Shahrestan

Shahrestan ( Persian شهرستان, Singular: schahrestān , plural: schahrestānhā ; Administrative district) is the name of the second administrative level in the administrative structure of Iran . The word Schahrestan comes from the Persian word schahr meaning 'city' and the ending stan . At the head of a Shahrestan is a governor (فرماندار).

The Iranian provinces ( Ostan ; singular: ostān , plural: ostānhā ) are subdivided into administrative districts ( schahrestan ), below which there are still the circles (بخش Bachsch , singular: Bachsch , plural: Bachschhā ) and below that the level of the cities (شهر schahr ) and municipalities (دهستان dehestan , singular: dehestān , plural: dehestānhā ), which are groupings of neighboring villages. A city within the district serves as its capital.

Iran has 31 provinces, 336 Schahrestans (administrative districts), 889 Bachschs (districts), 1,016 cities ( Schahr ) and 2,400 municipalities ( Dehestan ) and approx. 62,000 villages.

The following English translations are used for the names of the various administrative units: Ostan ( province ), Schahrestan ( sub-province / county / city ), Bachsch ( county / district ), Dehestan ( township / rural districts / rural agglomeration ), Abadi ( village ).

Overview

The following overview provides a better understanding of the administrative units. An example is a province P with two administrative districts ( Schahrestan ): A and B. Administrative district A has three districts ( Bachsch ): Center, X and Y. The district center is the district in which the city M is located, the capital of the administrative district . Each district contains one or more cities and one or more municipalities (Gd). In our example, the district center contains the city M, the city N and the municipality T, which is composed of the villages D1, D2, D3 and D4; District X contains the city O and the municipality U; and County Y has no cities and a municipality. The smallest administrative district consists of only one city as a single district, which of course is called the center. Administrative district ( Shahrestan ) B in the following table is such a type, it contains only one city: Q.

Province ( ostan )	Administrative district ( shahrestan )	Circle ( bachsch )	City ( shahr ) / municipality ( dehestan )	Villages
P	A.	center	City M (main town)
			City N
			Gd T	D1, D2, D3, D4
		X	City O
		X	Gd U	D5, D6
		Y	Gd V	D7, D8, D9
	B.	center	City Q

List of Schahrestans

Overview map of the Iranian provinces and their administrative districts (Schahrestan)

In the following, the administrative districts ( Schahrestan ) are subdivided according to the Iranian provinces.

Alborz

Ardabil

Bushehr

Tschahār Mahāl and Bakhtiyāri

Esfahan

Fars

Gilan

Golestan

Hamadan

Hormozgan

Ilam

Kerman

Kermanshah

Chuzestan

Kohgiluye and Boyer Ahmad

Kordestān

Lorestan

Markazi

Māzandarān

North Khorasan

East Azerbaijan

Qazvin

Qom

Qom

Razavi Khorasan

Semnan

Sistan and Balochistan

South Khorasan

Tehran

West Azerbaijan

Yazd

Zanjan

References and comments

↑ In German usage, no translation for the word Schahrestan has become established, it is also translated differently as 'district', 'administrative district' or 'district'. In any case, Schahrestan must not be confused with the two administrative levels below, Bachsch (district) and Dehestan (district).

↑ C. Edmund Bosworth: Dehestān . In: Ehsan Yarshater (ed.): Encyclopædia Iranica . Volume 7 (2), pp. 215–216, as of November 18, 2011, accessed on June 9, 2014 (English, including references)

^ In Heinrich FJ Junker , Bozorg Alavi : Persisch-Deutsch. Dictionary . Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2002, ISBN 3-447-04561-2 , p. 335 ( limited preview in Google Book search). the word dehestān is translated as 'district' or 'regional district'.

^ Ministry of Education of the IRof Iran: Iran National Report on Development of Education in the Islamic Republic of Iran With an Emphasis on Inclusive Education a way to the Future (PDF) Devised by: Bureau of International Scientific Cooperation. October 2008: “30 provinces, 336 cities, 889 districts, 1016 towns, 2400 ruraldistricts and about 62, 000 villages”.

[1] In German usage, no translation for the word Schahrestan has become established, it is also translated differently as 'district', 'administrative district' or 'district'. In any case, Schahrestan must not be confused with the two administrative levels below, Bachsch (district) and Dehestan (district).

[2] C. Edmund Bosworth: Dehestān . In: Ehsan Yarshater (ed.): Encyclopædia Iranica . Volume 7 (2), pp. 215–216, as of November 18, 2011, accessed on June 9, 2014 (English, including references)

[3] In Heinrich FJ Junker , Bozorg Alavi : Persisch-Deutsch. Dictionary . Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2002, ISBN 3-447-04561-2 , p. 335 ( limited preview in Google Book search). the word dehestān is translated as 'district' or 'regional district'.

[4] Ministry of Education of the IRof Iran: Iran National Report on Development of Education in the Islamic Republic of Iran With an Emphasis on Inclusive Education a way to the Future (PDF) Devised by: Bureau of International Scientific Cooperation. October 2008: “30 provinces, 336 cities, 889 districts, 1016 towns, 2400 ruraldistricts and about 62, 000 villages”.