After Kerman province, Sistan and Baluchistan province is the second largest province in the country in the southeast of Iran. With an area of about 180,726 square kilometers, this province is roughly the size of the country of Syria and covers more than 11% of the area of Iran. The province of Sistan and Baluchistan consists of two distinct regions. Balochistan region with an area of 172,305 square kilometers and consists of the cities of Zahedan, Khash, Saravan, Iranshahr, Nikshahr, Chabahar, Sarbaz, Kanarak, Delgan, Zablei, Sib and Soran, Qasr Qand, Fanuj.
Sistan region also includes the cities of Zabul, Zahk, Nimroz, Hamon and Hirmand and has an area of 15,917 square kilometers. The proximity of the province to the countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the presence of unrivaled consumer markets on the one hand and the special conditions governing those countries on the other hand, has made this province very important.
Ethnicities and religions
Sistan was called the regional people (Scythians) who lived around the Hirmand River, and a part of Sistan is in today's Afghanistan, which used to be a part of Iran (the continuation of the Hirmand River and most of it is in Afghanistan) and another part is in the cities of Zahedan and Zabul. The Baluchs (Meccas) were another tribe with a different culture than the Scythians, they lived in Makran; which was later renamed to Balochistan for unknown reasons. The people of Sistan and Baluchistan province belong to the Sistani and Baluch ethnic groups, the Sistani speak Persian with the Sistani dialect and follow the Shiite religion of Islam, and the Baloch speak the Balochi dialect and follow Islam and Sunni religion.
Geography
Sistan and Baluchistan has a 1100 km border with the countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan and a 300 km water border with the Sea of Oman. It is the only province of Iran that shares a border with Pakistan and is also very important due to its strategic and transit position.
This province mostly has a hot and dry climate, but at the same time, it has a special weather and climate diversity, and mountainous, forested and swampy areas are also visible in this vast province.
The center of the province
Zahedan is one of the metropolises of Iran and the capital of Sistan and Baluchistan province. This city is located in Baluchistan region. The previous name of the city was "Dozdab", which was changed to "Zahedan" during the reign of Reza Shah. Zahedan leads to Zabul city from the north, Khash city from the south, Afghanistan and Pakistan from the east, and Fahraj city from the west. The climate of Zahedan is hot and dry most days of the year. In the summer nights, the weather in this city turns cold. The drinking water of Zahedan is fresh water piped and it is supplied through water transfer from Zabul city. Zahedan has a strategic geographical, commercial and military position and special conditions due to its border. In such a way that on one side, the Pakistani railway that enters Iran from the Mirjaveh border, and on the other side, the national railway of Iran leads to this city; And on the other hand, it is located near the trilateral border of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The strategic position of the province
The province of Sistan and Baluchistan, with its strategic commercial and transit position and having agriculture and horticulture (especially tropical and tropical fruits) as well as many historical and natural attractions, as well as a growing industry, has an extraordinary ability and capacity for development and development.
The cities of the province
The vast province of Sistan and Baluchistan has 20 cities and Zahedan city is the capital of the province. Baluchistan region covers the south of the province and consists of 15 cities (Zahedan, Mirjaveh, Khash, Saravan, Iranshahr, Nikshahr, Chabahar, Sarbaz, Kanarak, Delgan, Mehrestan, Sib and Suran, Bampur, Qasr Qand, Fanuj). Sistan region covers the north of the province and includes 5 cities (Zabul, Zahk, Nimroz, Hamon and Hirmand).
History of the province
The mythical land of Sistan and Baluchistan consists of two regions, north and south. Today's Sistan, which covers the northern part of the province, and today's Baluchistan land, which forms the southern part of the province.
Ports of the province
Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari ports of Chabahar are located at a distance of 5 kilometers from each other. According to the results of the studies on the development of the eastern axis, the main possibility of creating work and employment for the residents of the province, due to the lack of water and the arid nature of this land, is the trade and transportation sector, and in this regard, the ports of Chabahar according to the geographical and regional conditions The self and the need of countries like Afghanistan and the country's northern neighbors can be considered as the only gateway providing the connection of these countries with open waters and access to other countries of the world.
Chabahar city with an area of 13,162 square kilometers occupies about 7% of the area of the province. This city is located in the south of Sistan and Baluchistan province and the distance from the city center to the center of the province is 682 km. This city has 2 urban centers, 3 districts, 7 villages and 543 inhabited villages. As one of the important ports of the country, Chabahar port is located in the northern part of the Oman Sea and has been the center of trade, commerce and seafaring for a long time. From the point of view of commercial exchanges, Chabahar port has a special place in the country's exchanges with other countries in the region due to its strategic location and access to international open waters.
According to the results of the East axis development studies, the main possibility of creating work and employment for the residents of the province, due to the lack of water and the dry nature of this land, is the trade and transportation sector, and in this regard, Chabahar port due to the geographical and regional conditions. The self and the need of countries like Afghanistan and the country's northern neighbors can be considered as the only gateway providing the connection of these countries with open waters and access to other countries of the world. The cities of Chabahar and Kanarak have a unique position among all the cities of the country with 315 km of coast with the Oman Sea. This amount of coastline is about one-sixth of the country's southern borders. But the privilege of Chabahar compared to other ports and islands of the Persian Gulf is the direct and unmediated contact of Makran beaches with open waters.
Chabahar port currently includes 2 Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari ports, which are located at a distance of 5 kilometers from each other.
The executive operations of Shahid Kalantari port, which is one of the two important ports of Chabahar, began seriously in 1962 and the completion of 4 metal berths was actually put into operation in 1962, and Shahid Beheshti port was also the second most important port of Chabahar in 1961, considering The special conditions governing the Persian Gulf (Iraq's imposed war against Iran) and the government's emphasis on the need to have a port outside the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf were built.
Currently, Chabahar port includes 2 ports, Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari, which are located at a distance of 5 km from each other.
Current status of Shahid Beheshti port
Total area: 240 hectares
Area of dock areas: 16 hectares
Area of roofed warehouses: 30,000 square meters
It has five berths:
Berth number one: general merchandise
Berth number two: an oil tanker with a water intake depth of 8 meters
Docks number three and four: multi-purpose with a water intake depth of 9 meters, each of them is 150 meters long and 15 meters wide, which were built in 1362 and have the ability to berth ships of 25,000 tons.
Wharf No. 5: multi-purpose, 262.8 meters long, 48.5 meters wide and 11 meters deep, which was built in 2003 and has the ability to berth ships up to 70,000 tons.
Current situation of Bandar Shahid Kalantari
Total area: 30 hectares
Area of dock areas: 35,000 square meters
Roofed warehouse area: 3000 square meters
Area of container areas: 18,500 square meters
It has a concrete pier with a depth of 11.6 meters
Berth capacity DWT 40,000
175 meters long
3 prefabricated docks with a berthing capacity of 2500 DWT for the use of cargo barges and service vessels
It is a small local wharf for the use of the police force.
Transit advantage of Chabahar
Chabahar port is the only oceanic port of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is located outside the tense Persian Gulf region and has the closest distance to the open waters of the world through the Indian Ocean. The existence of deep waters and natural incisions of Chabahar Bay provide a suitable space for the construction of deep berths and favorable anchorage coordinates for the mooring of large ocean-going ships, so that it is considered one of the ten most important ports in the world that has the ability to become a large port, therefore, Chabahar should be the gateway to East Iran transit.
Looking at the historical background of Chabahar, it can be said that in the years before the Islamic Revolution, the main activities of Chabahar port were limited to fishing and military affairs. But after the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution and during the imposed war, this port received serious attention again until the Chabahar Free Trade Zone was established. The implementation of various projects, the construction and operation of large and small commercial ports, caused the growth and prosperity of this port, which shows the bright future of the region. The Eastern axis is very important for the Islamic Republic of Iran due to the increase in the share and role of Iran in the transit of goods and international transportation, as well as the expansion of economic, social, cultural and security ties with neighboring countries in the east and northeast.
From the transit routes of the eastern axis, we can mention the Milk transit route in Sistan and Baluchistan, which was built by the Islamic Republic of Iran and equipped and completed with the construction of the Silk Bridge and the Zaranj Customs of Afghanistan. It has caused the increase in trade relations between the two countries, as well as the Dogharun transit axis and the transit route to Central Asia from Sarkhes, which was built by an Iranian company to connect the north of Kyrgyzstan to the south.
Projects and executive plans needed to develop the capacities of the province's ports:
Establishing a petrochemical industry complex in Chabahar port
Setting up a regular shipping line from Southeast Asian ports to Chabahar port
Extending the laws of free zones to Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari Chabahar wharves while maintaining the government's ownership of these wharves
Issuing a traffic permit for 500 to 1000 transit trucks with free zone license plates from Chabahar to Afghanistan and Sarkhs border.
Increasing the traffic radius of passenger cars with plates in Chabahar Azad zone to the center of the province
Accelerating the creation of Chabahar-Zahedan-Milk railway line
Speeding up the transfer of methane gas from Asalouye to Chabahar port
Transmission of urban gas from Iranshahr to Chabahar
Establishing an international airport in Chabahar or Chabahar Free Zone
Development of the capacities of Chabahar port through the possibility of importing some goods purchased by the government such as wheat, sugar and rice from Chabahar port
Activation of the post-port border market as the only fishing market in the country
Increasing the discount in commercial profit of imported goods to Chabahar port from 10% to 20% and its inclusion in basic imported goods
Granting a line of credit from the National Development Fund to provide financial resources needed for the construction and operation of production units in Chabahar Free Zone.
Addition of Chabahar city to the free zone
Agriculture in the province
Sistan and Baluchistan province has favorable conditions for agricultural activities in all seasons of the year. Dates are the most important agricultural product in Saravan city. Saravan city, with huge palm groves, is the center of date production and has the best extra dates in Iran. 60 different types of dates are cultivated in this city, which is unique in its kind. Dates Mozafati Daudi, regular Mozafati, black-seeded Rabi, Zard Dan, normal Rabi, Halila, Raskovai, Danbeh, Vedroud, Gerarmal, Rabi Dan, Ik Meshti, Rangano, Makili, Guzlo, Halila Dan, Shandashkan, Pio, Mers, Saraspid, Didari, Sabzo, Khokheij, Behn Lady, Vash Kanak, Begmeh Jangi, Pimazoo, Sont Grag, Zard Dan Shahr, Jerpan, Ski Dan, Cherpan Badu, Hadoki, Pashto, Gharba, Dego, Kulot, Sapo, Crouch without seeds, Kalgi, Barni, Vashtam, Daraz Dan, Goldo, Jozbolk, Kias Kanak, Vashdan, Juabanzin, Shukri Kanak, Shukri, Abu are among the most famous types of dates in Saravan city. Other crops such as: wheat, greenhouse crops and barley, pomegranate, grapes, rice, oranges, lemons, tomatoes are also cultivated in Saravan city.
Currently, the main crops grown in the garden section of Chabahar city include bananas, mangoes, chickpeas, lemons, guavas, and kanaar, and in the agricultural section, vegetables and summer crops. It also has fruits such as coconut and melon.
The products of Mirjaveh city are diverse due to the climatic differences in its three parts. In the sandy part of the property and in the central part, there are more wheat, barley, corn, and alfalfa crops, and in horticulture, there are more date palms. But in Ladiz sector, due to the mildness of the air in this sector and the presence of water resources in the mountains, all kinds of garden crops are cultivated, the main crops are: wheat, barley, corn, alfalfa, rapeseed, onion, tomato, chickpea, lentil. , beans and jalizi products. In the discussion of horticulture, all cold-season fruits and even dates are grown in Ladiz, some of which are: yellow plums, plums, peaches, nectarines, walnuts, almonds, cherries, cherries, barberries, and all kinds of other fruits such as berries, blackberries. And... it works.
Among the agricultural products of Fanuj city, we can mention different types of dates, types of citrus fruits, grapes, pomegranates, as well as agricultural products such as alfalfa, types of legumes, tobacco, rice, etc. Also, there are several unique plant species in Fanuj city: 1- Aloe Vera or Sabr Zard (Shoglam), which is the second best-selling product in the world. 2- Neem tree, which is known as a miracle of the plant world and grows in the heights and on the rocks. 3- Pistachio nuts and pistachios
Anthropology of Sistan and Baluchistan province
The collection of ethnic groups living in Sistan and Baluchistan province, together with their traditions and special ways of life, is one of the unique attractions of this region. The life of Ili with its pattern of residence and special customs is popular with domestic and foreign visitors. The way of livelihood and living, living patterns and beliefs, traditions and customs are among the attractions of this way of life.
