Golestan Province استان گلستان |
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Province | |
Location of Golestān within Iran |
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Coordinates: 36°50′21″N 54°26′40″E / 36.8393°N 54.4444°ECoordinates: 36°50′21″N 54°26′40″E / 36.8393°N 54.4444°E | |
Country | Iran |
Region | Region 1 |
Capital | Gorgan |
Counties | 12 |
Area | |
• Total | 20,367 km2 (7,864 sq mi) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,777,014 |
• Density | 87/km2 (230/sq mi) |
Time zone | IRST (UTC+03:30) |
• Summer (DST) | IRST (UTC+04:30) |
Main language(s) |
Persian Turkmen Mazandarani Balochi |
Golestān Province (Persian: استان گلستان, Ostān-e Golestān) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, located in the north-east of the country south of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is Gorgan.
The province was put as part of Region 1 upon the division of the provinces into 5 regions solely for coordination and development purposes on June 22, 2014.
Golestān was split off from the province of Mazandaran in 1997. It has a population of 1.7 million (2011) and an area of 20,380 km². The province is divided into the following twelve counties (shahrestans): Aliabad County, Aqqala County, Azadshahr County, Bandar-e Gaz County, Gonbad-e Qabus County, Gorgan County, Kalaleh County, Kordkuy County, Maraveh Tappeh County, Minudasht County, Ramian County, and Torkaman County. Present-day Gorgan was called Esterabad until 1937.
Golestan derives its name from a wider region known historically as Gorgān (), Middle Persian Gurgān, and Old Persian Varkāna ( in the Behistun Inscription) meaning "land of wolves". This is also the root of the Ancient Greek Υρκανία (Yrkania) and Latin Hyrcania.