Mazandaran province
Mazandaran Province (
pronunciation (help·info), Persian: استان مازندران, romanized: Ostān-e Māzandarān; Mazanderani: مازرون, romanized: Māzerun), is an Iranian province located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and in the adjacent Central Alborz mountain range, in central-northern Iran.[11]
Māzandarān Province
استان مازندران | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Counties of Mazandaran Province | |
 Location of Mazandaran Province in Iran | |
| Coordinates: 36.5656°N 53.0588°E | |
| Country | Iran |
| Region | Region 1[1] |
| Capital | Sari |
| Counties | 20 |
| Government | |
| • Governor-general | Mahmoud Hosseinipour |
| Area | |
| • Total | 23,833 km2 (9,202 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
| • Total | 3,073,943 |
| • Density | 130/km2 (330/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:30 (IRST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+04:30 (IRST) |
| Main language(s) | Mazandarani(Tabari)[4] Gilaki[5][6][7][8][9] |
| HDI (2017) | 0.845[10] very high · 4th |
Mazandaran Province is one of the most densely populated provinces in Iran[12] and has diverse natural resources, notably large reservoirs of oil and natural gas.[13] The province's four largest counties are Sari, Amol, Nur, and Tonekabon.[14] It was founded in 1937.[15]
The diverse natural habitats of the province include plains, prairies, forests and rainforest[16] stretching from the sandy beaches of the Caspian Sea to the rugged and snowcapped Alborz sierra,[17] including Mount Damavand, one of the highest peaks and volcanoes in Asia.[18]
Mazandaran is a major producer of farmed fish,[19] and aquaculture provides an important economic addition to traditional dominance of agriculture.[20] Another important contributor to the economy is the tourism industry, as people from all of Iran enjoy visiting the area.[21] Mazandaran is also a fast-growing centre for biotechnology.[13]