Provinces of Iran
| Provinces of Iran استانهای ایران Ostânhâye Irân | |
|---|---|
| |
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | Iran |
| Number | 31 |
| Populations | 591,000 (Ilam province) – 13,323,000 (Tehran province) |
| Areas | 5,833 km2 (2,252 sq mi) (Alborz province) – 183,285 km2 (70,767 sq mi) (Kerman province) |
| Government |
|
| Subdivisions | |
Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces (Persian: استان, romanized: Ostân), which are the first-level administrative divisions of the country. Each province is governed from a local centre, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital (Persian: مرکز, romanized: Markaz) of the province. The provincial authority is headed by a governor-general (Persian: استاندار, romanized: Ostândâr), who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior subject to approval of the cabinet. The provinces are subdivided into counties, districts (Persian: بخش, romanized: bakhsh) and villages.