View source for Zanjan province

{{short description|Province of Iran}}
{{distinguish|Zanjan County}}
{{for multi|the city|Zanjan, Iran|other uses of a similar name|Zanjan (disambiguation){{!}}Zanjan}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Zanjan province
| native_name        = {{native name|fa|استان زنجان}}
| settlement_type    = [[Provinces of Iran|Province]]
| image_skyline      = Bazaar zanjan.jpg
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = The [[Safavid Iran|Safavid]] era [[bazaar]] of [[Zanjan, Iran|Zanjan]]
| image_map1         = 
| image_map          = IranZanjan-SVG.svg
| map_caption1       = 
| map_caption        = Location of Zanjan province within Iran
| coordinates        = {{coord|36|24|N|48|17|E|dim:120km|display=inline, title}}
| coor_pinpoint      = 
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite map |author=((OpenStreetMap contributors)) |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=36.4&mlon=48.283333&zoom=9#map=9/36.400/48.283|website=[[OpenStreetMap]] |title=بخش مرکزی [Central District], Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran|date=9 September 2024|access-date=9 September 2024|lang=fa}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Google Maps |title=C72M+284 Zarrinabad, Zanjan Province, Iran |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/36°24'00.0%22N+48°17'00.0%22E/@36.4,48.283333,284413m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d36.4!4d48.283333?hl=en&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D |access-date=27 June 2025}}</ref>
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Iran]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Iran|Region]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Region 3, Iran|Region 3]]
| parts_type         = [[Counties of Iran|Counties]]
| parts_style        = para
| p1                 = 8
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
| founder            = 
| seat_type          = Capital
| seat               = [[Zanjan, Iran|Zanjan]]
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party       = 
| leader_title       = [[List of current Iran governors-general|Governor-general]]
| leader_name        = Mohsen Sadeghi
| leader_title1      = MPs of [[Iranian Parliament|Parliament]]
| leader_name1       = 
| leader_name2       = 
| leader_title2      = 
| unit_pref          = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 21773
| area_note          = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2016 Zanjan Province"/>
| population_total   = 1057461
| population_as_of   = 2016
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = 
| population_note    = 
| timezone1          = [[Iran Standard Time|IRST]]
| utc_offset1        = +03:30
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code_type     = 
| area_code          = 
| iso_code           = 
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Languages of Iran|Main language(s)]]
| blank_info_sec1    = [[Persian Language|Persian]] (official)<br />local languages:<br />[[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] <small>(Majority)</small><br /> [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]]<br /><ref name="auto"/>
| blank1_name_sec1   = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2017)
| blank1_info_sec1   = 0.771<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref><br />{{color|#0c0|high}} · [[List of Iranian provinces by Human Development Index|23rd]]
| website            = <!-- [https://web.archive.org/web/20151008190606/http://www.example.com/ example.com] -->
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Zanjan province''' ({{langx|fa|استان زنجان}}){{efn|Also [[romanize]]d as '''Ostân-e Zanjân'''; also known as '''Zangan province'''}} is one of the 31 [[provinces of Iran]]. Its capital is the city of [[Zanjan, Iran|Zanjan]].<ref name="Zanjan Province Structure"> {{cite web |first=Hassan |last=Habibi |author-link=Hassan Habibi |orig-date={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|تاریخ تصویب}} (Approval date) 1369/06/21 (Iranian Jalali calendar) |date=12 September 1990 <!-- Converted 'Approval date' using https://www.iranchamber.com/calendar/converter/iranian_calendar_converter.php --> |script-title=fa:تصویب سازمان و سلسله تابعیت عناصر و واحدهای تقسیمات کشوری استان زنجان به مرکزیت شهر زنجان |trans-title=‌Approval of the organization and chain of citizenship of elements and units of the national divisions of Zanjan province, centered in Zanjan city |url=https://lamtakam.com/law/council_of_ministers/113027 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216213100/https://lamtakam.com/law/council_of_ministers/113027 |archive-date=16 December 2023 |access-date=25 June 2025 |website={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|لام تا کام}} [Lam ta Kam] |publisher={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|‌وزارت کشور}} [Ministry of the Interior] |agency={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|کمیسیون سیاسی دفاعی هیأت دولت}} [Political Defense Commission of the Government Board] |language=fa |id={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|شناسه}} [ID] 965C7B0D-32D4-4BC6-A126-65D28CD02436. {{lang|fa|rtl=yes|شماره دوره}} [Course number] 69, {{lang|fa|rtl=yes|شماره جلد}} [Volume number] 3.}}</ref> It is a mountainous province with close to 22,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of land placed in Iran's Region 3. Two-thirds of the people of the province live in the cities, mainly the capital and [[Abhar]].

== History ==
In [[Ptolemy]]'s ''Geography'', the city is referred to as Aganzana. It is said that the [[Sasanian Empire|Sassanid]] king [[Ardashir I|Ardashir I of Persia]] reconstructed the city and called it Shahin. Later it was renamed Zangan, whose present name is the [[Arabic|Arabicised]] form. Historically, Zanjan has also been called Khamseh, meaning "province with five tribes". Zanjan province incorporates areas of the former [[Gerrus province]].{{cn|date=August 2024}}

=== Former names ===
At least since the era of the [[Zand dynasty]], Zanjan and its surrounding areas were called Khamseh. In a book named ''Mojmal al-Tawarikh-e Golestaneh'', while discussing the events of the [[Karim Khan Zand]] era, it mentions the Mahal-e Khamseh (literally, "Khamseh areas") in reference to the regions of Zanjan province.<ref>{{cite book |last1=گلستانه |first1=ابوالحسن بن محمدامین |title=مجمل التواریخ |date=1356 |publisher=Tehran University |location=Tehran |page=455 |language=fa}}</ref> The use of Khamseh for Zanjan could precede the Zand era, since following [[Nader Shah]]'s death and the collapse of the great unification of the [[Afsharid dynasty|Afshar]] tribes, the tribe of Afshar-e Khamseh returned to the Mahal-e Khamseh. The tribe's name, therefore, had already contained the suffix of "Khamseh" since the era of Nader Shah, and possibly before they had left the Zanjan area to accompany Nader. It can be concluded that at least since the time of Nader and the [[Afsharid dynasty|Afsharids]], the area was called Khamseh.<ref>{{cite book |last1=آصف |first1=محمدهاشم |title=رستم التواریخ |date=1382 |publisher=Donya-ye Ketab |location=Tehran |page=431 |language=fa}}</ref>

It has been said that when [[Karim Khan Zand]] left [[Ardabil]] and [[Khalkhal, Iran|Khalkhal]] to suppress Zaki Khan in [[Kashan]], he entered Zanjan, and in [[Abhar]] he delegated the governorship of three areas of Mahal-e Khamseh to Zolfagharkhan-e Sultan Irluy-e Afshar. This is another indication of the area's having been named Khamseh at the time of the [[Zand dynasty|Zands]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=غفاری کاشانی |first1=ابوالحسن |title=گلشن مراد (تاریخ زندیه) |date=1369 |publisher=Zarrin |location=Tehran |page=224 |language=fa}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=نامی اصفهانی |first1=محمدصادق |title=تاریخ گیتی گشا |date=1363 |location=Tehran |page=169 |language=fa}}</ref>

During the [[Qajar Iran|Qajar era]], Zanjan province was also known as Khamseh. In the book ''Esker-ol-Tavarikh'', Etemad Al-Saltaneh discusses [[Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar]] just before the formation of the [[Qajar dynasty]], using the title of ''Hakem-e Khamseh'' (Governor of Khamseh).<ref>{{cite book |last1=اعتضادالسلطنه |first1=علیقلی میرزا |title=اکسیرالتواریخ |date=1370 |publisher=Visman |location=Tehran |page=33 |language=fa}}</ref> In addition, [[Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi|Mirza Abolhasan Khan Shirazi]] in his travelogue in the year 1229 Hijri (around 1814) mentions Khamseh.<ref>{{cite book |last1=ایلچی شیرازی |first1=میرزا ابوالحسن خان |title=سفرنامه به قلم میرزا محمد هادی علوی شیرازی، به کوشش محمدگلبن |date=1357 |publisher=مرکز اسناد فرهنگی آسیا |location=Tehran |page=8 |language=fa}}</ref> Among European travellers, the first person who used the name Khamseh for the province where [[Zanjan, Iran|Zanjan]] was located was [[Pierre Amédée Jaubert]], sent by [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] to visit [[Fath-Ali Shah Qajar]]'s court, and in the year 1804 visited Zanjan city.<ref>{{cite book |last1=ژوبر |first1=امیلی پروپ آمده |title=مسافرت در ایران و ارمنستان |date=1347 |publisher=بنیاد نشر فرهنگ ایران |location=Tehran |page=154 |language=fa}}</ref>

==Demographics==
=== Ethnicity ===
[[Azerbaijanis]] are the main ethnic group in the province followed by [[Tat people (Iran)|Tats]].<ref name="auto">[http://www.portal-zn.ir/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=283:1388-03-09-05-00-32&catid=38:1387-10-28-11-06-43&Itemid=53 Government of Zanjan province ('''Persian''')] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722015401/http://www.portal-zn.ir/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=283:1388-03-09-05-00-32&catid=38:1387-10-28-11-06-43&Itemid=53 |date=22 July 2011 }}.</ref> As in every other region of Iran, the ''[[lingua franca]]'' is [[Persian language|Persian]].

===Population===
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 942,818 in 235,771 households.<ref name="2006 Zanjan Province"> {{cite web |script-title=fa:سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1385 : استان زنجان |trans-title=General Population and Housing Census 2006: Zanjan Province |language=fa |website={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|مرکز آمار ایران}} [Statistical Centre of Iran] |url=http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/19.xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920091748/http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/19.xls |archive-date=20 September 2011 |format=Excel |access-date=25 September 2022}}</ref> The following census in 2011 counted 1,015,734 inhabitants living in 286,806 households.<ref name="2011 Zanjan Province"> {{cite web |script-title=fa:سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1390 : استان زنجان |trans-title=General Population and Housing Census 2011: Zanjan Province |language=fa |website=Iran Data Portal—Syracuse University |url=https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/Zanjan.xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121160421/https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/Zanjan.xls |archive-date=21 January 2023 |agency={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|مرکز آمار ایران}} [Statistical Centre of Iran] |format=Excel |access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref> The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 1,057,461 in 321,983 households.<ref name="2016 Zanjan Province"> {{cite web |script-title=fa:سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1395 : استان زنجان |trans-title=General Population and Housing Census 2016: Zanjan Province |language=fa |website={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|مرکز آمار ایران}} [Statistical Centre of Iran] |url=https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_19.xlsx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427114852/https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_19.xlsx |archive-date=27 April 2022 |format=Excel |access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref>

=== Administrative divisions ===
[[File:Zanjan.svg|320px]]

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

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Zanjan province
|-
! Counties !! 2006<ref name="2006 Zanjan Province"/> !! 2011<ref name="2011 Zanjan Province"/> !! 2016<ref name="2016 Zanjan Province"/>
|-
| [[Abhar County|Abhar]] || style="text-align: right;" | 158,544 || style="text-align: right;" | 169,176 || style="text-align: right;" | 151,528
|-
| [[Ijrud County|Ijrud]] || style="text-align: right;" | 35,661 || style="text-align: right;" | 38,416 || style="text-align: right;" | 36,641
|-
| [[Khodabandeh County|Khodabandeh]] || style="text-align: right;" | 161,696 || style="text-align: right;" | 169,553 || style="text-align: right;" | 164,493
|-
| [[Khorramdarreh County|Khorramdarreh]] || style="text-align: right;" | 60,027 || style="text-align: right;" | 65,166 || style="text-align: right;" | 67,951
|-
| [[Mahneshan County|Mahneshan]] || style="text-align: right;" | 41,223 || style="text-align: right;" | 40,312 || style="text-align: right;" | 39,425
|-
| [[Soltaniyeh County|Soltaniyeh]]{{efn|Separated from [[Abhar County]] after the 2011 census<ref name="Soltaniyeh County Establishment"> {{cite web |first=Mohammad Reza |last=Rahimi |author-link=Mohammad Reza Rahimi |orig-date={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|تاریخ تصویب}} (Approval date) 1392/03/29 (Iranian Jalali calendar) |date=19 June 2013 <!-- Converted 'Approval date' using https://www.iranchamber.com/calendar/converter/iranian_calendar_converter.php --> |script-title=fa:اصلاحات تقسیماتی در استان زنجان |trans-title=‌Divisional reforms in Zanjan province |url=https://davoudabadi.ir/page/79673104 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250625165518/https://davoudabadi.ir/page/79673104 |archive-date=25 June 2025 |access-date=25 June 2025 |website={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|مهدی داودآبادی}} [Mehdi Davudabadi] |publisher={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|‌وزارت کشور}} [Ministry of the Interior] |agency={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|هیات وزیران}} [Council of Ministers] |language=fa |id={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|پیشنهاد شماره}} [Proposal Number] 131110/42/4/1.}}</ref>}} || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 29,480
|-
| [[Tarom County|Tarom]] || style="text-align: right;" | 42,939 || style="text-align: right;" | 46,616 || style="text-align: right;" | 46,641
|-
| [[Zanjan County|Zanjan]] || style="text-align: right;" | 442,728 || style="text-align: right;" | 486,495 || style="text-align: right;" | 521,302
|-
| '''Total''' || style="text-align: right;"| '''942,818''' || style="text-align: right;"| '''1,015,734''' || style="text-align: right;"| '''1,057,461'''
|}

=== Cities ===

According to the 2016 census, 711,177 people (over 67% of the population of Zanjan province) live in the following cities:<ref name="2016 Zanjan Province"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! City !! Population
|-
| [[Ab Bar]] || style="text-align: right;" | 8,091
|-
| [[Abhar]] || style="text-align: right;" | 99,285
|-
| [[Armaghankhaneh]] || style="text-align: right;" | 2,149
|-
| [[Chavarzaq, Tarom|Chavarzaq]] || style="text-align: right;" | 1,733
|-
| [[Dandi, Iran|Dandi]] || style="text-align: right;" | 4,778
|-
| [[Garmab]] || style="text-align: right;" | 3,823
|-
| [[Halab, Iran|Halab]] || style="text-align: right;" | 956
|-
| [[Hidaj]] || style="text-align: right;" | 13,840
|-
| [[Karasf]] || style="text-align: right;" | 3,083
|-
| [[Khorramdarreh]] || style="text-align: right;" | 55,368
|-
| [[Mah Neshan]] || style="text-align: right;" | 5,487
|-
| [[Nik Pey]] || style="text-align: right;" | 455
|-
| [[Nurbahar]] || style="text-align: right;" | 3,644
|-
| [[Qeydar]] || style="text-align: right;" | 34,921
|-
| [[Sain Qaleh]] || style="text-align: right;" | 12,989
|-
| [[Sohrevard]] || style="text-align: right;" | 6,991
|-
| [[Sojas]] || style="text-align: right;" | 7,037
|-
| [[Soltaniyeh]] || style="text-align: right;" | 7,638
|-
| '''[[Zanjan, Iran|Zanjan]]''' || style="text-align: right;" | '''430,871'''
|-
| [[Zarrin Rud]] || style="text-align: right;" | 5,664
|-
| [[Zarrinabad]] || style="text-align: right;" | 2,374
|}

== Geography ==
[[File:Gilan - Masouleh Khalkhal Road - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Landscape in Zanjan province, Tarom]]
Zanjan has an area of 22,164&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, occupying 1.34% of Iran's territory. The average population density in Zanjan is 47 people per km<sup>2</sup>. In the northwest of Iran, Zanjan shares borders with seven provinces: [[East Azerbaijan province|East Azerbaijan]], [[West Azerbaijan province|West Azerbaijan]], [[Hamadan province|Hamadan]], [[Kurdistan province|Kurdistan]], [[Gilan province|Gilan]], [[Qazvin province|Qazvin]], and [[Ardabil province|Ardabil]]. The Zanjan River is the only major river in the region.<ref name="Britannica"/>

=== Climate ===
Zanjan has a [[mountain climate|highland climate]] characterized by cold, snowy weather in the mountains and moderate climate in the plains in wintertime. In the summers, the weather is warm. The average maximum temperature of Zanjan is around 27&nbsp;°C, whereas the average minimum temperature stands at −19&nbsp;°C. Meanwhile, the temperature rises to 32&nbsp;°C on hot days; it drops to −27&nbsp;°C on cold days.<ref name="Britannica"/>

The average annual rainfall in the first month of spring is 72&nbsp;mm, while in the second month of summer, it is 3.6&nbsp;mm. The rate of humidity in the morning averages 74% and at noon 43%.<ref name="Britannica"/>

== Economy ==

Zanjan province's economy benefits from its location connecting central Iran to the northwestern provinces. The railway and highway that connect Iran's capital city [[Tehran]] to [[Tabriz]] and Turkey pass through the province.

Agriculture is the principal occupation, and crops include rice, corn (maize), oilseeds, fruits, and potatoes. Poultry, cattle, and sheep are raised.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/655775/Zanjan|title=Zanjan – region, Iran|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> Zanjan is known regionally for its seedless grapes. Manufactured product includes bricks, cement, milled rice, and carpets. Chromium, lead, and copper are mined.<ref name="Britannica"/> In the [[science|scientific world]], Zanjan is the home of [[IASBS]], one of the most productive research centers of the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iasbs.ac.ir/ |title=Home |website=iasbs.ac.ir}}</ref>

===Handicrafts===
Zanjan is known for its handicrafts, such as knives, traditional sandals called ''charoogh'', and ''malileh'' (a handcraft made with silver wires). Zanjani artists produce many objects, like decorative dishes and their special covers, as well as silver jewelry. In ancient times, Zanjan was known for its stainless and sharp knives, but the tradition has gradually become extinct since the introduction of Chinese knives that are cheaper and more skillfully made. Many villagers today are traditional carpet weavers.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

== Higher education ==

The Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences [[IASBS]], in the city of [[Zanjan, Iran|Zanjan]], is one of Iran's most distinguished upper-level education and research centers in the [[pure science]]s. Zanjan is home to the [[University of Zanjan]], [[Zanjan University of Medical Sciences]], and [[Islamic Azad University of Zanjan]].{{cn|date=January 2023}}

==See also==
{{Commons category-inline|Zanjan Province}}

{{clear}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.tebyan-zn.ir/ Read more about zanjan in "Tebyan zanjan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106100628/http://www.tebyan-zn.ir/ |date=6 January 2016 }}
* [http://www.znu.ac.ir/ University of Zanjan]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050803025922/http://www.iau-abhar.ac.ir/ Islamic Azad University of Abhar]
* [http://iauz.ac.ir/ Islamic Azad University of Zanjan]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041129154126/http://www.ostan-zn.ir/ Official website of Zanjan Governorship]
* [http://www.irxp.com/handcrafts/ Iran Handcrafts & Handmade] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112235706/http://www.irxp.com/handcrafts/ |date=12 January 2007 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060614155641/http://www.sultanieh.ir/ Sultaniyeh Dome Official website]
* [http://www.zums.ac.ir/ Zanjan University of Medical Sciences] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114010650/http://zums.ac.ir/ |date=14 January 2018 }}
* [https://digitalspirit.blogspot.com/2007/08/zanjan-province-and-city-zanjan.html Zanjan City Information]

{{Authority control}}
{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Zanjan province
|North     = [[Ardabil province]]
|Northeast = [[Gilan province]]
|East      =
|Southeast = [[Qazvin province]]
|South     = [[Hamadan province]]
|Southwest = [[Kurdistan province]]
|West      = [[West Azerbaijan province]]
|Northwest = [[East Azerbaijan province]]
}}

{{Provinces of Iran}}
{{Zanjan Province}}

[[Category:Zanjan province| ]]
[[Category:Provinces of Iran]]