Provinces of Iran

Provinces of Iran استان‌های ایران Ostânhâye Irân
Also known as: Ostân استان
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	Provincial government (national government)
Subdivisions	County

Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces (Persian: استان 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, Markaz) of the province. The provincial authority is headed by a governor-general (Persian: استاندار Ostândâr), who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior subject to approval of the cabinet. The provinces are subdivided into counties, districts (bakhsh) and villages.^[1]