان، فارس، خراسان ماده ۳ ــ ولایات قسمتی از مملکت است که دارای یک شهر حاکم‌نشین و توابع باشد اعم از اینکه حکومت آن تابع پایتخت یا تابع مرکز ایالتی باشد|Article 1 – Guarded Domain of Iran, for the facilitation of political affairs, will be subdivided into Eyalats and Velayats Article 2 – Eyalat is a part of the kingdom which includes a central government and subordinate governor-ruled Velayats and at the moment there only are four Eyalat: Azerbaijan, Kerman and Baluchistan, Fars, Khurasan. Article 3 – Velayat is a part of the kingdom which includes a governor-residence city and subordinate areas, whether its governance is subordinate to the capital [Tehran], or to the capital of an Eyalat.}}

On 22 October 1911, the National Consultative Assembly passed another law, titled "The law of Election of National Consultative Assembly" (). This law presented a complete list of all eyalats and velayats of the country, as well as their constituent districts and cities. This list presented the grouping of various towns and districts into electoral districts for the purpose of the election. According to this law, in 1911, Iran was made up of 27 administrative subdivisions, the region of Tehran, 4 eyalats, and 22 velayats. Below is a list:

;Capital city

• Tehran ;Eyalats

1. Azerbaijan
2. Pars
3. Kerman and Baluchistan
4. Khorasan and Sistan ;Provinces
5. Khuzestan
6. Astarabad (Gorgan)
7. Damavand
8. Gerrus (Bijar)
9. Gilan
10. Golpayegan
11. Hamadan
12. Iraq (Arak)
13. Isfahan
14. Kashan
15. Khamseh (Zanjan)
16. Kermanshahan (Kermanshah)
17. Kurdistan
18. Luristan
19. Malayer
20. Mazandaran
21. Qazvin
22. Qom
23. Saveh
24. Semnan and Damghan
25. Shahrud and Bastam
26. Yazd

In 1937, Iran was reorganized to form ten numbered provinces with subordinate governorates: Gilan, Mazandaran, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Pars, Kerman, Khorasan, and Isfahan.

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

From 1960 to 1981, the governorates were gradually 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.

Provinces by population and GDP

According to Donya-e-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.

Current provinces

Provincial abbreviations

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

Historical provinces

• Khorasan province
• Bahrain province

Safavid Dynasty

The Tadhkirat Al-Muluk, a work made circa 1725 (1137) which details the Safavid administration mentions that Iran had four territories governed by Valis: (Arabistan, Luristan, Georgia and Kurdistan).

And thirteen provinces governed by Beglarbegis: (Azarbayjan (also called Tabriz Province), Chukhur-i Sa'd, Qarabagh-Ganja, Shirvan, Astarabad, Mashhad, Marv, Herat, Qandahar, Kirman, Kuh-Giluya, Qazvin and Hamadan).

In other places such as Isfahan (the capital) and nearby regions, Yazd, Mazandaran, Gilan, Saveh, Shiraz and many districts of Persian Iraq, they were administered by the Khāssa, the central royal branch of the government; in opposition to the provincial Mamālik government branch.

References and notes

References

1. (2007). "Iran Country Fact Sheet". [[Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada]].
2. "The law on the formation of ''Eyalats'' and ''Velayats'' and the instructions of the governors, Passed on December 18, 1907".
3. "The law of Election of National Consultative Assembly, Passed on October 22, 1911".
4. Gwillim Law, Statoids website. "Provinces of Iran".
5. (2018). "The Dynamics of Iranian Borders: Issues of Contention". Springer.
6. Mojtahed-Zadeh, Pirouz. (2013). "Security and Territoriality in the Persian Gulf: A Maritime Political Geography". Routledge.
7. (2016-03-23). ["Former IRGC General Close To Supreme Leader Khamenei: 'Bahrain Is A Province of Iran That Should Be Annexed To It]'". MEMRI.
8. Online edition, Al-Jazeera Satellite Network. "Iran breaks up largest province".
9. (2021-08-23). "Iran Enters A New Economic Era Marked By Poverty". Iran International.
10. . ["Census 2023: Population and Households of the Country by Province and Sub-province (Shahrestan)"](https://irandataportal.syr.edu/census/census-2023). *The Statistical Center of Iran*.
11. Larijani, Ali. (16 April 1389). "Alborz province establishment law". Guardian Council.
12. Chamber Society, Iranian. "Ardabil Province".
13. Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Ostandarie. (September 2017). "Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari Province".
14. "Urmia".
15. Minorsky, Vladimir. (1943). "Tadhkirat al-Mulūk, A Manual of Safavid Administration". E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Trust.