Ilam province explained

Ilam Province
Settlement Type:Province
Image Map1:IranIlam-SVG.svg
Map Caption1:Location of Ilam Province in Iran
Coordinates:33.1833°N 86°W
Coordinates Footnotes:[1]
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:1974
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Iran
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Region 4
Parts Type:Counties
Parts Style:para
P1:12
Seat Type:Capital
Seat:Ilam
Leader Title:Governor-general
Leader Name:Hassan Bahramnia
Leader Title1:MPs of Assembly of Experts
Leader Name1:Seyed Mohsen Saeedi Golpaygani
Leader Title2:Representative of the Supreme Leader
Leader Name2:Allah Noor Karimi Tabar
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Footnotes:[2]
Area Total Km2:20164.11
Area Note:Latest measurement in 2019
Area Rank:22nd
Area Urban Km2:30.13
Area Urban Footnotes:[3] [4]
Elevation Max M:2775
Elevation Max Point:Kan Seifi Peak
Elevation Max Footnotes:[5]
Elevation Min Footnotes:[6]
Elevation Min M:36
Population Total:580158
Population As Of:2016
Population Density Km2:auto
Pop Est Footnotes:[7]
Pop Est As Of:2024
Population Est:904000
Population Rank:31st (last)
Population Urban:395263
Population Rural:184444
Timezone1:IRST
Utc Offset1:+03:30
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:69311–69991[8]
Area Code:+98 84
Registration Plate:Iran 98[9]
Blank Name Sec2:HDI (2017)
Blank Info Sec2:0.815[10]
· 8th
Website:Ilam Portal
Blank Info Sec1:Persian (official)
local languages:
Kurdish
Luri
Arabic
Blank Name Sec1:Main language(s)

Ilam province (Persian: استان ایلام) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Ilam.[11]

The province is in the western part of the country in Region 4 and covers 20164.11km2. It shares 425km (264miles) of the border with Iraq, and also bordering on the provinces of Kermanshah, Lorestan, and Khuzestan.

Etymology

Ilam was named after the ancient civilization of "Elam" that lived in the areas in present-day southwest Iran for millennia, between 2700 and 539 BC.

For a long time, the area of the present-day Ilam province was called 'Poshtkouh' and along with 'Pishkouh', constituted Lorestan. When Hossein Qoli Khan was the ruler of Poshtkouh, it was also known as 'Hossein-Abad'. During the reign of Reza Shah in September 1929, following the approval of the Cabinet of the time, 'Hossein-Abad' village was renamed to 'Ilam' "to commemorate the magnificence and glory of the ancient civilization of Elam." Later in 1937 it was declared a town.[12]

History

Pre-history

The name "Ilam" comes from "Elam", the pre-historic civilization that ruled the area in modern southwest Iran from 2700 BC to 539 BC. Archaeological findings dates human settlement of the area to around 5000 BC.

Ashurbanipal, the then king of Assyria, invaded Elam in 639 BC and totally destroyed it. Although not as united as before, the Elamites survived and continued to live in the area after the invasion. Between 612 and 546 BC, Elam was incorporated into the Median Empire and later into the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC. During the Achaemenid Empire, Elam lost its independence forever and became the third province of the empire after Persis and Media.[13] During the reign of the Medes, Achaemenids, Seleucids and Parthians, owing to its proximity to the districts of Hamadan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Lorestan and, most notably, Susa, the area and its settlements took on importance.

During the Sassanid era, the present-day Ilam was composed of two states: Mehrjanqazaq in the east, which was the modern day Darreh Shahr and Masbasan in the west.[14]

Arab reign

After the Muslims conquest of Mesopotamia in 640 AD, the Arabs named the area the "Land of the Mountains," or "Jibal". During the Arabs' rule, the kingdom of Jibal, whose capital was Seymareh, was one of the territories under the control of Baghdad and Basra, and lasted until 961 CE.

The Rashidun Caliphate conquered Mesopotamia by 640 CE and later the whole Sasanid Empire by 643 CE and kept the control until their collapse in 661 CE. Prior to their collapse, civil war had taken over the caliphate, after which Muawiyah faction won and thus established the Umayyad Caliphate. The Umayyad controlled the area until their own collapse in 750 AD, after which the Abbasid Caliphate took over and reigned for around two hundred years until 945 CE. After conquering the western Iran in 945 CE, the Buyid Dynasty ruled over this area until 1055.

Kurdish reign

For 270 years, between 1155 and 1424, the reigned the Zagros Mountains, especially areas around Lorestan. Hazaraspids who are also known as Lorestan Atabegs were composed of two groups, the Little Lor, who were mostly of Lor descent and Big Lor Atabegs who were of Kurdish descent. The former controlled parts of present-day provinces of Markazi, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Khuzestan and Ilam.[15]

From 961 to 1015, the Ḥasanwayhid dynasty ruled over western Iran under the influence of the Buyid Dynasty. Centred at Dinawar, near present-day Kermanshah, Hasanwyhids, Kurdish Muslims with ties to the Kurdish Barzikani tribe, controlled central areas of the Zagros Mountains. At its greatest extent, the dynasty included the modern-day areas around Khorramabad, Borujerd, Nahavand, Asadabad, Borujerd, Ahwaz, Ilam, Kermanshah, Hulwan and Kirkuk. The Ḥasanwayhid dynasty was overthrown by the Annazids, who, with help of the Buyid dynasty, controlled the area until their collapse in 1116 CE.[16]

Khorshidi dynasty

The capital of Little Lor was Shapourkhwast or the modern-day Khorramabad, especially the Falak-ol-Aflak Castle. The Little Lor Atabegs or the Khorshidi dynasty ruled over the area for over 412 years, from 1184 to 1597 CE, after which Shah Abbas the Great executed the last ruler, Shahverdi Khan, and replaced Shahverdi's nephew, Hossein Beyg/Khan, thus ending the rule of Little Lor and beginning of the Vali/Wali dynasty also known as Feyli Vali.[17]

Qajar era (1789-1925)

During the Qajar era, Lorestan was divided into two regions: Poshtkoh (present-day Ilam province) with the center of Ilam city and Pishkouh (present-day Lorestan) with the center of Khorramabad. Poshtkhouh literally means “back of mountain” and it was due to the fact that Ilam was situated at the westernmost parts of the Zagros Mountains and to the rest of the country it was plainly considered at the back of mountains.[18]

From that point on, Ilam was ruled independently from Lorestan, and the governor reported directly to the central government, thereby ending Lorestan control of Ilam and Poshtkouh. The two districts were later renamed "Deh-e Bala" and "Deh-e Pa'een", which basically means the upper and lower villages.[19] During the rule of Hossein Qoli Khan over "Deh-e Bala" (1863-1900 CE), it was renamed to "Hossein-Abad Poshtkuh".

The Vali Castle of Ilam was built by the next Vali, Gholamreza Khan Feyli, in 1908. The castle is now a nationally registered heritage and also the Ilam Museum of Anthropology.

20th century

Following the establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1925, Reza Shah suppressed the local governments to consolidate his dominance. In 1928, the government forces took over Poshtkouh and Gholamreza Khan Feyli, the last Feyli governor left Poshtkouh with any resistance and went to Iraq, thus abolishing the rule of the Feylis in Ilam after 332 years. A year later, in 1929, "Hossein-Abad" was renamed to "Ilam" by the suggestion of Academy of Persian Language and Literature.[20]

On November 7, 1937, the parliament passed a law on the political division of the country under the title of "Act of Division of the Country and the Duties of the Governors", thereby dividing the country into 6 provinces and 50 counties.[21] Poshtkouh, being a county, was part of the "West Province".

The 1937 political division law did not last long and a while later on January 9, 1938, an amendment was passed which divided the country into 10 province and 49 counties. Based on the new division, "Ilam" was a county of the "Fifth Province".

In 1964, Darreh Shahr, Abdanan and Dehloran from Lorestan province and Mousian from Khuzestan were annexed to Ilam, thus upping its status to "general governorate" as part of the Kermanshah Province. Ilam subsequently became a province in March 1974.

After the Islamic Revolution, Ilam was of the main battlegrounds of the Iran-Iraq war for years. The war began with the Iraqi invasion of western and southwestern parts of Iran on September 22, 1980. ‌As a border province, Ilam was a constant target for the Iraqi bombing campaign and suffered heavily in terms of economic infrastructure. The war left Ilam province devastated for years, making it one of the least developed provinces in Iran.

Demographics

Language and ethnicity

Ilam Province has a diverse linguistic presence, albeit having the smallest population in Iran. This diversity derives from the geographical location of the province, positioned in the transitional zone between Kurdish and the Southwestern Iranian language bloc. The predominant language is Kurdish, more specifically the Southern Kurdish dialects Kalhori, Elami, Malekshahi, Laki and the Khezeli dialect closely related to Laki. Kurdish is the dominant language in the cities of Ilam, Mehran, Eyvan, Abdanan, Sarableh, Lumar and Pahleh, and Cheshmeh-ye Shirin Shah Ahmad is the southern-most Kurdish-speaking settlement in the province.[22]

Luri is spoken in the southern parts of the province and is the predominant language in Murmuri, Haft Cheshmeh and many smaller villages. The city of Darreh Shahr has a Luri-speaking majority with a significant Kurdish-speaking minority. Two linguistically distinctive Luri dialects called Hinimini and Shuhani are also spoken in the province. Shahrak-e Changuleh is the largest Shuhani-speaking settlement, while Hinimini is spoken in and around Zarangush.

Arabic is spoken in smaller settlements near the border to Khuzestan Province including in Shahrak-e Zu ol Faqari.

Kurdish tribes

The north is mostly inhabited by the Kurdish Kalhuri and Feyli tribes. The Feyli tribes include the Malekshahi, Khezel, Arkawâzi, Beyrey, Shuhan and Ali Sherwan tribes.[23]

Religion

As of 2011, 99.62% of the population are Muslim.[24]

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 530,464 in 110,515 households.[25] The following census in 2011 counted 557,599 people in 135,499 households.[26] The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 580,158 people in 159,310 households.[27] Ilam is presently the least populated province in Iran.

Administrative divisions

See also: List of counties in Ilam Province, Iran.

The province of Ilam is divided into 12 counties, 28 districts and 52 rural districts.[28] Following the approval of the government cabinet, Holeylan County was established on 4 January 2020, having been a district of Chardavol County prior to that, becoming the 11th county of the province.[29] Chavar District was separated from Ilam County and elevated to county status.[30]

The population history and structural changes of Ilam Province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.

Ilam Province
Counties 2006 2011 2016
45,830 46,977 47,851
15,614
73,422 72,167 57,381
56,346 59,551 43,708
58,993 66,399 65,630
47,380 48,833 49,491
193,222 213,579 235,144
22,587 21,138
55,271 27,506 29,797
14,404
Total 530,464 557,599 580,158

Cities

According to the 2016 census, 395,263 people (over 68% of the population of Ilam Province) live in the following cities:

City Population
23,946
11,977
6,280
4,278
264
5,831
21,900
32,941
1,819
31,299
Ilam 194,030
2,696
1,512
1,060
17,435
1,913
3,768
2,459
3,870
1,751
2,659
12,393
4,088
2,128
2,966

Ilam Province is the least populated province in Iran. Ilam, the provincial capital, is the only city in the province and has a population of 194,030; All other towns have less than 35,000 population.

List of cities above 10k population[31] !Rank!Town!Pop.
1Ilam194,030
2Dehloran32,941
3Eyvan31,299
4Abdanan23,946
5Darreh Shahr21,900
6Mehran17,435
7Sarableh12,393
8Arkavaz11,977

Geography

Ilam province, with an area of 20150km2, is the 22nd largest province in Iran. It is located in the southwest of the country, in Central Zagros, and is bordered by Iraq to the west, Khuzestan province to the south, Lorestan province to the east, and Kermanshah province to the north.

Ilam province is situated at the southwestern edge of Zagros mountains and right at the transition between the Arabian and the Iranian plateaus. Because of this, it is divided into two distinct natural areas; The northern and eastern parts are mountainous, whereas the southwest is covered with low plains that extend to the Iraqi and Khuzestan borders.

The mountains in the north and east are mostly parallel, running in the northwest–southeast direction. These mountains are separated by plains and rolling hills that are mostly used to grow crops and orchards by settlers.

The most prominent mountain in Ilam province is Kabir Kouh, which is located in the eastern part of the province, stretching 160 km from near Pol-e Zal in the southeast to Mishkhas village near Ilam city in the northwest. The highest point in province, Kan Seifi peak with 2775m (9,104feet) above sea level, is part of Kabir Kouh range.[32] [33] [34]

Other major mountains include:

List of highest summits in Ilam province!Peak!Elevation (m)!Elevation (ft)
Kan Seifi27759104
Manesht26298625
Chaman Ghir25788458
Qolarangh24738114
Ghachan24648084
Bankoul23047559
Melinjeh21937195
Shalam21747133
Sameleh21507054
Contrary to the north, the south and southwestern part of the province is covered with low-lying plains with elevation varying between NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet) above sea level. Despite receiving little precipitation, large areas of these low lands, notably Dehloran, Musian and Dasht Abbas, are cultivated owing to a combination of factors such as rivers flowing from the mountains to the east, dams and irrigation networks.

The Ghamasiab river, after running through Kermanshah province, flows toward Ilam. Upon arriving at the point where the borders of Ilam, Lorestan and Kermanshah provinces meet, it is named Seymareh. It then flows west and southward and somewhere near Kal Sefid Village, Darreh Shahr, is joined by the Kashkan river and together they create the Karkheh river, the third longest river in Iran with a length of around 755 km. Seymareh and Karkheh constitute the Ilam's eastern border with Lorestan province.Because of the terrain, the permanent and seasonal rivers and stream that originate from Ilam highlands either fall into Seymareh, such as Chardavol, Garab, Seekan, Darreh Shahr and Majeen rivers; or, flow westward toward the low lands and into Iraq and Khuzestan, such as Ghanghir, Ghodar-Khosh, Kanjan-Cham, Roud Ghavi, Changouleh Meymeh, Murmuri, Doiraj and Siah Ghav rivers.[36]

Apart from some few springs here and there, such as Siah-Ghav Twin Lakes near Abdanan, there are no major natural bodies of water in the province. There are, however, four dam that provide important drinking water, these include Ilam, Seymareh, Eywan and Doiraj dams.[37]

Biodiversity

Flora

With about 31% of its territory covered with scattered to dense forests of mostly Persian oak, Ilam ranks 3rd in the country after Kohgiluyeh and Lorestan provinces, excluding the northern provinces of Mazandarn and Gilan.[38] [39] The highlands and the forests of the province are the habitat of many animals including the Asian black bear, Caracal, Caucasian squirrel, Eastern imperial eagle, Golden eagle, Black kite, Black stork, Blunt-nosed viper, and the endangered Persian leopard.[40] Ilam is home to the endangered Spider-tailed horned viper, a unique species only found in Ilam province in the world.[41]

More than 6400km2 of the province, around 31% of its territory, is covered with scattered to dense forests. This is about one third of the total forests in the Zagros Mountains. The predominant species of these forests are Persian oak, though other trees such as wild almond, hawthorn, Persian turpentine, Montpellier maple and Judas can be found.

The Arghavan Canyon near Ilam is known for the pink blooms of the Judas-trees, which flower in Spring.

Fauna

Due to its geographical location, natural conditions and the diversity of its habitats, Ilam province is home to 32 mammals and 183 birds. The mountainous areas, specifically, host mammals such as:

Ilam province is only area in the world in which the spider-tailed horned viper can be found.

Nature conservatories

About 13% of the total territory of Ilam province is under the protection and monitoring of local and national natural reserves organizations. There are four protected areas, which in total, cover 1377km2:

List of protected areas in Ilam province[43] [44] !Name!Designation!Closest community!Area
Kabir KouhProtected areaDarreh Shahr179km2
Dinar KouhProtected areaAbdanan406km2
Manesht and QolaranghProtected areaIlam292km2
KoulakProtected areaMehran500km2
In addition to the protected areas mentioned above, there is:

"Tang-e Bina and Bijar" hunting prohibited area: around 500km2 in area, near Chavar;

"Arghavan Valley forest reserve" near Ilam city: known for its pink spring blossoms of Judas tree; and,

"Largh forest reserve": known for its Pterocarya fraxinifolia trees. These trees are usually found in the rain forests of Northern Iran, but surprisingly grow in this small patch of land in "Lart Valley" near Badreh.

And two nationally registered natural heritage sites:

Landslides

One of the largest landslides in the eastern hemisphere and world is believed to have occurred in Ilam Province, more specifically, in the Kabir Kuh anticline at Gorz-e Langar in Darreh Shahr county. According to Harrison and Falcon in their article on Royal Geographical Society, published in 1937, the Seymareh landslide moved as much as 30km3 of rock as far as 14km (09miles). It is suspected that an earthquake could have triggered such a large landslide.[45] [46]

Climate

Due to the influence of various factors such as altitude, proximity to the Arabian desert, the plains of Khuzestan and Iraq, the climate of the province is very diverse.

Different atmospheric systems affect the province, causing fall, winter, spring, and occasionally summer precipitation. The Mediterranean and Black Sea air masses from the west, trigger autumn and winter rains in the province.[47]

The Red Sea and Saudi desert currents, too, bring winter and spring rains. The very same currents and the vast Iraqi plain to the west are the main causes of hot weather in summers. On the other hand, the northern air masses entering the country in winter from Siberia lower the temperatures and cause freezing in northern parts of the province.

Ilam province is considered as one of the tropical regions of the country, but due to difference in altitudes, temperature and precipitation, three different types of climate can be observed:

Climate averages for towns in Ilam province!Town!July daily maximum!January daily maximum!Annual precipitation
Ilam38.2C10.5C585.4mm
Mehran45.6C16.3C230.4mm
Dehloran48.1C16.5C280.4mm
Darreh Shahr46.4C15C482.1mm
Eyvan38.8C11C704.1mm
Sarableh41.4C11.2C510.7mm
Abdanan42.5C12.9C613.7mm
Lumar45.2C13.2C460.3mm

Flood

Occasional heavy rainstorms in spring and autumn bring, sometimes, huge floods. The steep slopes of Zagros Mountains, soil type, lack of vegetation are among some of the reasons why Ilam province is prone to flooding. Moreover, majority of communities in Ilam province are located in the floodplains, at the foothills of mountains, on river banks and near sources of water, so there is always risk of flooding with potential human and financial costs. According to the available statistics, Mehran and Dehloran counties are at the highest risk of flooding due to their lower elevation compared to the rest of the province and the subsequent concentration and joining of rivers and streams.

The latest flood happened in March and April 2019, in which most of country, including Ilam province, experienced levels of flooding. On April 1, 2019, the flood destructed many bridges including the Gavmishan bridge in Darreh Shahr, an important bridge over Karkheh River which connects south of the province to Lorestan and rest of the country. The bridge was reopened months later on October 6, 2019.[48]

Dust

Ilam is occasionally affected by dust, especially in summers. It has become more frequent in the last ten years. The cities of Mehran and Dehloran are at the highest risk in the province, due to lower elevation and proximity to the deserts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. However, in case of large dust storms, the western part of the country could be affected. The successive droughts of the recent decade in Iran and the long wars in Iraq and Syria have also exacerbated the issue.[49]

Culture

The original inhabitants of Ilam were the Guitians and the Kassites, and with the arrival of the Aryans in Iran, the Medes settled in the Zagros region. Throughout history, many people have settled and ruled in the region and as the result, today, Ilam is inhabited by Kurds, Lurs, Laks and Arabs. For the same reasons, the culture of the Ilamians is diverse, mostly a blend of many cultures.[50]

Handicrafts

Embossed kilim is a combination of simple kilim and carpet knot in its text, which is considered as the most important and original handicraft in Ilam province.[51] Ilam's embossed kilim is different from other parts of the country. Upon its creation by Sahar Chalanghar, a resident of Zanjireh village of Sarableh county, Ilam's embossed kilim became popular both in Iran and the world. Now, there are more than 4,500 weavers of this specific type of kilim in Ilam province, producing around 3,000m2 annually. It is estimated that around 50% of those involved in all handicrafts work in Ilam province are in the field of kilim production.

"Ilam's embossed kilim" is different from other parts of the country because a weaver named "Sahar Chalangar", a resident of Zanjireh village (one of the functions of Sarablah city of Ilam province), succeeds in performing a prominent role in a part of his woven kilim by using a carpet knot. From this, a background is provided for the growth and promotion of embossed kilims. Ilam's embossed kilim has received a national hologram and has been registered as a souvenir and brand of Ilam province. Ilam was subsequently appointed as the national capital of embossed kilim.[52] [53]

Cuisine

Ilam's cuisine, like its culture is a blend of Kurdish and Luri cuisines. Some of the local traditional dishes are:[54] [55]

Government

The highest government authority of the province is the governor-general, who is appointed by the Minister of Interior given cabinet approval. The governor-general, subsequently appoints county governors. The incumbent governor-general is Qasem Soleimani Dashtaki, who has been in office since October 2017.

Economy

With about 0.99% contribution to the national GDP as of 2016, Ilam is one of the least developed provinces in Iran, ranked 26th out of 31. Most economic activities in the province are focused on agriculture and animal husbandry in the rural communities; and, skilled trades, public and private services in urban areas. The industry has a small share in the economy of the province and there are few factories.

Agriculture

The largest sector of Ilam's economy is agriculture, though much smaller compared to other provinces of Iran. There are more than 55,000 farmers in Ilam province. It is estimated that, about 50% of all households in the province are either directly or indirectly involved in agricultural activities.[56]

In 2018 harvest year, 223228abbr=NaNabbr= of land (11.1% of the territory of Ilam province) were cultivated for various crops such as wheat, barley, forage maize, corn, watermelon, melon and cucumber, producing 700,732 tons of produce in total, 14% through dry farming. Ilam is the bottom 3rd province in the country in terms of crop yield at 3.14 tons per hectare, only surpassing Kohgiluyeh and Kurdestan. For comparison, the average yield is 9.88 tons per hectare and highest is 25.64 tons per hectare in Alborz province.[57]

The farming lands of Ilam, like its geography, are divided; The northern and eastern parts of the province are mountainous and despite the presence of water resources, cultivable lands are limited to inter-mountain plains, foothills and river banks; On the contrary, the hot climate plains of the south and southwest such as Hojandan-Dasht, Amir-Abad, Mehran, Mosian, Dehloran and Dasht-Abbas, are large in size but limited in water resources.[58]

As of 2019, the total area of all orchards in Ilam province was 3950abbr=onNaNabbr=on, making it the last in the country. In total, these orchards produced 15,409 tons of fruits, or 0.1% of the country's production. The most grown horticultural products are: grapes, walnut, pomegranate, peach, olive and fig.[59]

Industry

The industry sector of Ilam's economy is poorly-developed even non-existent; As of 2017, the total number of industrial workshops (ten or more employees) in the province is just 52, 85% of which have under 50 employees. These workshops have 3,350, almost completely (96%) male, employees in total, accounting to a mere 0.6% of Ilam's population. As a comparison, the number of the same type of workshops is 6,806 for Tehran and 3,892 for Isfahan provinces, indicating how underdeveloped Ilam's industry sector is. According to the latest statistics, Ilam is the least industrial province in Iran.[60] In recent years, some efforts went into stimulating Ilam's industry by building industrial towns and areas, providing encouraging opportunities for businesses such as cheaper land, utilities and tax. Since 2005, 8 such towns and 5 areas have been built.[61]

The largest companies in Ilam province are:[62]

Energy

With an estimated 14 trillion m3 of gas reserves and 17 billion barrels of oil reserve, equal to 6% and 11% of Iran's reserves respectively, Ilam ranks 2nd and 3rd in the country in terms of gas and oil. Ilam province produces more than 230,000 barrels of oil per day and 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year, accounting to about 90% of western Iran's oil and gas, making Ilam the energy hub of western Iran. The most important oil and gas fields in Ilam are: Dehloran, Tang-e Bijar, Chashmeh Khosh, Paydar-e Gharb, Azar and Danan. Despite the huge oil and gas reserves in the province, there are few downstream processing plants including:[63] [64]

List of down-stream oil and gas processing plants in Ilam province!Operating!Under construction!Planned
  • Ilam Petrochemical Company, Phase 1
  • Ilam Gas Treating Company
  • Chashmeh Khosh Production Unit
  • Tang-e Bijar Production Unit
  • Dehloran Petrochemical Company
  • Ilam Petrochemical Company, Phase 2
  • Mehran Petrochemical Company
  • Darreh Shahr Petrochemical Company
  • Holeilan Petrochemical Company

Mining

Ilam province is part of the Zagros sedimentary structure and is completely covered with sedimentary rocks of different ages. In other words, there are no phenomena of magmatism and metamorphism in the province. Therefore, the province's metal mineral reserves are negligible. There are, however, substantial non-metallic reserves of gypsum, limestone, sandstone, dolomite, shale, bitumen, celestine, building stone and facade stone.[65] The province's gypsum is more than 99 percent pure and can be found in colossal amounts in Dehloran, Mehran and Bouli of Abdanan. Dehloran Gypsum Factory produces a premium quality product in the country.

The limestone reserves are also very significant in size and very high in purity (93-99.9%). Ilam Cement Factory, founded 1989 to use these mines, produces one of the finest cements in Iran and has won many national and international awards.[66] There are also large amounts of celestine discovered northwest of Dehloran. Celestine is used in oil well drilling industry.

The most valuable mineral in the province is bitumen. It is found as gilsonite and has a purity of more than 70%. Bitumen is found in Eyvan, Dehloran and Malekshahi counties. Ilam province is the 2nd province in the country in terms of production and reserves of bitumen. Eyvan has the largest reserves of bitumen in the province and is considered the largest bitumen mine in the Middle East. Ilam's bitumen reserves are estimated at 465,000 tons proven and likely up to 900,000 tons.[67] In some places in the province, liquid bitumen seeps to the ground and creates springs. "Dehloran Bitumen Spring" is a nationally registered natural monument in Iran.[68]

Salt stone has been recovered in Baloutestan area of Zarin Abad. There's also veins of blue salt excavated near Dashtalak (Mimak) and Majeen (Darreh Shahr).

Given the geology of the province, building stones can also found in large amounts; White and black marble stone have been discovered near the city of Ilam.

About 2.2 million tons of mineral were excavated in 2019 and Ilam's reserves are estimated at around 1 billion tons.[69]

Education

The provincial department of education, in line with the Ministry of Education, supervises elementary and secondary education in the province. Higher education is supervised by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (Iran). As of 2019, there were 1778 schools and 112,503 students and 26,804 higher education students. As of 2016, the literacy rate in Ilam province was 89.1% for men and 80.6% for women.

Higher education institutes in Ilam province:

Healthcare

As of 2018, Ilam has one of the highest ratios of number of general practitioners to population in the country, ranking 2nd. There are 3.48 GPs per 10,000 population in Ilam province, the average of the country being 2.37. Ilam also has the highest ratio of dentists in the country.Despite the positively looking statistics when compared with other provinces, the medical facilities and expertise are unequally distributed in Ilam province; Ilam, the capital, serves as the medical hub in the province, hosting majority of hospitals, medical laboratories and specialist: Six of the 12 hospitals in the province; 23 of the 60 medical laboratories; 18 out of the 19 medical nuclear institutes; 123 out of the 189 specialists; all the post-specialist and professional doctorates; 13 out of 14 pharmacologists; and, the only medical university in the province are in Ilam.[70]

The most prominent hospitals of the province are:[71]

Transportation

Air

Compared to the rest of the country, Ilam is under-developed in term of transportation. The Ilam Airport is the only airport in the province. With 2850 sorties, 215,799 passengers and around 1416abbr=NaNabbr=, Ilam Airport ranked 21st in the country and 2nd to Kermanshah Airport in the western region.[72] Built in 1996, Ilam Airport has regular flights to Tehran and Mashhad. In 2016, the airport was upgraded to international status (controlled airspace) and started a weekly service to Najaf.[73]

Road

As of 2019, there are only 179abbr=onNaNabbr=on of highway in Ilam province:

As of 2019, there were 10 road tunnels in Ilam province, the most important of which are:

Sports

Football

Palayesh Gas Ilam Women's football team is the only team in Ilam Province competing at the professional level, the Iranian Women's Football Premier League, also known as Kowsar Women Football League.[75] [76] [77]

Powerlifting

One of the most known athletic figures of Ilam Province is Mojtaba Maleki, a two times gold medalist in World Powerlifting Championships in 2017 and 2018. He also has more than ten Asian gold medals.[78] Maleki is the second person in the world to have squatted 500 kg raw with wraps.[79]

Notable people

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. ((OpenStreetMap contributors)) . Ilam Province . . 23 May 2024 . 23 May 2024 . fa.
  2. Book: سالنامه آماری کشور سال ۱۳۹۷. مرکز آمار ایران. 2019. Tehran, Iran. 2020-06-12. fa. Statistical Yearbook of Iran Year 1397. 2016-03-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20160301150825/http://nnt.sci.org.ir/sites/Apps/yearbook/Lists/year_book_req/Item/newifs.aspx. dead.
  3. Book: السادات حائری, زهرا. سالنامه آماری استان ایلام سال ۱۳۹۷. سازمان مدیریت و برنامه‌ریزی استان ایلام. 2019. Ilam, Iran. fa. Statistical Yearbook of Ilam Province in 1397.
  4. Web site: هواشناسی ایلام. 2020-06-08. www.ilammet.ir.
  5. News: fa:قله "کان صیفی" ایلام در هوای برفی فتح شد. http://www.ilampress.com/news/sports/%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B5%DB%8C%D9%81%DB%8C/. 17 September 2015. Ilam Press. Ilam Press. January 10, 2015. fa.
  6. Book: Google Earth Pro V 7.1.5.1557 . December 22, 2002 . US Dept of State Geographer. Google 2015. Cnes/Spot Image 2015 . Mehran County, Iran. 32° 58’ 53.80”N, 46° 05’ 47.61”E, Eye alt 1760 meters . September 18, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100908230721/http://earth.google.com/ . September 8, 2010 .
  7. Web site: 2018-05-28. پيش‌بينی جمعيت كل كشور به تفكيك استان و مناطق شهری و روستايی و برحسب جنس از سال ۱۳۹۶ تا ۱۴۱۵. Predicting the total population of the country by province and urban and rural areas and by gender from 1396 to 1415 SH. 2020-06-12. Statistical Center of Iran. Microsoft Excel.
  8. Web site: fa:کدپستی ۵ رقمی مناطق استان ایلام. http://www.premiersms.ir/کدپستی-۵-رقمی-استان-ایلام/. سامانه پیامک برتر. 18 September 2015. fa. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150831124715/http://www.premiersms.ir/کدپستی-۵-رقمی-استان-ایلام/. 31 August 2015.
  9. Web site: fa:راهنمای کامل شماره پلاک خودرو به تفکیک شهر و استان. http://setare.com/fa/news/60/راهنمای-کامل-شماره-پلاک-خودرو-به-تفکیک-شهر-و-استان. Setareh. مجله اینترنتی ستاره. 17 September 2015. fa. May 17, 2015.
  10. Web site: Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab. hdi.globaldatalab.org. en. 2018-09-13.
  11. Web site: Approval of the organization and chain of citizenship of the elements and units of the national divisions of Ilam Province, centered in the city of Ilam . fa . Lamtakam . https://web.archive.org/web/20240208001844/https://lamtakam.com/law/council_of_ministers/113044 . Ministry of Interior, Defense Political Commission of the Government Council . Habibi . Hassan . 8 February 2024 . 21 June 1369 . 8 February 2024.
  12. رحیمی مقدم. جواد. مشیری. دکتر سید رحیم. 2008-03-01. توسعه پايدار شهری "نمونه موردی شهر ايلام". Sustainable Urban Development "Case Study of Ilam City". فصلنامه جغرافیایی سرزمین. 17. fa. 5. 1–12.
  13. Encyclopedia: Elam i. The history of Elam. 2012-12-30. Encyclopædia Iranica. Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation, Inc.. F.. Vallat. VIII. 301–313. 2330-4804.
  14. Web site: History. 2020-05-23. Provincial Transportation and Terminal Department of Ilam.
  15. C. E. Bosworth,http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hazaraspids, Encyclopædia Iranica
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  17. Moradimoghadam. Morad. 2006. The political and social history of Poshtkuh during the time of the Fili governors. National Studies. fa. 25.
  18. Web site: شركت آب و فاضلاب استان ايلام. 2020-05-23. ABFA Ilam. Ilam Province Water and Wastewater Department.
  19. Web site: 2019-12-22. کُردهای پهلەای (پالەای) ایلام در گذر تاریخ. The Pahleh-i Kurds of Ilam in the course of history. 2020-05-24. KurdPress. fa.
  20. Web site: 2019-04-29. درباره ایلام. About Ilam. 2020-06-12. Ilam University. fa.
  21. Act. 2666. November 7, 1937. Parliament of Iran. قانون تقسیمات کشور و وظایف فرمانداران و بخشداران. Law on the division of the country and the duties of governors and district governors.. fa. Web site: Archived copy . May 24, 2020 . October 2, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201002183634/https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/93382 . dead .
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  23. Ghasemi Pirbalouti. Momeni. Bahmani. 31 December 2012. Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used by Kurd Tribe in Dehloran and Abdanan Districts, Ilam Province, Iran. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines. 10. 2. 368–385. 10.4314/ajtcam.v10i2.24. 0189-6016. 3746586. 24146463.
  24. فتحی. الهام. Jan 2017. نگاهي به وضعيت دين و جمعيت ايران در نيم‌قرن اخير. A look at the situation of religion and population in Iran in the recent half century. آمار. fa. مرکز آمار ایران. 21. 23–26.
  25. Web site: Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006) . 16 . fa . The Statistical Center of Iran . AMAR . 25 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110920094337/http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/16.xls . Excel . 20 September 2011.
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  29. Web site: Approval letter regarding the country divisions of Ilam province . fa . Islamic Parliament Research Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran . https://web.archive.org/web/20200116201610/https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/1408834 . 16 January 2020 . Ministry of Interior, Council of Ministers . Janhangiri . Ishaq . 26 January 2018 . 3 June 2023.
  30. Web site: Letter of approval regarding country divisions in Ilam County, Ilam Province . fa . Laws and Regulations Portal of the Islamic Republic of Iran . https://web.archive.org/web/20221117101102/https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/289835 . 17 November 2022 . Ministry of Interior, Council of Ministers . Jahangiri . Ishaq . 8 November 2019 . 4 June 2023.
  31. Web site: Iran Statistical Yearbook 2017-2018 (1396 AP). 2020-06-10. Statistical Center of Iran.
  32. Web site: ارتفاعات کبیرکوه. Kabir Kouh Range. 2020-06-07. IRIB Ilam. 2020-06-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20200607084503/http://ilam.irib.ir/-/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%87. dead.
  33. Web site: منطقه کبیرکوه. 2020-06-07. سازمان حفاظت محیط زیست. 2020-06-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20200607111531/https://doe.ir/Portal/home/?112827/%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%82%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B1%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%87. dead.
  34. Web site: 2016-06-22. با کوه های زیبای ایلام آشنا شوید (قسمت اول). Know the beautiful mountains of Ilam (Part 1). 2020-06-07. Nezareh. fa-IR.
  35. Web site: درباره استان ایلام. About Ilam Province. 2020-06-07. Islamic Azad University Ilam Branch.
  36. Web site: 2018-12-01. معرفی استان ایلام. Introduction of Ilam province. 2020-07-23. IlamToday. fa.
  37. Web site: .:: ایلام گردی :: ::.. 2020-06-07. www.ilam.ac.ir.
  38. Web site: Khakpour. Houman. 2011-03-27. جایگاه استان های کشور به لحاظ وسعت رویشگاه های جنگلی آن ها. The ranking of the country's provinces in terms of the size of their forest habitats. 2020-06-12. fa-IR. Personal blog.
  39. Web site: 2017-11-06. پرجنگل‌ترین استان‌های ایران کدامند. What are the most forested provinces in Iran. 2020-06-12. Golvani News Agency. fa-IR.
  40. Web site: 2018-07-23. آخرین پناهگاه حیات وحش استان ایلام را دریابیم. Discovering the last wildlife sanctuary in Ilam province. 2020-06-12. Khabar Online. fa.
  41. Web site: 2019-08-27. Illegal trade of unique Persian horned viper banned. 2020-06-12. Tehran Times. en.
  42. Web site: 2014-06-08. تنوع زندگی جانوری در زیستگاه های طبیعی ایلام/ 80 زیستگاه طبیعی در استان وجود دارد. Diversity of animal life in the natural habitats of Ilam / There are 80 natural habitats in the province. 2020-06-08. Mehr News Agency. fa.
  43. Web site: نقشه و اطلاعات مناطق چهارگانه‌ محیط زیست ایران. Map and information of Iran's four environmental regions. 2020-07-23. Iran Environment and Wildlife Watch. fa-IR. Map.
  44. Web site: سازمان حفاظت محیط زیست - زیر پورتال استان ایلام. Department of Environment - Ilam Province Subportal. 2020-06-09. DOE Ilam. 2022-08-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20220831164327/https://ilam.doe.ir/portal/home/?193469%2F%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D9%BE%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85. dead.
  45. Harrison. J. V.. Falcon. N. L.. 1938. An Ancient Landslip at Saidmarreh in Southwestern Iran. The Journal of Geology. 46. 3. 296–309. 10.1086/624654 . 30081302 . 1938JG.....46..296H . 129850006 . 0022-1376.
  46. Web site: Petley. Dave. 2009-07-03. The biggest landslide of them all – Saidmareh, Iran. 2020-07-14. American Geophysical Union Blogosphere - The Landslide Blog. en-US.
  47. Book: اقلیم و جغرافیای استان ایلام. 2018-08-05. Ilam Meteorological Department. fa. Climate and Geography of Ilam Province.
  48. Web site: 2019-10-06. پل "گاومیشان" در استان ایلام بازگشایی شد. Gavmishan bridge in Ilam Province reopened. 2020-06-26. Mehr News Agency. fa.
  49. Sayehmiri. Ali. Shayan. Abdollah. 2019-12-26. بررسی آثار و خسارت‌های اقتصادی و اجتماعی گرد و غبار در استان ایلام (با تأکید بر کاهش درآمدها و ظرفیت مالیاتی). Investigating the economic and social effects of dust in Ilam province (with emphasis on reducing revenues and tax capacity). Journal of Environmental Sciences Studies. 4. fa. 4. 2046–2055. 2588-6851.
  50. Book: Mansouri, Abdolmansour. استان‌شناسی ایلام. Iran Textbook Publishing Company. 2020. 978-964-05-2029-1. Tehran. Ilam Provincology [Literally].
  51. Web site: گلیم نقش برجسته؛ اصیل‌ترین دست بافته ایلام. Embossed kilim; The most original handicraft of Ilam [Province]. 2020-06-27. Beytoote.
  52. Web site: 2018-08-27. گلیم نقش برجسته ایلام در یك قدمی جهانی شدن. Ilam embossed kilim, one step to becoming globally known. 2020-06-27. IRNA. fa.
  53. Web site: Abbaszadeh. Shima. 2019-07-30. شهر ملی گلیم نقش برجسته ایران کجاست؟. Where is Iran's national city of embossed kilim?. 2020-06-27. ISNA. fa.
  54. Web site: 2020-02-15. غذاهای ایلام همراه تصاویر و مواد لازم - نابرو. 2020-06-27. مجله گردشگری نابرو، تجربه ناب گردش. fa-IR.
  55. Web site: اسلوب. آشنایی با غذاهای محلی ایلام طرز تهیه خورشت تره کوهی طرز تهیه غذاهای ایلام غذاهای بومی ایلام غذاهای سنتی ایلام نویسنده. غذاهای محلی ایلام سیری در ایران. 17 October 2018 . 2020-06-27. fa-IR.
  56. Web site: 2020-04-19. کشاورزی ایلام در سالی پربارش از آسیب تا رونق. Agriculture of Ilam in a rainy year from damage to prosperity. 2020-06-14. IRNA. fa.
  57. Book: Ahmadi. Karim. آمارنامه كشاورزی سال زراعی ۹۶-۱۳۹۷. Ebadzadeh. Hamidreza. Hatami. Farshad. Abdeshah. Helda. Kazemian. Arezoo. Ministry of Agriculture. 2019. 978-964-467-090-9. 1: Crops. Tehran. fa. Agricultural Statistics of the Harvest Year 1396-97. 2020-06-22. 2022-01-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20220121161858/https://www.maj.ir/Dorsapax/userfiles/Sub65/Amarnamehj1-96-97-site.pdf. dead.
  58. Web site: سیمای منابع طبیعی استان ایلام. Image of natural resources of Ilam province. 2020-06-14. FRW Ilam. Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization of Iran. 2022-04-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20220407155351/https://ilam.frw.ir/00/Fa/StaticPages/Page.aspx?tid=1689. dead.
  59. Book: Ahmadi. Karim. آمارنامه كشاورزی سال ۱۳۹۷. Ebadzadeh. Hamidreza. Hatami. Farshad. Hosseinpour. Rebabeh. Abdeshah. Helda. Ministry of Agriculture. 2019. 978-964-467-093-0. 3: Horticultural Products. Tehran. fa. Agricultural Statistics of the Harvest Year 1396-97. 2020-06-22. 2022-01-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20220121162008/https://www.maj.ir/Dorsapax/userfiles/Sub65/Amarnamehj3-1397-site.pdf. dead.
  60. Web site: 2020-03-18. جداول آماری کارگاه‌های صنعتی ١٠ نفر کارکن و بیش‌تر کل کشور - ۱۳۹۶. Statistical tables of industrial workshops with 10 or more employees of the whole country - 1396. 2020-06-21. Statistical Center of Iran. XLSX.
  61. کتابچه راهنمای سرمایه گذاری در شهرکها نواحی صنعتی استان ایلام. Daraei. Morteza. 2016-06-21. شرکت شهرکهای صنعتی استان ایلام. fa.
  62. Web site: لیست واحدهای مهم و شاخص تحت پوشش سازمان صنعت ، معدن و تجارت استان ایلام. List of important and significant units covered by the Industry, Mining and Trade Organization of Ilam Province. IMTO Ilam.
  63. Web site: 2019-08-03. ظرفیت‌های نفت و گاز ایلام در حال شکوفایی. Oil and gas capacities of Ilam flourishing. 2020-06-24. KhabarOnline. fa.
  64. Web site: 2012-07-17. ایلام تولیدکننده اصلی نفت و گاز غرب کشور/ به اسم ایلام به کام دیگران!. Ilam, the main producer of oil and gas in the west of the country / In Ilam's name, for others' benefit!. 2020-06-24. Mehr News Agency. fa.
  65. Aghanabai. Seyed Ali. 2011. زمین‌شناسی و توان معدنی استان ایلام. Geology and mineral potential of Ilam province. آموزش زمین‌شناسی. 16. Iran Ministry of Education. 4. 4–11.
  66. Web site: معرفی شرکت سیمان ایلام. Introduction of Ilam Cement Company. 2020-06-25. Ilam Cement Company. fa-IR.
  67. Web site: بزرگترین معدن قير طبيعي خاورمیانه در ایلام. The largest bitumen mine of the Middle East in Ilam. 2020-06-25. IRIB News.
  68. Web site: چشمه قیر دهلران، پدیده ای نادر و شگفت انگیز + تصاویر. Dehloran bitumen spring, a rare and amazing phenomenon + images. 2020-06-25. LastSecond.ir. fa.
  69. Web site: استخراج بیش از ۲ میلیون تن ماده معدنی در استان ایلام. Extraction of more than 2 million tons of minerals in Ilam province. 2020-06-25. YJC.ir.
  70. Book: Alsadat Haeri, Zohreh. سالنامه آماري استان ايلام ۱۳۹۷. سازمان مدیریت و برنامه‌ریزی استان ایلام. 2019. Ilam, Iran. Statistical Yearbook of Ilam Province, 1397.
  71. Web site: بیمارستانهای استان ایلام. Hospitals of Ilam province. 2020-07-02. hospital-ir.com. 2022-09-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20220901082731/http://www.hospital-ir.com/OpenPage/59. dead.
  72. Annual Statistics of Airports in 2019. 2020-05-31. Iran Airports & Air Navigation Company. 1.0. 2020-06-13. PDF. 2021-10-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20211016080658/https://statistics.airport.ir/documents/25932413/55752286/Total.2019/16fa5304-0eb2-40b1-b8fc-942384c76098?version=1.0. dead.
  73. Web site: ایلام - تاریخچه. 2020-06-13. ilam.airport.ir. 2021-12-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20211207204329/https://ilam.airport.ir/5. dead.
  74. Web site: تونل قلاجه ایلام ۱۵ مهر زیر بار ترافیک می‌رود. Ilam's Qalajeh tunnel to go under traffic on October 6th. 2020-06-13. Tasnim News Agency. fa.
  75. Web site: Najafi. Reza. 2014-12-14. فوتبال ایلام با دسته‌جات آزاد تا کی؟/ مرگ فوتبال ایلام در دهه‌ی 80. Ilam's football with free divisions until when? / Death of Ilam's football in the 80's [Persian Calendar]. 2020-07-13. ISNA. fa.
  76. Web site: 2019-10-15. تیم فوتبال بانوان پالایش گاز ایلام تنها نماینده استان در لیگ برتر فوتبال است. Palayesh Gas Ilam Women's Football Team is the only representative of the province in the Premier Football League. 2020-07-13. Jezman News. fa-IR.
  77. Web site: پالایش گاز ایلام. Palayesh Gaz Ilam. 2020-07-13. Footballdokht. fa.
  78. Web site: Mojtaba Maleki. AllPowerlifting.com.
  79. Web site: Boly. Jake. 2017-09-21. Mojtaba Maleki Joins the 500kg Raw (With Wraps) Squat Club. Barbend.com.