Golestan province
Golestan Province
استان گلستان (Persian) | |
|---|---|
Location of Golestan province within Iran | |
| Coordinates: 37°20′N 55°09′E / 37.333°N 55.150°E | |
| Country | Iran |
| Region | Region 1 |
| Established | 1997 |
| Capital | Gorgan |
| Counties | 14 |
| Government | |
| • Governor-general | Ali-Asghar Tahmasbi (Independent) |
| Area | |
• Total | 20,367 km2 (7,864 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 1,868,819 |
| • Density | 91.757/km2 (237.65/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:30 (IRST) |
| Area code | 017 |
| Main language(s) | Persian, Mazandarani, Turkmen |
| HDI (2017) | 0.778 high · 20th |
| Website | http://golestanp.ir/ |
Golestan province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, located in the northeast of the country and southeast of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is the city of Gorgan, formerly called Esterabad until 1937. Golestan was split off from Mazandaran Province in 1997.
Golestan province borders Turkmenistan to the north. One of the key border points between the two countries is Incheh Borun, which serves as a vital crossing point.
The province was made a part of Region 1 upon the division of the provinces into 5 regions, solely for coordination and development purposes, on 22 June 2014. The majority of its population are Shia Muslims.