Northern Iran (), is a geographical term that refers to a relatively large and fertile area, consisting of the southern border of the Caspian Sea and the Alborz mountains.
It includes the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan (ancient kingdom of Hyrcania and Tehran Province, medieval region of Tabaristan). The major provinces, Gilan and Mazandaran, are covered with dense forests, snow-covered mountains and impressive sea shores.
The major cities are Rasht, Gorgan, Sâri, Bâbol, Babolsar Amol, Qaem Shahr, Gonbad-e Kavus, Anzali, Lahijan and Behshahr. Northern Iran has numerous villages, particularly Massulé, appreciated by travellers.
Northern Iran was a trendy spot during the Pahlavi era, especially among foreign tourists. It was a luxurious place that provided all types of modern recreational facilities as well as tourism infrastructure. Today, it's mostly visited by domestic tourists.
Population
Mazandaran is the most populous of the 3 provinces of northern Iran, with 3,283,582 people at the time of 2016 census. Gilan's population in 2016 was 2,530,696 people and Golestan had the lowest population with 1,868,819 people.
The total population of the 3 provinces according to 2016 census was 7,683,097 people, with 2,486,429 households.
+ Population figures for cities in northern Iran City Province Population (2016) No. of households (2016)Rasht Gilan679,995 228,142Gorgan Golestan350,676111,099Sari Mazandaran309,820101,932Babol Mazandaran250,21781,572Amol Mazandaran237,52878,597Qaem Shahr Mazandaran204,95368,407Gonbad-e Kavus Golestan151,91044,731Bandar-e Anzali Gilan118,56441,053Lahijan Gilan101,07334,497Behshahr Mazandaran94,70231,022Langarud Gilan79,49527,318Chalus Mazandaran65,19622,166Neka Mazandaran60,99119,357Babolsar Mazandaran59,96619,576Tonekabon Mazandaran55,43418,878Tālesh(Hashtpar) Gilan54,17816,832Bandar Torkaman Golestan53,97014,512Aliabad-e Katul Golestan52,83816,655Astara Gilan51,57916,696Nowshahr Mazandaran49,40316,287Sowme'eh Sara Gilan47,08315,331Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh Gilan44,94115,675Azadshahr Golestan43,76013,206Kordkuy Golestan39,88112,971Fereydunkenar Mazandaran38,15412,606Rudsar Gilan37,99813,191Kalaleh Golestan36,17610,346Ramsar Mazandaran35,99712,153Fuman Gilan35,84111,849Aqqala Golestan35,1169,498Juybar Mazandaran32,92410,480Mahmudabad Mazandaran31,84410,399Amirkola Mazandaran30,47810,120Minudasht Golestan30,0858,980Nur Mazandaran26,9478,597Galikesh Golestan23,3946,996Galugah Mazandaran21,3526,898Khomam Gilan20,8977,143Bandar-e Gaz Golestan20,7426,715Ketalem and Sadat ShahrMazandaran20,7167,163Siahkal Gilan19,9246,796Rezvanshahr Gilan19,5196,212Fazelabad Golestan19,4615,869Gomishan Golestan19,1915,129Masal Gilan17,9015,330Siminshahr Golestan17,2054,493Zirab Mazandaran16,1915,037Manjil Gilan15,6304,950Amlash Gilan15,4445,268Kiashahr Gilan14,0225,037Rostamabad Gilan13,7464,312Abbasabad Mazandaran13,4824,500KelardashtMazandaran13,4014,565Lowshan Gilan13,0323,958Sangar Gilan12,5834,288Ramian Golestan12,4263,772KelachayGilan12,3794,329RostamkolaMazandaran11,6863,979KhorramabadMazandaran11,5423,902ShirudMazandaran11,3773,851Lavandevil Gilan11,2353,318ChamestanMazandaran11,1943,492Khalil ShahrMazandaran11,0323,298Khan Bebin Golestan10,8783,328Asalem Gilan10,7203,271Rahimabad Gilan10,5713,507Lasht-e Nesha Gilan10,5393,742Rudbar Gilan10,5043,559Hachirud Mazandaran10,3983,471AratehMazandaran10,3273,301Kuchesfahan Gilan10,0263,450Salman Shahr Mazandaran9,6563,057Surak Mazandaran9,2083,087Chaf and Chamkhaleh Gilan8,8403,137Shirgah Mazandaran8,6712,869Maraveh Tappeh Golestan8,6712,072Pol-e Sefid Mazandaran8,2942,680Chaboksar Gilan8,2242,750Shaft Gilan8,1842,691Daland Golestan8,1842,453Neginshahr Golestan8,1382,344Kiakola Mazandaran8,0402,691Pareh Sar Gilan8,0162,536Bahnemir Mazandaran7,9062,541Hadishahr Mazandaran7,8892,549Ruyan Mazandaran7,7312,461IzadshahrMazandaran7,4392,514Luleman Gilan7,4262,677Gatab Mazandaran7,3742,340Khoshk-e Bijar Gilan7,2452,470Anbar Olum Golestan7,0031,960Galugah, Babol Mazandaran6,9082,138Marjaghal Gilan6,7352,244Sorkhrud Mazandaran6,6992,248Marzanabad Mazandaran6,6981,841Now Kandeh Golestan6,6502,316Kumeleh Gilan6,4572,255NashtarudMazandaran6,3942,109Kelarabad Mazandaran6,2672,099Faraghi Golestan5,7771,610Emamzadeh Abdollah Mazandaran5,7681,809Khush Rudpey Mazandaran5,7421,906Dowzeyn Golestan5,7371,681Bazar Jomeh Gilan5,7291,762Korand Golestan5,6161,530Chubar Gilan5,5541,604Pir Bazar Gilan5,3731,761Shalman Gilan5,1021,855Gurab Zarmikh Gilan4,8401,610Alqajar Golestan4,7801,428Vajargah Gilan4,5371,563Babakan Mazandaran4,4991,462Haviq Gilan4,2611,169Sangdevin Golestan4,2031,255Mazraeh Golestan4,0091,352Zargar Mazandaran3,9911,311Yanqaq Golestan3,9191,143Si Joval Golestan3,747976Lisar Gilan3,6471,163Ziabar Gilan3,6031,193RudbonehGilan3,4411,220KiasarMazandaran3,3841,084Pul Mazandaran3,1501,064Kojur Mazandaran3,1201,052Chukam Gilan3,0961,019Now Deh Khanduz Golestan2,989959Incheh Borun Golestan2,494593Jirandeh Gilan2,320791Kuhi Kheyl Mazandaran2,242736FarahabadMazandaran2,217762Rankuh Gilan2,154749Ahmadsargurab Gilan2,128727TabaqdehMazandaran2,023723OtaqvarGilan1,938662Dabudasht Mazandaran1,758572Deylaman Gilan1,729564Maklavan Gilan1,635536Barehsar Gilan1,612559Sadeqabad Golestan1,593488Tutkabon Gilan1,510493AkandMazandaran1,416485Alasht Mazandaran1,193436Taher Gurab Gilan1,168396Rineh Mazandaran982352Baladeh Mazandaran970353Pain HularMazandaran956332Marzikola Mazandaran868301Masuleh Gilan393147FarimMazandaran369127Gazanak Mazandaran319103
People and language The northern provinces of Iran are the motherland and fatherland of the Tabari people (Mazandarani and Katul people), Gilaks, Talashes, Tats, and the majority of the population of these three provinces are the Tabaris (Mazandarani and Katul people), Gilaks, Talashes, and Tats, who speak the language They speak Tabari (Mazandarani and Katuli), Gilaki language, Talshi language and Tati language. In addition to their mother tongue, the people of northern Iran also speak Persian.Iran is a very diverse country. "Dialect wise" there are different sub-languages and dialects of native speakers in the north of Iran as well the rest of the country. From the east to the west there are five major languages and hundreds of local dialects. If you talk to a native Iranian "north of Iran" are only the provinces on the south side of Caspian Sea which are Gilān, Māzandarān and Golestān, the last one has been separated from Māzandarān province at 1997. Despite Iranian opinion of the north of Iran, Khorāsan at the east and the two Āzerbāijāns at the west side of Iran are geographically at the north of Iran, therefore, their languages have been included in this article.
From the northeast, Khorasan which is a large province laid out from the north to the middle south of Iran and is a neighbor to the Afghanistan border. The language from the north to the south of this province changes drastically, In the north of Khorāsan people speak “Ghaz Turkish” going from the north to the middle of the province, the dialect changes to some sort of Arabic which belonged to an old Iraqi Arabic language. This language has been mixed drastically with Persian language which makes it impossible for an Arab speaker to understand it. There are some Kurdish speakers in the north of khorāsan as well.
From the north of Iran heading to the west, the next province is Golestān which has its own diversity in languages. until 1997 Golestān was a part of Māzandarān province. The main languages from the east to the west in this province are Turkmen, Turkish and then Māzandarāni which is among the oldest written languages of the country.
Māzandarān is the neighboring province which has the language of Māzandarāni all over the province which has over tens of different dialects in different regions, almost all of them are sub categories of Māzandarāni. Native people of Māzandarān call themselves Tabari and their Mazanderani language . The name Tapuri / Tabari (which was the name of an ancient language spoken somewhere in former Tapuria) is now used in preference to the name Mazandarani by the young. The earliest references to the language of Mazandaran, called Tabari, are to be found in the works of the early Muslim geographers. Al-Muqaddasī (or Moqaisi, 10th century), for example, notes: "The languages of Komish and Gurgan are similar, they use hā, as in hā-dih and hāk-un, and they are sweet [to the ear], related to them is the language of Tabaristan, [similar] save for its speediness."
The next province is Gilān, and the people of Gilān have three major languages: Gilaki language, Rudbāri and Tāleshi with some other old languages which are spoken in small region on Gilān only. In the western side of Gilān people speak some sort of Gilaki which is heavily mixed with Āzari Turkish, the language of the neighboring province.
After Gilān in the northwest of Iran, there are two Āzerbāijān provinces, the east and west ones, the main language is Āzari Turkish which is native language to the people of these provinces.
Majority of young generations of Iranian, in all over the country, are able to speak, read, and write Persian, which is a national language of the country and they learn it in schools.
Climate Cold semi-arid climate: the high mountains and valleys in parts of the Alborz range. In the heights, the weather is cold mountainous and most of the precipitation is in the form of snow. Manjil is an example of semi-arid climate found in the region. Mediterranean climate: found in eastern parts of Mazandaran and parts of Golestan. The weather is hot and dry in summer and wet in autumn and winter. Annual precipitation is from 450mm in Gonbad-e Kavus to over 900mm in Babolsar. Other examples include Gorgan and Amol. Humid subtropical climate: covering central and western plains of Mazandaran and the province of Gilān. The average annual rainfall amounts to 1200 or 1300 mm or even up to 1800 mm as in Bandar-e Anzali, other examples include Rasht, and Astara. + Climatological normals for stations in northern Iran (period 1991-2020) Parameter Rasht Gorgan Qaem Shahr (Qara Kheyl) Bandar-e Anzali Babolsar Nowshahr Ramsar Maraveh TappehWMO Station number4071940738407374071840736407344073240721Mean daily max/min (January)11.6 °C/3.8 °C (52.9 °F/38.8 °F)12.8 °C/1.9 °C (55.0 °F/35.4 °F)12.6 °C/3.1 °C (54.7 °F/37.6 °F)10.3 °C/5.6 °C (50.5 °F/42.1 °F)12.6 °C/5.4 °C (54.7 °F/41.7 °F)11.6 °C/4.6 °C (52.9 °F/40.3 °F)11.4 °C/5.0 °C (52.5 °F/41.0 °F)11.2 °C/3.6 °C (52.2 °F/38.5 °F)Mean daily max/min (July)30.5 °C/21.8 °C (86.9 °F/71.2 °F)33.5 °C/22.9 °C (92.3 °F/73.2 °F)30.9 °C/22.2 °C (87.6 °F/72.0 °F)29.2 °C/23.7 °C (84.6 °F/74.7 °F)30.0 °C/23.4 °C (86.0 °F/74.1 °F)29.1 °C/22.3 °C (84.4 °F/72.1 °F)29.2 °C/22.9 °C (84.6 °F/73.2 °F)34.7 °C/23.3 °C (94.5 °F/73.9 °F)Average Annual PrecipitationNo. of days with precipitation ≥ 1.0 mm113.863.174.9102.471.193.789.249.6No. of days with Rain/Drizzle9877.7104.4113.789109.610358.4No. of days with Rain Showers31.726.722.442.624.53432.416.7No. of days with Snow depth > 0 cm81.20.92.611.61.65.9Mean Annual Sunshine hours17482287200819202095189816582720
See also Caspian languages Northwestern Iran Western Iran Eastern Iran Central Iran Southern Iran
References