Iran has 31 provinces, known in Persian as ostan, which serve as the country's primary administrative divisions. People often search for the "states" of Iran, but the correct term is provinces. Each one has its own provincial capital, an appointed governor-general, and a layer of local administration that manages everything from education to road building across the nation.
The 31 Provinces of Iran
Below is the complete, alphabetical list of all 31 provinces that make up modern Iran:
- Alborz
- Ardabil
- Bushehr
- Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari
- East Azerbaijan
- Fars
- Gilan
- Golestan
- Hamadan
- Hormozgan
- Ilam
- Isfahan
- Kerman
- Kermanshah
- Khuzestan
- Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad
- Kurdistan
- Lorestan
- Markazi
- Mazandaran
- North Khorasan
- Qazvin
- Qom
- Razavi Khorasan
- Semnan
- Sistan and Baluchestan
- South Khorasan
- Tehran
- West Azerbaijan
- Yazd
- Zanjan
How the Provinces Are Governed
Each Iranian province is headed by a governor-general, or ostandar, who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior and answers to the central government in Tehran. This reflects Iran's strongly centralized system, in which the national government retains the bulk of decision-making power. Provinces are subdivided into counties called shahrestan, which are further split into districts (bakhsh), and then into rural and urban subdivisions. In total, Iran contains several hundred counties, giving the country a deep, layered administrative structure that reaches from the national capital down to individual villages.
The capital of each province is usually its largest city. Tehran province is governed from Tehran, Isfahan province from the historic city of Isfahan, and Fars province from Shiraz, a city famed for its poetry and gardens. This pattern makes provincial capitals important regional hubs for trade, culture, and government services.
Largest and Most Populated Provinces
The provinces vary enormously in size and population. Kerman, in southeastern Iran, is the largest province by land area, sprawling across vast deserts and mountains. By contrast, the smallest provinces, such as Alborz and Qom, are compact but densely settled.
In terms of population, Tehran province is by far the most populous, home to the national capital and a metropolitan region of well over ten million people. Razavi Khorasan, centered on the pilgrimage city of Mashhad, and Isfahan are also among the most populated. This concentration of people in a handful of provinces means that government policy, infrastructure spending, and economic activity are heavily focused on a few key regions.
Geographic and Cultural Diversity
Iran's provinces capture an extraordinary range of landscapes and peoples. The northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran, hugging the Caspian Sea, are lush, humid, and green, with rice paddies and tea plantations. Travel south and east, and provinces like Sistan and Baluchestan and Yazd are defined by arid deserts and ancient adobe cities. The western provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah are mountainous and home to large Kurdish communities, while the Azerbaijan provinces in the northwest are predominantly Azeri-speaking.
This diversity is reflected in many provincial names. East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan point to the Azeri heritage of the northwest, while Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan all derive from Greater Khorasan, a historic region whose name once stretched far beyond Iran's modern borders. To learn more about the country's geography, history, and culture, see our iran country guide.
How the Number Has Changed
Iran's count of 31 provinces is the result of decades of administrative reorganization. The number has grown over time as larger provinces were split to improve governance. Khorasan, once a single huge province, was divided in 2004 into the three Khorasan provinces of today. Alborz province was the most recent addition, carved out of Tehran province in 2010 to better serve the rapidly growing area around the city of Karaj. These changes show that provincial boundaries are not fixed forever but evolve to match shifts in population and the practical needs of administration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Iran have states or provinces?
Iran has provinces, not states. The Persian word is ostan, and there are 31 of them. They are the country's top-level administrative divisions, comparable to states or regions in other nations.
What is the capital province of Iran?
Tehran province contains Tehran, the national capital of Iran and the seat of the central government. It is also the most populous province in the country.
What is the largest province in Iran?
Kerman province is the largest by land area, covering a huge expanse of southeastern Iran dominated by desert and mountain terrain. Tehran, however, is the largest by population.
How are Iranian provinces subdivided?
Each province is divided into counties (shahrestan), which break down into districts (bakhsh) and then into smaller urban and rural units, creating a multi-level system of local government.