Baluchistan iran Geography

With an area of 187502 sq. km. This province is composed of who regions of Sistan, covering 15717 sq. km, and Baluchistan 171785, and located at longitude of 58.50 to 63.21 and at latitude of 25.3 to 31.27. This province is border on Afghanistan and Pakistan with the length of 1200 km. And mount Malek Siah, at 40 km . to Zahedan city, is the common border of Iran, Afghanistan and pakistan. This province is neighbor to Khorasan province in north, Afghanistan in north and east, Pakistan in east, Oman Sea in south (about 270 km water border), Kerman and Hormozgan provinces In west. According to the last political divisions, this province including & townships, 32 counties, 30 cities and 94 villages. The townships of the province are Zahedan, Zabol, Khash, Iranshahr, Sarbaz, Saravan, Nikshahr and Chabahar.

Population

Population of the province in 1996 had been 1722579 and in 2000 was estimated 1984191.

Climate

Khash is the best climate area of the province because it’s higher than other townships and is neighbor to Taftan, highest peak of the Baluchistan, at the north . In addition to Khash, Chabahar poor has vernal climate because of nearness to the tropic of cancer and the equator area. Temperature changes in different seasons are little and summers are unnoticeable and so in falls, too. The trees are forever green during the year.

Luxuriance of the trees has been caused to liken for seasons to spring so it has been named as Chahar Bahar (for seasons) and then Chabahar.

Khash and Chabahar are of the best climate and most beautiful areas of the province. Iranshahr, Zabol and Bahookalat areas enjoy desert climate, Zahedan containing semi desert condition and mountainous area of Bamposht in south of Saravan and along that towards east to the mounts of Bashagerd enjoys mild semi-desert climate. With consideration of influence on the province climate because of Indian seasonal conditions, specially since October to April, when the most tourist poles are stagnate because of cold weather, Sistan & Baluchistan entertains tourists and entertains tourists & Baluchistan entertains tourists and interested people of nature with nice weather.

Iranian Short-Muzzle Crocodile

This creature has remained of Mesozoic’s crocodiles species (225-265 millionyears ago). They have changed a little during the past 65 million years.

Music

Folk music of Sistan & Baluchisan is of arts that because of special province’s conditions, more than other province, make the happy times of this land ardent during the long years by local instruments like Gheychak, viol, bonjo, lute, Doholack and percussion instruments like tub & jug, kettledrum and oboe. Different kinds of folk music of the province are epical, chamber, mystical and party which state sadness, gladness, epics and devoted morale, virtue, compact of loyalty, patriotism and hospitality of the area’s people.

Doneli instrument: Master Shirmohammad Espandar, from Bampour of Iranshahr is the sole donelist in the world who has achieved honorary doctorate of the France University.

Historical Geography of the Province

Legendary land of Sistan & Baluchistan including three parts with the names of Sistan, Sarhad and Makran. Sistan area covers Zabol township, Sarhad covers Khash and Zahedan and Makran area covers Iranshahr, Sarbaz, Saravan, Nikshahr and Chabahar townships.

Present Sistan covers north part of the province.

According to the Avesta (Zoroaster’s holy book), Ormazd has created Sistan as the eleventh land and also it’s the birthplace of Rustam Dastan,

Shahnameh’s epical hero. Baluchistan had been known as "meka" In the old historical documents and as "Gadrozial" in Heredoct’s writings, Greek historian. After he decline of the Achaemenian dynasty by Alexander ( 320B.C ) , he passed through this area when he was returning from India. After domination of Arabs over Sassanid dynasty, in second Caliph’s age, most of the native people adhered to Islam.

Zahedan

With population of 487031, according to the census in 1996, Zahedancity is the capital of the province at altitude of 1396.9 from sea level. There is a method of architecture, same as rocky architecture in Tamin village and at the around of Taftan.

There are many tourist attractions in Zahedan like; Ladiz area belongs to the paleolithic, Ladiz castle, Mellat park resort, Barasan Recreation resort comples, Bagh-e Khanevadeh recreation cultural complex, anthropology museum with so beautiful and interesting manifestations of local culture, precious library of professor of Kambuzia, market cross, he old buildings of the post,customs, Ministry of Justice and post office of Mirjaveh city. Makki mosque is the greatest mosque of Sunnites in Iran with stuccos and decorations in Indian architecture mathod. Jaam’e mosque, Sikhs; temple and Rasouli bazaar @ cross Rd. are of other important attractions of this city.

Chabahar

It’s located on the route of int’l waters and work as a bridge among member of ECO & ASEAN and other world’s countries for production, export and transit of goods. Because of commercial free zone, this area has special importance. There are many tourist attractions in this city like; beautiful shores of Oman Sea. Pozm, Gowatr and Kenarak ports Shahid Beheshti jetty, Gelfeshan - where is one of the Chabahar township’s wonders that, like a volcano, emits mud instead of lava – Hara floating forests which are sink into the water at flow time, and return into view at the ebb time, Seyed Gholamrasool belongs to the Teymur era, Tis (Porteghali – ha) castle, Tis mosque and Khezr tread.

Hara Forests in Baluchistan province

At the 25.11 to 25.16 latitude and 61.28 to 61.35 longitudes, with an area of 200 Hectares, Hara forests of Gowatr bay are placed in the southeast extremity of Iran, in the political limits of Chabahar township, 150 km. To east of Chabahar. This beautiful place including Bahoo estuary has registered in the list of Ramsar Convention as the twentieth international march.

However Hara forests are uniform and including no plant species but because of ecotony and crossing condition, they are consisting various kinds of wildlife.

These forests are common gift of land and sea and protection of hem, as the valuable and sensitive environments, have been emphasized in the all of the world, specially from viewpoint of tourism.

Mangrove forests are so luxuriant and count as the one of the important centers of natural life.

Some of the most important outputs of these forests are: protection of coral stone waters and providing environment for aquatics, birds and other animals.

This ecosystem protects shores against erosion of dreadful waves of the sea.

Gelfeshan

There are the hills of mud- emitter located in 90 km. To Bandar –e Kenarak in Kahir plain, befor tang village a flat area. One of these three, which is like a volcano, is active and the others have been inactive since a few years ago. There are craters with he diameter of a few centimeters on the peak of these hills and gray mud comes out of the active one’s crater and descends down towards the slopes, alternately. The alternation circle is every 10-15 minutes with vibration of he earth. The amount of this mud is 3-5 liter per time and craters position at the peak or slope of the hills are change, usually. A sound like shot is heard at the time of emitter, occasionally. This phenomenon is one of the other attractions of the province .

Imamzadeh Gholamrasool Mausoleum

In the east side of Chabahar, there is a high dome-shaped mausoleum, which belongs to Teymur period. Every year, this monument receives many Iranian and India pilgrims for religious rites, from Jan 29, for 10 days. This mausoleum gas been constructed with Mongols era, 7 & 8 centuries A.H.

Khash

It is an old city which its foundation date becks to King Nader age, including vats and fertile plains and is one of the agriculture poles of the area . famous peak of Taftan, The sole half-active volcano of Iran, seasonal ponds of pleasant heights next to the Taftan as the name of "Sardarya" Heydarabad castle, minaret of Jaame’ mosque, façade of towhidieh mosque with Indian stuccos and decorations, old tree of Pabid village (1200- year old), Sangan old tree, Haftad mullah cemetery, historical cemeteries about Taftan peak and watermills… are important tourist attractions of the Khash township. Sangan, the beautifull village of Balouchistan, lies on the southern slopes of the taftan volcanoe at a mean of 2500 m above sea level. This village has the beautifull river and very interesting waterfalls.

Taftan Peak

Taftan Peak is one of the important views and attractions of the province. From viewpoint of geology in quaternary, there have been the volcanoes in Iran which their peaks are constitute important heights, today. Presently, some of those volcanoes are in sulfur producing stage and so steam and sulfuric

Gases come out from their craters. Mount Taftan is one of these volcanoes and located in northeast of Iran, 50 km. To Khash Township. Because of existence of spas mineral waters, this area has special privileges, like; Jamchin, Amani, Barab and Barabak spas which are located in northwest of mount Taftan, in the west of Taftan and extremity of Bidester River, in the west of Taftan and north of Tamandan village and in the northeast of Taftan . Taftan peak with the height of 4050 m. causes pleasant climate in Khash and at the neighborhood. As other important privileges, Khash enjoys more rainfall in comparison with other places of the province and rich plan cover at the around because of high altitude.

All of these features turn Taftan into one of the most interesting natural attractions of the province and attracts many of the interested people from other areas, specially mountain climbers, every year.

SARAVAN

It’s placed at the farthest east of the province.

Most of the villages in the vicinity of this city containing high quality clay which pottery and ceramics have flourished by using it in Kalpoorgan village. The ancient works, found in this city, show its long historical background like Mahtab Khazaneh, belongs to the 50008.c, Kalatek Espij, Roubahak, Milmard and Seyed Omar hills, Sib (Seb) castle, petroglyphs of Mount Mehregan, Negaran & Koshtegan valleys.

SARBAZ

Sarbaz valley and river are very beautiful and green country area where are counted as the beautiful natural & tourist attractions, at the confluence of palm groves and paddy fields, with short-muzzle crocodile, that is one of scarcest species of wild life.

Nikshahr

With well known citrus Nikshahr has interesting natural and geography situation this area including tourist attractions of ancient areas (belongs to prehistory), Nikshahr old castle, Chehel Dokhtaran castle, Ghasr-e Ghand old castle, Makr-e Zan tree (Anjir-e Ma’abed) and ….

IRANSHAHR

Iranshahr is one of the Iranian ancient cities and in the past times, it has called Fahreh or Pahreh that means large city. Nowadays, I has changed into one of the poles of attracting people, industry and agriculture center in the middle of the province. Naser (Qajar are), Bampour (Sassanid era), Daman and Chehel Dokhtar castles and also Espidej castle, murdering venue of Ashraf Afghan, in the road of Bazman to Delgan, are of interesting places of the province.