Semnān Province

Infobox Iran Province
province_name = Semnān
ostan_name = سمنان
loc_

---

capital = Semnan
latd = 35.5769
longd = 53.3953
area = 97,491
pop = 589,512
pop_year = 2005
pop_density = 6.0
sub_provinces = 4
languages= Persian, Semnani, Sangesari, Mazanderani

Semnān is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It is in the north of the country, and its center is Semnan. The province of Semnan covers an area of 96,816 square kilometers and stretches along the Alborz mountain range and borders to Dasht-e Kavir desert in its southern parts.

Counties of the province include Semnan, Damghan, Shahrood and Garmsar. In 1996, the province had a population of about 501,000, and in 2005 Semnan city (the capital of the province) had a population of 119,778, and the city of Shahroud, which accounts for being the largest city of this province, had a population of 131,831. [http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Iran.html]

Geography

The province is divided into two parts: a mountainous region, and the plains at the foot of the mountains. The former offers a scope for recreational activities as well as being a source for minerals, whereas the latter encompasses some ancient cities of Iran as one of the capitals of the Parthian empire was located here.

Neighbours are in the North Golestan, Mazandaran, at the West Tehran, Qom, at the South Isfahan and at the East Khorasan-e Razavi.

Administrative Divisions

History

Semnan can be divided into sixteen sectors from the old days of Avesta. During the Medes and Achaemenid periods, it accounted for being one of the largest provinces of the empire.

During the Islamic era, Semnan was part of the historical region of "Gomess" or "Komesh", and The Silk Road paved its way from the midst of this region. Needless to say, the province was witness to numerous wars. The Cultural Historical Heritage Organization of Iran lists 470 sites of historical and cultural heritage such as palaces, forts, castles, caravansarais, ab anbars, and badgirs, in Semnan. In addition to these there are various religious and sacred places as well.

Higher education

*# [http://www.dubs.ac.ir/ Damghan University of Basic Sciences]
*# University of Semnan
*# [http://www.shahrood.ac.ir/ University of Shahrood]
*# [http://www.sem-ums.ac.ir/ Semnan University of Medical Sciences]
*# [http://semnaniau.ac.ir/ Islamic Azad University of Semnan]
*# [http://www.iau.shahrood.ac.ir/ Islamic Azad University of Shahrood]
*# [http://www.iau-garmsar.ac.ir/ Islamic Azad University of Garmsar]
*# [http://www.shums.ac.ir/ Shahroud University of Medical Sciences]
*# Shahrood University of Technology

Orbital launch site

On occasion of the 10th anniversary of the 1998 Kwangmyongsong 1 satellite launch attempt, program conducted by North Korea in close cooperation with Iran and Pakistan, the Iranian Space Agency has proceeded with its own test. According to practice also observed by North Korea, Iranian authorities announced to their Chinese allies on August 16th, 2008 the incomming imminent launch of a satellite. [cite web|url=http://www2.irna.ir/ch/news/view/line-52/0808167168204858.htm|title =伊朗将于下周发射自主生产的卫星 |publisher= 伊通社|date=2008-08-16|accessmonthday=August 18|accessyear=2008] On August 17th, 2008 on the occasion of the birthday anniversary of Shiites' 12th Imam Hazrat Mahdi, Iran proceeded as preannounced with the second test launch of a three stages Safir SLV from a site south of Semnan in the northern part of the Dasht-e-Kavir desert. Reza Taghizadeh, head of the Iranian Aerospace Organization, told state television "The Safir (Ambassador) satellite carrier was launched today and for the first time we successfully launched a dummy satellite into orbit". [citeweb|title=Iran says it has put first dummy satellite in orbit |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080817/wl_nm/iran_satellite_dc_4|publisher="Reuters"|accessdate=2008-08-18]

ee also

*Hecatompylos or Shahr-e Qumis
*Darius III
*Parthia
*Seleucids
*Dasht-e Kavir
*Manuchehri Damghani
*Bayazid Bastami
*Yadollah Royaee
*Kurosh Yaghmaee
*Mahmud Ahmadinejad
*Rig-e Jenn
*Sangsar (Mahdishahr)

References

External links

* [http://www3.estart.com/iran/lifestyles/semnan.html History of Semnan Province]
* [http://www.ngdir.ir/States/StateDetail.asp?PID=24 Information on Semnan] National geosience database of Iran
* [http://www.simnanmiras.ir/ Semnan Cultual Heritage Organization]
* [http://illusions.hu/index.php?task=100&statpage=34 A google video from Semnan city]