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Urumiyeh

Urmia
ارومیه
city
Official seal of Urmia
Seal
Nickname(s): Paris of Iran, Cradle of Water
Urmia is located in Iran
Urmia
Urmia
Coordinates: 37°33′19″N 45°04′21″E / 37.55528°N 45.07250°E / 37.55528; 45.07250Coordinates: 37°33′19″N 45°04′21″E / 37.55528°N 45.07250°E / 37.55528; 45.07250
Country  Iran
Region 3
Province West Azerbaijan
County Urmia
Bakhsh Central
Government
 • Mayor Mohammad Hazratpour
 • Parliament Ghazipour, Bahadori & Ruhollah Hazratpour
Elevation 1,332 m (4,370 ft)
Population (2012)
 • city 680,228 & 963,738
 • Metro 1,000,000
 • Population Rank in Iran
  City & County
Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30)
 • Summer (DST) IRDT (UTC+4:30)
Area code(s) 044
Website www.urmia.ir

Urmia (Azerbaijani: اورمو –اورمیه, Persian: ارومیه‎‎ (pronounced [oɾumiˈje]) is the second largest city in the Iranian Azerbaijan and the capital of West Azerbaijan Province. Urmia is situated at an altitude of 1,330 m above sea level, and is located along the Shahar Chay river (City River) on the Urmia Plain. Lake Urmia, one of the world's largest salt lakes, lies to the east of the city and the mountainous Turkish border area lies to the west.

Urmia is the 10th most populated city in Iran. At the 2012 census, its population was 667,499 with 197,749 households. The city's inhabitants are predominantly Iranian Turks who speak Azeri Turkish. as well as Iran's official language, Persian. There are also minorities of Kurds, Assyrians, and Armenians. The city is the trading center for a fertile agricultural region where fruits (especially apples and grapes) and tobacco are grown.

An important town by the 9th century, Urmia was seized by the Seljuk Turks (1084), and later occupied a number of times by the Ottoman Turks. For centuries the city has had a diverse population which has at times included Muslims (Shias and Sunnis), Christians (Catholics, Protestants, Nestorians, and Orthodox), Jews, Bahá'ís and Sufis. Around 1900, Christians made up less than 10% of the city's population, however, most of the Christians fled in 1918 as a result of the Persian Campaign during World War I and the Armenian and Assyrian Genocides.


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