Kerman province

Kerman province (استان کرمان, Ostān-e Kermān) is the largest province of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southeast of Iran, with its capital in the city of Kerman. In 2014 it was placed in Region 5. Mentioned in ancient times as the Achaemenid satrapy of Carmania, Kerman province has an area of , encompassing nearly 11% of the land area of Iran. At the time of the National Census of 2006, the population of the province was 2,584,834 in 612,996 households. The following census in 2011 counted 2,938,988 people (1,482,339 male and 1,456,649 female) in 785,747 households. Urban areas accounted for 1,684,982 people, whereas 1,242,344 lived in rural vicinities; 6,082 were non-residents. By the time of the 2016 census, the population had increased to 3,164,718 in 932,721 households. The capital city of Kerman, at a population of 537,718, comprises about 29% of the urban population of 1.85 million, being the most developed and largest city of the province. The population of Kerman province includes the majority Fars and many Iranian ethnicities such as Lor, Kurd, Lak, Afshar-Turk, Jebal-Barezi, Zartoshti, Baluch, Larestani, Bandari, Pishdar and Ghassemlou. The altitudes and heights of the province are the continuation of the central mountain ranges of Iran. They extend from the volcanic folds beginning in Azarbaijan and, by branching out in the central plateau of Iran, terminate in Baluchestan. These mountain ranges have brought about vast plains in the province. The Bashagard and Kuhbonan Mountains are the highest in this region and include peaks such as Toghrol, Aljerd, Palvar, Sirach, Abareq and Tahrood. Other ranges that stretch out from Yazd to Kerman and Challeh-ye-Jazmoorian include high peaks like Hazaran 4501 meters above sea level, Kuh-e Shah 4402 meters, Joupar, Bahr Aseman and Khabr mountain in Khabr National Park and others. Most of the province is largely steppe or sandy desert, although there are some oases where dates, oranges (said to be the best in Iran), and pistachios are cultivated.