- Golestān Province
Infobox Iran Province
province_name = Golestān
ostan_name = گلستان
loc_
capital =Gorgan
latd = 36.8393
longd = 54.4444
area = 20,195
pop = 1,637,063
pop_year = 2005
pop_density = 81.1
sub_provinces = 11
languages= Mazandarani Turkmen Persian Golestān ( _fa. گلستان) is one of the 30 provinces ofIran . It is in the north-east of the country, south of theCaspian Sea . Its capital isGorgan .It was split off from the province of
Mazandaran in1997 . Present-day Gorgan was called Esteraba or Astarabad until 1937.It has a population of 1.7 million (2005) and an area of 20,380 km². The major townships of the province are:
Gorgan ,Gonbad Kavoos ,Bandar Torkaman ,Bandar Gaz ,Ali Abad ,Kord Kooy ,Fenderesk andMinoo Dasht .Climate and geography
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.Administrative Divisions
History
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 Turkmens reside in the north of the province, particularly in the cities of
Gonbad andBandar Turkaman . Other ethnic groups such asBaluch s,Kazakhs ,Georgians , andArmenians also reside in this area, and have preserved their traditions and rituals.Culture
The
Buwayhid andZiyarid dynasties of Persia were from this region. They were known for the revival of pre-Islamic Persian culture. For example, Buwayhid leaders entitled themselves as Shâhanshâh (شاهنشاه), literally "king of kings", a term used by Sassanid rulers.The world's tallest brick tower stands in this province. It is the famous
Gonbad-e Qabus , built by a famous Amir of this region.Colleges and universities
*# Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources ( [http://www.gau.ac.ir/ website] )
*# [http://www.goums.ac.ir/ Golestan University of Medical Sciences]
*#Islamic Azad University of Gorgan
*# [http://www.aliabadiau.ac.ir/ Islamic Azad University of Ali Abad katool]
*#Islamic Azad University of Azadshahr External links
* [http://www.gorganmiras.org/ The Provincial Cultural Heritage Organization]
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