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Golestan province

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Golestan is a province in northeast Iran.

Golestan
Golestan

It sits southeast of the Caspian Sea. To the north, it shares a border with Turkmenistan. A key crossing point between these two countries is Incheh Borun. The name Golestan has a lovely meaning. In languages like Persian, it means "land of flowers."

Linguistic Map of Golestan Province
Linguistic Map of Golestan Province

The capital city is Gorgan. This city used to be called Esterabad until 1937. Long ago, the name Gorgan meant "land of wolves." You can still find wild wolves living in the area today.

Iran provinces in Abbasid Caliphate
Iran provinces in Abbasid Caliphate

The land in Golestan has two very different parts. One part is made of wide, flat plains. The other part is made of the high Alborz mountains. In the east, these mountains face northeast. The mountains slowly get shorter as they go. The highest point in the whole province is Shavar. It reaches a height of 3,945 meters. Two main rivers flow through this land. They are called the Gharasu and the Gorganrud rivers.

People have lived in this area for a very long time. Some settlements date back to 10,000 BC. An ancient city called Jorjan was once located near Gonbad-e Kavus. This area was an important part of Persia. It sat on the famous Silk Road. In the past, the people here were called Hyrcanians. They were even mentioned by the writer Herodotus. The province was split from Mazandaran Province in 1997.

Many different groups of people live in Golestan. In 2006, Turkmens made up 34.20% of the people. Mazandaranis made up 30.40% of the population. Other groups include Sistanis, Persians, Baluchis, and Qizilbash. Some people live in the northern plains called Turkmen Sahra. These Turkmens have lived there since the 15th century. The population has grown steadily over the years. In 2016, there were 1,868,819 people living in the province.

There are many special things to see in Golestan. It is home to the Gonbad-e Qabus tower. This is the tallest brick tower of its kind in the world. There is also the Golestan National Park. It is the biggest national park in Iran. The park covers parts of three different provinces. It has many types of weather in one place. It can be wet near the Caspian Sea. It can be dry like a desert further south.

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File:Linguistic Map of Golestan Province.jpg
Linguistic Map of Golestan Province.jpg
File:Golestan.svg
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