Mazandaran province
Mazandaran Province
| |
|---|---|
Location of Mazandaran Province within Iran | |
| Coordinates: 36°23′N 52°11′E / 36.383°N 52.183°E | |
| Country | Iran |
| Region | Region 1 |
| Capital | Sari |
| Counties | 22 |
| Government | |
| • Governor-general | Mahdi Younesi Rostami (Independent) |
| Area | |
• Total | 23,833 km2 (9,202 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 3,283,582 |
| • Density | 140/km2 (360/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:30 (IRST) |
| Area code | 11 |
| ISO 3166 code | IR-02 |
| Main language(s) | Mazandarani (Tabari) |
| HDI (2017) | 0.845 very high · 4th |
| Website | ostan-mz.ir |
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Mazandaran Province (Persian: استان مازندران; ⓘ) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Sari. Located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and in the adjacent Central Alborz mountain range and Hyrcanian forests, it is bordered clockwise by Russia (across the sea), Golestan, Semnan, Tehran, Alborz, Qazvin, and Gilan Provinces. Mazandaran, founded in 1937, covers an area of 23,842 km2.
The province has diverse natural resources, notably large offshore reservoirs of oil and natural gas. The diverse natural habitats of the province include plains, prairies, forests and rainforest stretching from the sandy beaches of the Caspian Sea to the rugged and snowcapped Alborz sierra, including Mount Damavand, one of the highest peaks and volcanoes in Asia.
Mazandaran is a major producer of farmed fish, and aquaculture provides an important economic addition to traditional dominance of agriculture. Another important contributor to the economy is the tourism industry, as people from all of Iran enjoy visiting the area. Mazandaran is also a fast-growing centre for biotechnology.