Hamadan province

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Hamadan Province (Template:Langx)Template:Efn is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Hamadan.<ref name="Hamadan Province Structure">Template:Cite report</ref> In the Zagros Mountains, the province covers an area of 19,546 km2.

History

The Achaemenid inscriptions of "Ganj-nameh".
Golden Rhyton, Achaemenid period, excavated in Hamadan.

Hamadan province is one of the most ancient parts of Iran and its civilization. Relics of this area confirm this fact. Today's Hamedan is what is left of Ecbatana, the Medes' capital before they formed a union with the Persians. The poet Ferdowsi says that Ecbatana was built by King Jamshid.

According to historical records, there was once a castle in this city by the name of Haft Hessar (Seven Walls) which was said to have a thousand rooms and its grandeur equalled that of the Babylon Tower.

The structures of city are related to Diya Aku, a King of the Medes from 700 BC. According to Greek records, this territory was called 'Ekbatan' and 'Hegmataneh' by this King, thus transformed into a huge capital.

During the Parthian era, Ctesiphon became capital of Persia, and Hamedan became the summer capital and residence of the Parthian rulers. After the Parthians, the Sassanids constructed their summer palaces in Hamedan as well.

In the year 633 when the war of Nahavand took place and Hamadan came into the hands of the invading Arabs, at times it thrived and at times it declined and witnessed hardships. During the reign of the Buwayhids, it suffered plenty of damage. In the 11th century, the Seljuks shifted their capital from Baghdad to Hamadan once again.

The city of Hamadan was always at risk during the rise and fall of powers. It was completely destroyed during the Timurid invasion. However, during the Safavid era the city thrived once more. In the 18th century, Hamadan surrendered to the Ottomans, but Hamadan was retaken by Nader Shah Afshari, and under the peace treaty between Iran and the Ottomans it was returned to Iran.

The city of Hamadan lay on the Silk Road and even in recent centuries enjoyed good prospects in commerce and trade being on the main road network in the western region of Iran.

According to local Jewish traditions, the City of Hamedan is mentioned in the Bible, as the capital of Ancient Persia in the days of King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther. It was then known as Shushan. The Tombs of Mordecai and Esther are located in modern-day Hamadan.

Demographics

Language

In the city of Hamadan itself, most people speak Persian.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> It is also spoken in some county centers.<ref name="HamadanStats">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore accessed on March 12, 2006. Replaced with Archive link on February 22, 2010.</ref><ref name="Ethnic">جمعيت و قوميتها Template:Webarchive</ref> Persian is also used as a lingua franca in other areas.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> In the northern part of the province, most people speak Azerbaijani, and in the west, near Kermanshah and Kurdistan provinces, people speak Kurdish.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Luri and Laki are also spoken in the southern areas, such as Malayer, Nahavand, and Samen.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

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Religion

The population of Hamadan province is overwhelmingly Muslim, with 99.88% of residents being Muslims as of 1996.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> Mostly Shia Muslim, with small populations of Sunni and Zoroastrian.

Population

As of 1996, Hamadan province had a population of 1,667,957 people, in 342,084 households.<ref name="Zanjani 2003">Template:Cite web</ref> A little under half these people (about 811,000, or 48.3%) lived in urban areas.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> About half of this group lived in the city of Hamadan itself.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> There has been increased urbanization since the 1990s.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> About 868,000 people lived in rural villages.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> About 10,000 people belonged to migratory tribes that spent either the summer (9,128 people) or winter (837 people) in the province.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> The largest tribe that summers in Hamadan province is the Tork Yaram tribe, with 7,234 members, while the largest tribe that winters in the province is the Torkashvand tribe, with 608 members.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> As of 1996, there were 1,122 rural villages in the province, with an average population of 773 people.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> This average is over twice the national average for village size.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> The population density was 86 people per square kilometer.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/>

Hamadan province has usually had net emigration, except during the Iran-Iraq War when it took in a large number of refugees.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> This continuing emigration partly offsets the natural growth rate due to births.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/>

Slightly over 77% of the province's population was literate as of 1996 (83.1% for men and 71.3% for women).<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> By this point, however, literacy was much higher in the younger population because access to primary education had increased - for example, the 6-10 age group had a literacy rate of 96.2% for boys and 94.9% for girls.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> Of the literate population, 53.3% had attended school up to the primary level, 40.2% had attended up to high school, and 4.2% had attended higher education.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/>

Average household size was 4.85 members as of 1996.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> 67.31% of sedentary, non-communal households consisted of the head of household, spouse, and children; 9.13% consisted of a married couple with no children; 5.1% consisted of a single parent with children; and the remaining 18.5% were other types of households.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> A total of 8.9% of households had a woman as head of household, and 81.8% of heads of households were employed.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/>

As of 1996, the province had no households living in tents, barracks, or "other makeshift forms of housing".<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> 98.8% of households had access to electricity and 82.8% had access to piped water.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> 44.2% of households had bathrooms, but there was a significant discrepancy between urban (72.1%) and rural (14.5%) households in this regard.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> 22.7% of households had telephones in their homes; again, this was significantly higher in urban areas (38.3%) than in rural ones (14.5%).<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> In terms of homeownership, 78.8% of households owned their houses while 10.5% were lease holders.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/>

As of 1997, the average annual urban household income was 11,707,000 rials and the average expenses were 10,317,000 rials or 88% of the income.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/> For rural households, average income was 7,550,000 rials and average expenses were 6,933,000 rials or 92% of the income.<ref name="Zanjani 2003"/>

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 1,674,595 in 427,675 households.<ref name="2006 Hamadan Province">Template:Cite report</ref> The following census in 2011 counted 1,758,268 people in 506,191 households.<ref name="2011 Hamadan Province">Template:Cite report</ref> In 2014, Hamadan Province was placed in Region 4.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 1,738,234 in 538,803 households.<ref name="2016 Hamadan Province">Template:Cite report</ref>

Administrative divisions

The current province of Hamadan used to form a part of Kermanshah Province.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> At the 1956 census, the territory of the province belonged to four different governorships (farmān-dāri): Hamadan, Malayer, and Nahavand, and Tuyserkan.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> By the 1966 census, the general governorship (farmān-dāri-e koll) of Hamadan had been created.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> By the 1976 census, the general governorship had been upgraded to province status.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

The population history and structural changes of Hamadan province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.

Hamadan Province
Counties 2006<ref name="2006 Hamadan Province"/> 2011<ref name="2011 Hamadan Province"/> 2016<ref name="2016 Hamadan Province"/>
Asadabad 104,566 107,006 100,901
Bahar 121,590 123,869 119,082
DargazinTemplate:Efn — — —
FameninTemplate:Efn — 42,485 39,359
Hamadan 626,183 651,821 676,105
Kabudarahang 137,919 143,171 126,062
Malayer 285,272 287,982 288,685
Nahavand 178,683 181,711 178,787
Razan 111,120 116,437 107,587
Tuyserkan 109,262 103,786 101,666
Total 1,674,595 1,758,268 1,738,234

Cities

Among the major cities of the province are Asadabad, Bahar, Famenin, Hamadan, Kabudarahang, Malayer, Nahavand, Razan, and Tuyserkan.

According to the 2016 census, 1,097,217 people (over 63% of the population of Hamadan province) live in the following cities:<ref name="2016 Hamadan Province"/>

City Population
Ajin 2,738
Asadabad 55,703
Azandarian 11,171
Bahar 28,685
Barzul 2,457
Damaq 3,231
Famenin 14,208
Farasfaj 1,526
Firuzan 5,173
Giyan 8,186
Gol Tappeh 2,237
Hamadan 554,406
Jowkar 2,258
Juraqan 9,234
Kabudarahang 20,336
Lalejin 14,916
Malayer 170,237
Maryanaj 10,848
Mohajeran 7,331
Nahavand 76,162
Qahavand 2,970
Qorveh-e Darjazin 9,540
Razan 14,275
Salehabad 7,899
Samen 3,873
Sarkan 4,081
Shirin Su 2,460
Tuyserkan 50,455
Zangeneh 621

Geography

Hamadan province topography map

Hamadan province is located in western Iran, in the eastern reaches of the Zagros Mountains.<ref name="Adka'i 2003">Template:Cite web</ref> It covers about 1.2% of Iran's total land area and shares borders with six other provinces.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> To the north, the province borders Qazvin and Zanjan provinces, with the Kharaqan Mountains forming a natural boundary.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The eastern border is with Markazi province.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> In the south, Mount Garu forms the natural border with Lorestan province.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Finally, Hamadan province's western neighbors are Kermanshah and Kordestan provinces.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

In general, Hamadan province is a mountainous region.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The Alvand range, just south of the city of Hamadan, forms the highest point.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Its summit reaches 3,580 m above sea level.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The lowest point in the province is 1,420 m above sea level, in the valley of the Gamasiab river near Nahavand.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Most of the province's rivers originate in the snowmelt on Mount Alvand and then flow north or south.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> During the summer, when there is practically no rain, all but the largest rivers either dwindle to parched streams or dry up entirely.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> There are two major plains in the province: one in the northeast and east, stretching from Hamadan north to Avaj in Qazvin province, and the other in the south, between Tuyserkan to Malayer.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

In the past, much of the current province's area was covered with light oak forests, but deforestation in historical times has reduced the forest cover to just 4,100 hectares, mostly in the valleys of Mount Alvand.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The vast majority of the province is currently covered by either farmland (950,000 hectares, or about 48% of its total land area) or pastures (905,000 hectares, or almost 46%).<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

Mountains

Besides Mount Alvand, Mount Garu, and the Kharaqan range, Hamadan province contains the following major mountains:<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

Rivers

The rivers that flow north and east from Mount Alvand are largely seasonal; they carry far less water in the summer if they flow at all.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The main ones are the Talvar and the Qarachay.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The Talvar is ultimately a tributary of the Safidrud, the longest river in Iran.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> It begins on the slopes of the Kuh-e Safid, in the northwest of the province.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The Qarachay, which is also called the Siahrud, begins in the Alvand highlands between Hamadan and Malayer.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> It receives several tributaries in the northern Alvand area, including the Siminarud, the Khaku, and the Farjin.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> It then flows eastward and eventually reaches Lake Qom in Markazi province.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

The main rivers south of the Alvand range are the Gamasiab, which is another name for the Karkheh River in its upper stages, and the Qelqelrud, which is itself a tributary of the Gamasiab.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The Gamasiab rises southeast of Nahavand, near the lowest point in the province.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> It crosses the Nahavand plain before receiving the Malayer and Qelqelrud as tributaries and eventually crosses the Zagros to the southwest.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

The most important dam in the province is the Ekbatan Dam (formerly called the Shahnaz Dam), which was built in 1963 on the Yalfan River some 10 km southeast of Hamadan.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Its reservoir has a capacity of 12 million cubic meters and it provides 2,400 liters of water per second, which is mostly used for agricultural irrigation.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

Climate

Hamadan province typically has relatively long, cold winters and mild summers.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> There are usually between 120 and 140 days of frost throughout the year, and mountains are snow-covered for 6–8 months of the year.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Temperature extremes range from -32 °C in winter to 39 °C in summer, but average temperatures usually range between -4 °C in December and 25 °C in July.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The weather is generally milder the further south one goes.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> During the winter, the northern plains are exposed to strong winds that blow 4 meters per second on average.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> These winds are humid and are also accompanied by rainfall.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The province receives above-average rainfall, typically averaging 315 mm in a year.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Almost no rain falls during the summer, between June and September.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

Wildlife

In the valleys between the province's mountains, there are springs and small lakes that form "semi-autonomous ecosystems" as home for migratory birds.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> For example, the seasonal marsh of Talab-e Aqgol, 20 km south of Malayer, is visited by 10 to 20 thousand birds every year during their route from the wetlands of Siberia and Scandinavia to warmer regions.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> These birds live here for 4 to 5 months out of the year.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Among the birds that take part in this migration are geese, ducks, herons, cranes, and aigrettes.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

Several wildlife reserves in the province are home to other bird and mammal species.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Larger birds include royal eagles, golden eagles, falcons, hawks, owls, vultures; and larger mammals include wild goats, ibexes, wild boars, wolves, foxes, jackals, and hyenas.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> There are about 100 each of wolves, foxes, and jackals in the province, and the hyena population is about 20.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> These numbers have been fairly stable, and in general the population levels of predators and prey are balanced.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

Economy

Because of its above-average rainfall and easy access to water, Hamadan province has a prosperous agricultural base, and agriculture forms its largest economic sector.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> The province contains 1.2% of the country's total land area, but 4.5% of its total farmland.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> There are about 950,000 hectares of farmland in Hamadan province, which makes up about 48% of its total area.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> About a third of this farmland is irrigated, while the remaining two-thirds is under dry farming (in Persian: deym) and has far lower crop yields.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> About 2.2 to 2.6 million tons of agricultural produce are produced annually in Hamadan province, which is about 4.8% of the country's total.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> By far the largest crop in terms of area sown is wheat, with barley in a distant second.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Potatoes and sugar beets, though sown over a smaller area, have extremely high yields per hectare and as a result make up large shares of the province's produce.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> About 6.1% of the total farmland is orchards.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

Major agricultural products in Hamadan province (as of 1998)<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>
Crop Area sown (hectares) Production (tons) Yield (tons per hectare)
Wheat 396,497 604,162 1.52
Barley 53,119 124,756 2.35
Potato 13,877 405,828 29.24
Sugar beet 10,792 260,775 24.16

Hamadan province is rich in mineral resources.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> It is the biggest source of granite in the country, and it also has reserves of limestone, lead, iron ore, and zinc.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> As of 1998, the province had 142 active mines, including 52 sandstone mines, 36 silica mines, 19 ballas mines, 14 limestone mines, and 13 gemstone mines.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> In 2023, Ebrahim Ali Molla-Beigi, director general of the Exploration Affairs Office of the Iranian Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade announced the discovery of 8.5 million tons of Lithium reserves in the province.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Small-scale handicraft industry is well-established in the province.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Some of the more prominent trades include tanning, carpet weaving, ceramics production, and knitting.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> As of 1995, there were 266 large-scale factories in the province, employing 8,620 people.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> These larger factories produce things like agricultural and construction machinery, aluminum products, and steel.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Food processing facilities include dairy products, canned fruits, sugar, and soft drinks.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/> Textiles, plastics, and household goods are also produced in the province.<ref name="Adka'i 2003"/>

Attractions

Ekbatan Dam

The Iran National Heritage List lists 442 sites of historical and cultural significance located in Hamadan, thus making the province a rich one in terms of historical attractions.

Some of the most popular tourist attractions are:

Colleges and universities

See also

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Notes

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References

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