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Zahedan, Zabol, Iranshahr and Chabahar are poles for the expansion
of Sistan va Baluchestan Province.
Sistan va Baluchestan has huge
potentials for establishment of a paper mill.
One of the most frequently
visited areas of Sistan va Baluchestan is Saravan, a lush developed town, irrigated by the
Meshkid River. Pottery is the most famous handicraft of the town.In one of the Saravan
villages, there are a handful of brick-made towers, built in the Seljuq era.
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Introduction
Sistan va Baluchestan Province is a rich land. Its rubber-producing hevea trees are
reminiscent of Java and Sumatra, its mango trees and Indian figs, of India, its banana
trees and crocodiles, of Africa.
The silence of the desert and beautiful nights have made the provincial residents, who are
traditionally honest, patient and hard-working, to endure the natural hardships.
Geographical
Characteristics
With an area of 187,502 kilometers, the southeastern province of Sistan va Baluchestan is
the third-largest province of Iran, and home to 11.4 percent of the country's population.
It shares 1,700 kilometers of common border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and stretches
300 kilometers along the Gulf of Oman.
Sistan va Baluchestan is home to a population of 1.772 million, 486 thousand, of whom are
concentrated in the provincial center of Zahedan.
Sistan va Baluchestan has seven large towns--Zahedan, Chabahar, Khash, Zabol, Saravan,
Iranshahr and Nikshahr--16 small towns, 26 districts, 92 villages, and 5,695 hamlets.
Among the provincial towns, Zahedan holds the largest rate of urban coefficient, the ratio
of urban dwellers to rural residents, with 90.4 percent, and the lowest ratio belongs to
Nikshahr with 15.2 percent.
Table 1
Sistan va Baluchestan population ratio
| Description |
1377 (1998) |
per cent |
| Provincial population |
1,874,619 |
2.8 |
| Urban dwellers |
1,027,384 |
54.8 |
| Rural and nomadic population |
847,235 |
45.2 |
As the provincial center, Zahedan is at the forefront in
the development of the country's urban structure. Chabahar is widely famed for its free
trade and economic zone, and is a major hub of fisheries. Zabol is the agricultural center
of the province, while Iranshahr is the industrial focal point.
The four towns are pillars of the province's development.
Sistan va Baluchestan has a low annual rainfall and the province is considered to have a
dry land. The northern strip of the province is irrigated by the Hirmand River thus having
a fertile land for agriculture. In other parts of the province however, water is supplied
through digging deep wells.
Historical Name of the Province
Sistan comes from the word "Sakestan"--residence of Saka or Eskit tribe, a
descendent of the Aryans-- who migrated to the area after the collapse of Achaemenian
dynasty or arguably in the early Arsacide reign. Before the arrival of Sakas, the area was
called Zaranka or Zarang.
Zarang is the oldest name of the land, recorded in the stone inscriptions engraved during
the reign of Darius. In the Avestan language, Zarang and Zariye mean sea. Dariye of the
old Persian language, Zarya of Pahlavi Persian, and Darya of the modern Farsi, have all
been used to refer to the Hamun (Zareh) Sea.
Another historical name of Sistan is Nimruz or Nimruj, meaning south. Some researchers
believe Britain's old Saxon tribes and Sistan's Saka tribes come from a common genealogy.
In the Iranian epic poet Ferdowsi's Shah-Nameh (book of kings), most of the monuments
built in Sistan have been attributed to such legendary heroes as Sam, Zal and Rostam.
Sistan va Baluchestan,one of the desert regions in southeast Iran
Farming and Gardening
The garden products of Sistan va Baluchestan consist of nucleated and granulated fruits
such as, grape, almond, walnut, hazelnut, fig, pomegranate, mulberry, pistachio, citrus
fruits, date and banana.
Other unique fruits of the region are papaya, mango, coconut and gava.
Over 3.5 million palm trees cultivated across 23,997 hectares of groves, yield 15 percent
of the country's date and constitute the bulk of the province's garden produce.
Over 30 kinds of dates including Mazafati, Rabbi, Halili, and Ashubeh are produced across
the province, the most tasty of them grown in Saravan.
The ecological adaptation of date with the provincial climate and its strategic role in
the province's economy are the main incentives behind its widespread cultivation.
Industrial plants such as sunflower, arnica, sesame, tobacco and henna are also among
other farm produce of the province.
Henna is sought for its medicinal property for the treatment of jaundice, leprosy and
dandruff. In 1996, around 609 hectares of lands, mostly of Iranshahr, were used for the
cultivation of henna, yielding 1,200 kilograms of crop per hectare.
The major agricultural hubs of Sistan va Baluchestan are Zabol with 112,229 hectares of
farms and plantations, Iranshahr 26,462 and Khash 18,792 hectares, respectively. The
fields are allotted to the cultivation of wheat, barley, fodder, grains, summer crops and
vegetables.
Provincial farmers often allocate their lands for the cultivation of wheat and barley, for
the two are more resistant and adaptable than other seeds.
Table 2
Crops harvested in 1997 and 1998
Figures in tons
| Item |
1376 (1997) |
1377 (1998) |
| Wheat |
14,750 |
14,800 |
| Barley |
1,080 |
1,090 |
| Date |
5,750 |
6,000 |
| Grape |
115 |
120 |
| Citrus |
1,300 |
1,500 |
| Pistachio |
22 |
30 |
The sum total of farm and garden products reached 36,410
tons in 1998, up from 35,226 tons recorded a year earlier.
Forests
The latest figures indicate that there are one million hectares of forests in the
province, most of them stretched along the Oman coast in Baluchestan. There are huge
concentrations of woodlands in Iranshahr and Nikshahr.
The 11 thousand hectares of wild pistachio fields in the region are a major potential to
be expanded. Wild pistachio is cultivated for its gum.
Prosopis spicigera is another useful tree found in the region, which is widely used in
shipyards.
Pastures
Sistan va Baluchestan boasts one-eighth of the country's pastures, covering 71 percent of
the provincial lands, particularly piedmonts and highlands. Meanwhile, 95 percent of the
provincial pastures grow in Baluchestan. Interms of quality the pastures are 60 percent
utterly poor, 21 percent poor and 19 percent normal.
The province's pastures and grasslands are 12 times larger than its forests.
Animal Husbandry
Over 56 percent of the province's work force are, directly or indirectly, engaged in
animal husbandry. Sistan va Baluchestan's livestock fall into two major categories: those
raised in Sistan, and those in Baluchestan. The division is based on the province's
vegetation, type of pastures, and other topographic factors.
In Sistan, shepherds raising sheep and goats move their herds for grazing to pastures
stretching south of the northeastern province of Khorasan. Recently, shepherds have opted
for raising goats instead of the more expensive sheep. Cattle are predominately raised in
reed plantations skirting Hamun morass.
In view of the mountainous texture of Baluchestan, its farmers prefer to raise goat. Camel
cattle are also sometimes found in Baluchestan.
Fisheries
Fishery is one of the infrastructural sectors marked for development at Sistan va
Baluchestan. The 320 kilometers of marine border with the Gulf of Oman offer rich
resources of aquatic life such as shrimp, sardine, cyprinidae and siren.
Some of the fish species are farmed in special pools.
There are presently two sardine-processing factories, which are run in traditional methods
and are lacking the necessary freezing installations.
Industry
Sistan va Baluchestan's industry sector lags far behind other areas of development, partly
due to the province's seclusion from the industrial hubs of the country.
Also prevailing dry weather, rapid population growth, an insufficient skilled work force,
an underdeveloped economic structures, and a severe shortage of fresh water and energy has
resulted in this under development.
Yet, there are wide spectrums of untapped resources in the province, each of which can
turn into a major export earner. There are sizeable potentials for the establishment of
paper and cardboard mills. The largest textiles manufacturing companies of Iran are
located in Sistan va Baluchestan.
In 1998, the Baluch Company produced 8.6 million square meters of curtain and mattress, up
from 8.1 million in 1997. Meanwhile, over 6.3 million square meters of fabrics were dyed,
printed and shipped to the market in 1997, against a 6.2 million recorded per year
earlier.
Carpet weaving is also very common in Sistan va Baluchestan, particularly among rural
communities. The high-quality Baluchi rugs enjoy remarkable appeal in the market, for the
yarns used in their weaving is derived from the Baluchi sheep, whose wool is 30-40
microns, much higher than that of the Australian sheep.
Commerce
Long-stretching borders with international waters and proximity with the Karachi port of
Pakistan and Afghanistan are relative advantages for the expansion of marine commerce.
Also the ports located in the Gulf of Oman can serve as substitutes to their Persian Gulf
counterparts, particularly in times of crises.
Monumental Places
One of the most frequently visited areas of Sistan va Baluchestan is Saravan, a lush
developed town, irrigated by the Meshkid River. Pottery is the most famous handicraft of
the town.In one of the Saravan villages, there are a handful of brick-made towers, built
in the Seljuq era.
The largest river of Baluchestan is Bampur, which pumps out of the dry sand like a spring.
It is virtually one of the wonders of the world.
Iranshahr's moving hills, and the gas and smoke emitted from its Mount Taftan, are other
key attractions of these region interesting.
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