Kerman province () is the largest of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Kerman.

The province is in the southeast of Iran. In 2014 it was placed in Region 5. Mentioned in ancient times as the Achaemenid satrapy of Carmania, Kerman province has an area of , encompassing nearly 11% of the land area of Iran.

History

According to a text from the 8th century commontly attributed to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, present-day Kerman province was situated in the southern quarter of the Sasanian Empire. The main city of the region from the Sasanian era to the 10th century was Sirjan.

Early Muslim geographers considered the area as part of the hot climatic zone and the mountainous interior as home of predatory people including the Kufečs (or Kofejān). Hamdallah Mustawfi stated that predatory beasts roamed the area which by then had undergone forestation.

In the 13th century it came under the rule of the Qutlugh-Khanids founded by ethnic Khitans, than under the Mongol Empire. It was under the Timurid empire in 15th century.

Demographics

Language

The main languages of Kerman province are standard Persian (95%) and Garmsiri and Achomi Persian dialects. Smaller languages include, Turkic dialects and a Persian Median-type dialect spoken by the Jewish and Zoroastrian communities.

The Persian varieties can be considered one single Kermani accent and they are sufficiently close to Standard Persian which they share intelligibility with. The 2011 census recorded a population of 2,938,988 people (1,482,339 male and 1,456,649 female) in 785,747 households. Urban areas accounted for 1,684,982 people, whereas 1,242,344 lived in rural vicinities; 6,082 were non-residents. The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 3,164,718 in 932,721 households.

According to demographic data from 2008, the Baloch are identified as one of the most significant nomadic tribal groups in Kerman Province. Alongside the Jebālbārezi and Afšār, they represent one of the largest tribal affiliations within the province’s nomadic population, with a notable presence in sub-provinces such as Bam and Jiroft.

The capital city of Kerman, with a population of 537,718, comprises about 29% of the provincial urban population of 1.85 million, being the most developed and largest city of the province.

Administrative divisions

320px

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

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Kerman Province

|-

! Counties !! 2006 || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 35,295 || style="text-align: right;" | 36,897

|-

| Anbarabad || style="text-align: right;" | 113,751 || style="text-align: right;" | 85,942 || style="text-align: right;" | 82,438

|-

| Arzuiyeh || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 41,979 || style="text-align: right;" | 38,510

|-

| Baft || style="text-align: right;" | 138,847 || style="text-align: right;" | 75,940 || style="text-align: right;" | 84,103

|-

| Bam || style="text-align: right;" | 277,835 || style="text-align: right;" | 195,603 || style="text-align: right;" | 228,241

|-

| Bardsir || style="text-align: right;" | 84,543 || style="text-align: right;" | 73,738 || style="text-align: right;" | 81,983

|-

| Fahraj || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 68,038 || style="text-align: right;" | 67,096

|-

| Faryab || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 34,417 || style="text-align: right;" | 34,000

|-

| Gonbaki || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | —

|-

| Jazmurian || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | —

|-

| Jiroft || style="text-align: right;" | 181,300 || style="text-align: right;" | 277,748 || style="text-align: right;" | 308,858

|-

| Kahnuj || style="text-align: right;" | 102,269 || style="text-align: right;" | 86,290 || style="text-align: right;" | 95,848

|-

| Kerman || style="text-align: right;" | 654,052 || style="text-align: right;" | 722,484 || style="text-align: right;" | 738,724

|-

| Kuhbanan || style="text-align: right;" | 24,465 || style="text-align: right;" | 21,721 || style="text-align: right;" | 21,205

|-

| Manujan || style="text-align: right;" | 63,270 || style="text-align: right;" | 64,528 || style="text-align: right;" | 65,705

|-

| Narmashir || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 58,229 || style="text-align: right;" | 54,228

|-

| Qaleh Ganj || style="text-align: right;" | 69,008 || style="text-align: right;" | 76,376 || style="text-align: right;" | 76,495

|-

| Rabor || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 34,392 || style="text-align: right;" | 35,362

|-

| Rafsanjan || style="text-align: right;" | 291,417 || style="text-align: right;" | 287,921 || style="text-align: right;" | 311,214

|-

| Ravar || style="text-align: right;" | 38,539 || style="text-align: right;" | 40,295 || style="text-align: right;" | 43,198

|-

| Rigan || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 66,335 || style="text-align: right;" | 88,410

|-

| Rudbar-e Jonubi || style="text-align: right;" | 86,747 || style="text-align: right;" | 104,421 || style="text-align: right;" | 105,992

|-

| Shahr-e Babak || style="text-align: right;" | 100,192 || style="text-align: right;" | 90,495 || style="text-align: right;" | 103,975

|-

| Sirjan || style="text-align: right;" | 239,455 || style="text-align: right;" | 267,697 || style="text-align: right;" | 324,103

|-

| Zarand || style="text-align: right;" | 119,144 || style="text-align: right;" | 129,104 || style="text-align: right;" | 138,133

|-

| Total || style="text-align: right;"| 2,584,834 || style="text-align: right;"| 2,938,988 || style="text-align: right;"| 3,164,718

|}

Cities

According to the 2016 census, 1,858,587 people (over 58% of the population of Kerman province) live in the following cities:

Arg e Jadid, is a specially designated economic zone of Iran, located in Kerman province.

The Gol Gohar mine, the largest iron mine in Iran, is located in Kerman province.

Education

===Colleges and universities===<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->

Kerman province contains the following universities:

  • Jiroft University
  • Kerman University of Medical Sciences
  • Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman
  • Sirjan University of Technology

See also

  • Kirman (Sasanian province)
  • (related to the Islamic Consultative Assembly)
  • Carmania (satrapy)
  • Dalfard

Notes

References

  • (Bibliography)
  • Kerman Specially Designated Economic Zone