Khuzestan province (Persian:استان خوزستان)[a] is one of the 31Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province bordersIraq and thePersian Gulf, covering an area of 63,238 square kilometres (24,416 sq mi). Its capital is the city ofAhvaz.[5] Since 2014, it has been part of Iran'sRegion 4.[6]
Once one of the most critical regions of theAncient Near East, Khuzestan comprises much of what historians refer to as ancientElam, whose capital was inSusa. TheOld Persian term for Elam wasHujiyā when they conquered it from the Elamites. This element is present in the modern name. Khuzestan, meaning "the Land of the Khuz," refers to the original inhabitants of this province. In theAchaemenid Empire, this term isHuza orHuja, as in the inscription on the tomb ofDarius the Great atNaqsh-e Rostam. They are the "Shushan" of Hebrew sources, a borrowing from ElamiteŠuša. InMiddle Persian, the term evolved into "Khuz" and "Kuzi." The pre-Islamic Partho-Sasanian inscriptions give the province the name Khwuzestan. The name of the city ofAhvaz also has the same origin as the name Khuzestan, being an Arabicbroken plural from the compound name, "Suq al-Ahvaz" "Market of the Huzi". This was the medieval name of the town that replaced the pre-Islamic name.
The entire province was still known as "the Khudhi" or "the Khuji" until the reign of theSafavid kingTahmasp I (r. 1524–1576) and, in general, the course of the 16th century. The southern half of the province—south, southwest of theAhvaz Ridge, had come by the 17th century to be known, at least to the imperial Safavid chancery, asArabistan. A contemporaneous history, theTarikh-e Alam-ara-ye Abbasi byIskandar Beg Munshi, written during the reign ofAbbas the Great (r. 1588–1629), regularly refers to the southern part of Khuzestan as "Arabistan". The northern half continued to be called Khuzestan. In 1925, the entire province regained its old name, and the term Arabistan was dropped.[citation needed]
There is also a very oldfolk etymology which maintains the word "khuz" stands for sugar and "Khuzi" for people who make raw sugar. The province has been acane sugar-producing area since the lateSassanian times, such as the sugar cane fields of theDez River side inDezful. Khuzhestanis cultivate sugarcane even today inHaft Tepe. The province's name inSyriac is Beth Huzaye.
Theziggurat ofChoqa Zanbil in Khuzestan was a magnificent structure of theElamite Empire. Khuzestan's Elamites were "precursors of the royal Persians", and were "the founders of the first Iranian empire in the geographic sense."
The province of Khuzestan is one of the centres of ancient civilization, and one of the most important regions of theAncient Near East, based aroundSusa. The first large scale empire based here was that of the powerful 4th millennium BCElamites.
Archeological ruins verify the entire province of Khuzestan to be home to theElamite civilization, a non-Semitic, and non-Indo-European-speaking kingdom, and"the earliest civilization of Persia".[7] The nameKhuzestan is derived from the Elamite (ʰŪvja), likely pronounced /xuʒa/, later Middle PersianHūzīg, Arabical-Xūzīya.[8][9]
In fact, in the words ofElton L. Daniel, the Elamites were "the founders of the first 'Iranian' empire in the geographic sense."[10] Hence the central geopolitical significance of Khuzestan, the seat of Iran's first empire.[citation needed]
In 640 BC, the Elamites were defeated byAshurbanipal, coming under the rule of the Assyrians who brought destruction upon Susa and Chogha Zanbil. But in 538 BC,Cyrus the Great was able to re-conquer the Elamite lands after nearly 80 years ofMedian rule. The city of Susa was then proclaimed as one of theAchaemenid capitals.Darius the Great then erected a grand palace known asApadana there in 521 BC. But this astonishing period of glory and splendor of the Achaemenian dynasty came to an end by the conquests ofAlexander of Macedon. TheSusa weddings was arranged by Alexander in 324 BC inSusa, where mass weddings took place between thePersians and theMacedonians.[11] After Alexander, theSeleucid dynasty came to rule the area.
As theSeleucid dynasty weakened,Mehrdad I theParthian (171–137 BC), gained ascendency over the region. During theSassanid dynasty this area thrived tremendously and flourished, and this dynasty was responsible for the many constructions that were erected in Ahvaz,Shushtar, and the north ofAndimeshk.
During the early years of the reign ofShapur II (AD 309 or 310–379), Arabs crossed thePersian Gulf fromBahrain to "Ardashir-Khora" ofFars and raided the interior. In retaliation, Shapur II led an expedition through Bahrain, defeated the combined forces of the Arab tribes of "Taghleb", "Bakr bin Wael", and "Abd Al-Qays" and advanced temporarily into Yamama in centralNajd. The Sassanids resettled these tribes inKerman andAhvaz. Arabs named Shapur II, as "Shabur Dhul-aktāf" after this battle.[12]
The existence of prominent scientific and cultural centers such asAcademy of Gundishapur which gathered distinguished medical scientists fromEgypt, theByzantine Empire, and Rome, shows the importance and prosperity of this region during this era. TheJondi-Shapur Medical School was founded by the order ofShapur I. It was repaired and restored by Shapur II (a.k.a.Zol-Aktaf: "The Possessor of Shoulder Blades") and was completed and expanded during the reign of Anushirvan.
Masjed Jame' Dezful. In spite of devastating damage caused by Iraqi shelling in the Iran–Iraq War, Khuzestan still possesses a rich heritage of architecture from Islamic, Sassanid, and earlier times.
The Muslim conquest of Khuzestan took place in 639 AD under the command ofAbu Musa al-Ash'ari fromBasra, who drove the Persian satrapHormuzan out ofAhvaz.Susa later fell, so Hormuzan fled toShushtar. There his forces were besieged by Abu Musa for 18 months. Shushtar finally fell in 642 AD; theKhuzistan Chronicle records that an unknown Arab, living in the city, befriended a man in the army, and dug tunnels through the wall in return for a third of the spoil. The Basrans purged the Nestorians—the Exegete of the city and the Bishop of Hormizd, and all their students—but kept Hormuzan alive.[13]
There followed the conquests ofGundeshapur and of many other districts along the Tigris. TheBattle of Nahāvand finally secured Khuzestan for the Muslim armies.[14]
During the Muslim conquest theSassanids were allied with non-Muslim Arab tribes, which implies that those wars were religious, rather than national. For instance in 633–634,Khaled ibn Walid leader of the Muslim Army, defeated a force of the Sassanids' Arab auxiliaries from the tribes of Bakr, 'Ejl, Taghleb and Namer at 'Ayn Al-Tamr.[15]
The Muslim settlements by military garrisons in southern Iran was soon followed by other types of expansion. Some families, for example, took the opportunity to gain control of private estates.[16] Like the rest of Iran, the Muslim conquest thus brought Khuzestan under the rule of the Arabs of theUmayyad andAbbasid Caliphates, untilYa'qub bin Laith as-Saffar, from southeastern Iran, raised the flag of independence once more, and ultimately regained control over Khuzestan, among other parts of Iran, founding the short-livedSaffarid dynasty. From that point on, Iraniandynasties would continue to rule the region in succession as an important part of Iran.
During theAbbasid period, in the second half of the 10th century, theAssad tribe, taking advantage of quarrels under theBuwayhids, penetrated into Khuzestan, where a group ofTamim had been living since pre-Islamic times.[citation needed] However, following the fall of theAbbasid dynasty, the flow of Arab immigrants intoPersia gradually diminished, but it nonetheless continued. In the latter part of the 16th century, theBani Kaab (pronounced Chaub in the local Gulf dialect), fromKuwait, settled in Khuzestan.[18] And during the succeeding centuries, more Arab tribes moved from southern Iraq to Khuzestan.[19][20]
According toC.E. Bosworth inEncyclopædia Iranica, under theQajar dynasty"the province was known, as inSafavid times, as Arabistan, and during the Qajar period was administratively a governor-generalate." Half of Khuzestan was not known as Arabistan. Khuzestan's northern, more populous parts, with the capital atShushtar, retained the old name, but also occasionally was incorporated into the district of theGreater Lur due to the largeBakhtiari population in half of Khuzestan.
In 1856, in the course of theAnglo-Persian War over the city ofHerat, the British naval forces sailed up theKarun river all the way toAhvaz. However, in the settlement that followed, they evacuated the province. Some tribal forces, such as those led bySheikh Jabir al-Kaabi, the Sheikh ofMohammerah, fared better in opposing the invading British forces than those dispatched by the central government, which was quite feeble. But, the point of the invasion of the province and other coastal regions of southernPersia/Iran were to force the evacuation ofHerat by thePersians and not the permanent occupation of these regions.
In the two decades before 1925, although nominally part of Persian territory, the western part of Khuzestan known as theEmirate of Muhammara functioned for many years effectively as an autonomous emirate known as "Arabistan". The eastern part of Khuzestan was governed byBakhtiari khans. FollowingSheikh Khazʽal Ibn Jabir'srebellion, the western part of Khuzestan's emirate was dissolved byReza Shah government in 1925, along with other autonomous regions ofPersia, in a bid to centralize the state. In response Sheikh Khaz'al of Muhammerah initiated arebellion, which was quickly crushed by the newly installed Pahlavi dynasty with minimal casualties. A low levelconflict between the central Iranian government and the Arab nationalists of the province continued since.
The name of 'Khuzistan' came to be applied to the entire territory by 1936.[21] Over the next decades of the Pahlavi rule, the province of Khuzestan remained relatively quiet, gaining to hold an important economic and defensive strategic position.
With the Iranian Revolution taking place in early 1979, local rebellions swept the country, with Khuzestan being no exception. In April 1979, anuprising broke out in the province, led by the Arab separatist group Arab Political and Cultural Organisation (APCO), seeking to gain independence from the new theocratic rule.[22]
TheIranian Embassy siege of 1980 in London was initiated by an Arab separatist group as an aftermath response to the regional crackdown in Khuzestan, after the1979 uprising. Initially it emerged the terrorists wanted autonomy for Khuzestan; later they demanded the release of 91 of their comrades held in Iranian jails.[23][24]The group which claimed responsibility for the siegethe Arab Popular Movement in Arabistan (SeeArab separatism in Khuzestan) gave a number of press conferences in the following months, referring to what it described as "the racist rule of Khomeini". It threatened further international action as part of its campaign to gain self-rule for Khuzestan. But its links withBaghdad served to undermine its argument that it was a purelyIranian opposition group; there were allegations that it was backed by Iran's regional rival,Iraq. Their leader ("Salim" – Awn Ali Mohammed) along with four other members of the group were killed and the fifth member, Fowzi Badavi Nejad, was sentenced to life imprisonment.[24]
During theIran–Iraq War, Khuzestan was the focus of the Iraqi invasion of Iran, leading to the flight of thousands of the province's residents. As a result, Khuzestan suffered the heaviest damage of all Iranian provinces during the war. Iraq's PresidentSaddam Hussein felt confident that the Arab population of the Khuzestan would react enthusiastically to the prospect of union with Iraq. However, resistance to the invasion was fierce, stalling the Iraqi military's advance, and ultimately opening a window of opportunity for an Iranian counter-offensive.
What used to be Iran's largest refinery atAbadan was destroyed, never to fully recover. Many of the famousnakhlestans (palm groves) were annihilated, cities were destroyed, historical sites were demolished, and nearly half the province captured by the invading Iraqi army.[25] This created a mass exodus into other provinces that did not have the logistical capability of taking in such a large number of refugees.
However, by 1982, Iranian forcesmanaged to push Iraqi forces out of Iran. TheBattle of Khorramshahr (one of Khuzestan's largest cities and the most important Iranian port prior to the war) was a turning point in the war, and is officially celebrated every year in Iran.
The city ofKhorramshahr was almost completely destroyed as a result of thescorched earth policy ordered by Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein. However, Iranian forces were able to prevent the Iraqis from attempting to spread the execution of this policy to other major urban centres.
From 22 September 1980 to the last day of the war, this province was always the scene of Iran's various operations to recapture the areas occupied by the Iraqi army forces. At the beginning of the war, cities such asAbadan,Susangerd,Bostan,Dezful,Andimeshk,Khorramshahr, andAhvaz, which were the capital of the province, were regularly targeted by Iraqi army rocket and artillery attacks.[26][27] The long-term occupation of some areas of the province, further contributed to the damage to natural and human capital in the province.[28][29][30][31]
Since the war, the speed of growth and development of the province has been very slow. Khuzestan, despite benefiting from abundant natural resources including oil, has many economic, environmental, social, and construction problems, among others. High unemployment rate, water crisis, high dust, and lack of civil infrastructure are among the factors that sparked high dissatisfaction among residents.[32][33][34] The frustrations typically manifested in protests and rallies.[35][29][30][36][37][38]
In 2005, Ahvaz witnessed a number ofterrorist attacks, which came following the violentAhvaz riots. The firstbombing came ahead of the presidential election on 12 June 2005. In 2011, anotherwave of protests by Arab tribes occurred mostly in the urban area of Ahvaz. Before theIran–Iraq War of the 1980s, the Arabs of Khuzestan mostly resided in the rural regions along the Karkhe and Karun rivers in the southwest of the province and the number living in cities was very limited because the Arab tribes were still following a nomadic lifestyle.[citation needed] But after the end of the war, most of the refuged Arabs were relocated by the government to the urban centres and smaller towns. This conversion of lifestyle directly from nomadic to city life caused many problems and conflicts in the structure of their societies and ultimately has led to some unrest. An unfinished building collapsed in Khuzestan province in June 2022. It was reported that thirteen people were arrested over the collapse. The incident also caused demonstrations in the region.[39][40][41]
According to the 1996 census, the province had an estimated population of 3.7 million people, of which approximately 62.5% were in the urban centres, 36.5% were rural dwellers and the remaining 1% were non-residents. According to the most recent census taken in 2016, the province had 4,710,509 inhabitants.[2]
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 4,192,598 in 862,491 households.[53] The following census in 2011 counted 4,531,720 people in 1,112,664 households.[54] The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 4,710,509 in 1,280,645 households.[2]
The population history and structural changes of Khuzestan province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
Domes like this are quite common in Khuzestan province. The shape is an architectural trademark of craftsmen of the province.Daniel's Tomb, located in Khuzestan, has such a shape. The shrine pictured here, belongs to Imamzadeh Hamzeh, located between Mahshahr and Hendijan.
The seat of the province has for most of its history been in the northern reaches of the land, first at Susa (Shush) and then atShushtar. During a short spell in theSasanian era, the capital of the province was moved to its geographical center, where the river town of Hormuz-Ardasher, founded over the foundation of the ancient Hoorpahir byArdashir I, the founder of the Sasanian Dynasty in the 3rd century CE. This town is now known as Ahvaz. However, later in the Sasanian time and throughout the Islamic era, the provincial seat returned and stayed at Shushtar, until the lateQajar period. With the increase in the international sea commerce, arriving on the shores of Khuzistan, Ahvaz became a more suitable location for the provincial capital. The RiverKarun is navigable all the way to Ahvaz (above which, it flows through rapids). The town was thus refurbished by the order of the Qajar king,Naser al-Din Shah and renamed after him, Nâseri. Shushtar quickly declined, while Ahvaz/Nâseri prospered to the present day.
Since the early 1920s, tensions on religious and ethnic grounds have often resulted inseparatist violence, including aninsurgency in 1979,an embassy siege,unrest in 2005,bombings in 2005–06 andprotests in 2011. The Iranian regime has drawn harsh criticism from international human rights organizations for its repressive measures against the religious and ethnic minorities in the region. However, the internal conflict was brought to a temporary halt in 1980 when Khuzestan was invaded byBa'athist Iraq, leading to theIran–Iraq War where Khuzestanis of all backgrounds fought alongside the Iranian military in resisting the Iraqi offensive. Currently, Khuzestan has 18 representatives in Iran's parliament, theMajlis. Meanwhile, it has six representatives in theAssembly of Experts, including AyatollahsMousavi Jazayeri,Ka'bi,Heidari,Farhani,Shafi'i, andAhmadi.
The province of Khuzestan can be basically divided into two regions; the rolling hills and mountainous regions north of theAhvaz Ridge, and the plains and marsh lands to its south. The area is irrigated by theKaroun,Karkheh,Jarahi andMaroun rivers. The northern section maintains a non-PersianBakhtiari minority, while the southern section always had diverse minority groups known as Khuzis. Since the 1940s, a flood of job seekers from all over Iran to the oil and commerce centers on the Persian Gulf Coast has made the region more Persian-speaking. Presently, Khuzestan still maintains its diverse group, but does have Arabs, Persians, Bakhtiari and ethnic Qashqais and Lors.
Khuzestan has great potential foragricultural expansion, which is almost unrivaled by the country's other provinces. Large and permanent rivers flow over the entire territory contributing to the fertility of the land.Karun, Iran's most effluent river, 850 kilometers long, flows into the Persian Gulf through this province. The agricultural potential of most of these rivers, however, and particularly in their lower reaches, is hampered by the fact that their waters carrysalt, the amount of which increases as the rivers flow away from the source mountains and hills. In case of the Karun, a single tributary river,Rud-i Shur ("Salty River") that flows into the Karun aboveShushtar contributes most of the salt that the river carries. As such, the freshness of the Karun waters could be greatly enhanced if the Rud-i Shur could be diverted away from the Karun. The same applies to theJarahi andKarkheh in their lower reaches. Only theMarun is exempt from this.
South of Khuzestan is one of the hottest places on earth with maximum temperatures in summer exceeding 50 °C (122 °F) sometimes, and they remain as high as 36 °C or 96.8 °F in the highest settlements. Reliable measurements in lowland cities range from −5 to 54.0 °C (23.0 to 129.2 °F). Khuzestan has desert conditions and experiences many sandstorms. The higher slopes may have either ahot-summer Mediterranean climate (KöppenCsa) or acontinental Mediterranean climate (Dsa) at the very highest elevations.
In the lowland areas annual rainfall ranges from 150 to 250 millimetres or 6 to 10 inches, whilst in the foothills nearDezful it reaches around 375 millimetres or 15 inches. The highest areas ofIzeh andDezpart Counties receive between 500 and 1,000 millimetres (20 and 40 in) of precipitation, some of it as snow.
Iran ranks among the mostwater stressed countries in the world.[65] However,Khuzestan province suffers from major water problems that were aggravated by corruption in Iran'swater supply sector, lack of transparency, neglect of marginalized communities, andpolitical favoritism. TheIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other politically connected entities control water resources, prioritizing projects for political and economic gain rather than public need. They divert supplies to favored regions, causing shortages in vulnerable provinces like Khuzestan and Sistan-Baluchestan. For example, water diversion projects inIsfahan andYazd provinces receive priority despite critical shortages in Khuzestan and Sistan-Baluchestan. Reports also indicate that certain agricultural and industrial enterprises with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps have received significant amounts of water, while small farmers and rural communities struggle with severe shortages.[66][67]
Iran's central government prioritizes water allocation for industrial and urban centers, often at the expense of rural and minority populations. These groups face severe water shortages, ecological degradation, and a loss of livelihoods. This pattern of unequal development not only exacerbates regional disparities but also fuels social unrest and environmental crises. Iran's water policy is also characterized by an overreliance on dam construction and large-scale diversion projects, primarily benefiting politically connected enterprises and urban elites. This has led to the drying of rivers, wetlands, and other vital ecosystems, intensifying dust storms and land subsidence in regions like Khuzestan andSistan-Baluchestan. Such environmental degradation, combined with insufficient governmental oversight and transparency, worsens living conditions for marginalized communities, reinforcing cycles of poverty and socio-political marginalization.[68]
Historically, Khuzestan, one of Iran's most water-rich provinces, has been hit hard by the mismanagement of water resources. The drying of rivers, including theKarkheh andKarun, has made agriculture unsustainable in many parts of the province. In recent years, Khuzestan has witnessed a significant exodus of its rural population as people move to cities for work and better living conditions. The situation has been exacerbated by periodic dust storms, which further degrade the environment and make life untenable in affected regions. This environmental migration from Khuzestan has led to social tensions in the region, as local communities face declining living standards and heightened unemployment.[67][69]
Khuzestan is ethnically diverse, home to many different ethnic groups.[50] This has a bearing on Khuzestan's electoral politics, with ethnic minority rights playing a significant role in the province's political culture. The province's geographical location bordering Iraq and its oil resources also make it a politically sensitive region, particularly given its history of foreign intervention, notably the Iraqi invasion of 1980.
Some ethnic groups complain over the distribution of the revenue generated by oil resources with claims that the central government is failing to invest profits from the oil industry in employment generation, post-war reconstruction and welfare projects. Low human development indicators among local Khuzestanis are contrasted with the wealth generation of the local oil industry. Minority rights are frequently identified with strategic concerns, with ethnic unrest perceived by the Iranian government as being generated by foreign governments to undermine the country's oil industry and its internal stability. The politics of Khuzestan therefore have international significance and go beyond the realm of electoral politics.
According toJane's Information Group, "Most Iranian Arabs seek their constitutionally guaranteed rights and do not have a separatist agenda. ... While it may be true that some Arab activists are separatists, most see themselves as Iranians first and declare their commitment to the state's territorial integrity."[70]
Khuzestan has long been the subject of many a writer and poet of Persia, banking on its ample sugar production to use the term as allegory for sweetness. Some popular verses are:
"Her lips aflow with sweet sugar, The sweet sugar that aflows in Khuzestan." Nizami
Seafood is the most important part of Khuzestanicuisine, but many other dishes are also featured. The most popular Khuzestani dish isGhalyeh Mahi, a fish dish that is prepared with heavy spices, onions and cilantro. The fish used in the dish is locally known asmahi soboor (shad fish), a species offish found in the Persian Gulf. Other provincial specialties includeGhalyeh Meygu ("shrimp casserole"),ashe-mohshala (aKhorramshahri breakfast stew),sær shir (aDezfuli breakfast of heavy cream),hælim (aShushtari breakfast of wheatmeal with shredded lamb), andkohbbeh (a deep-fried rice cake with ground beef filling and other spices of Arabic origin, a variant onLevantinekibbeh).[72]
Iran National Heritage Organization lists 140 sites of historical and cultural significance in Khuzestan, reflecting the fact that the province was once the seat of Iran's most ancient empire.
Some of the more popular sites of attraction include:
Choqa Zanbil: The seat of theElamite Empire, thisziggurat is a magnificent five-story temple that is one of the greatest ancient monuments in the Middle-East today. The monolith, with its labyrinthine walls made of thousands of large bricks with Elamite inscription, manifest the sheer antiquity of the shrine. The temple was religiously sacred and built in the honor ofInshushinak, the protector deity of the city ofSusa.
Shush-Daniel: Burial site of the Jewish prophetDaniel. He is said to have died inSusa on his way toJerusalem upon the order of Darius. The grave ofYa'qub bin Laith as-Saffar, who rose against the oppression of theUmayyad Caliphate, is also located nearby.
Dezful (Dezh-pol), whose name is taken from a bridge (pol) over theDez river having 12 spans built by the order ofShapur I. This is the same bridge that was called "Andamesh Bridge" by historians such asIstakhri who says the city ofAndimeshk takes its name from this bridge.Muqaddasi called it "The City of the Bridge."
Shushtar, home to the famous Shushtar Watermills and one of the oldest fortress cities in Iran, known as the "City of Forty Elders" in local dialect. In and around Shushtar, there are many displays of ancient hydraulic engineering. There are also the Band Mizan and Band Qeysar, 2000-year-old dams on the Karoun river and the famous Shadervan Bridge which is over 2000 years old. The Friday Mosque of Shushtar was built by theAbbasids. The mosque, which features "Roman" arches, has 54 pillars and balconies.
Izeh, orIzaj, was one of the main targets of the invading Islamic army in their conquest of Persia.Kharezad Bridge, one of the strangest bridges of the world, was situated in this city and was named after Ardeshir Babakan's mother. It is built over cast pillars of lead each 104 meters high.Ibn Battuta, who visited the city in the 14th century, refers to many monasteries,caravanserais,aqueducts, schools, and fortresses in the town. The brass statue ofThe Parthian Man, kept at theNational Museum of Iran, is from here.
Masjed Soleiman, another ancient town, has ancient fire altars and temples such asSar-masjed andBard-neshondeh. It is also the winter's resting area of theBakhtiari tribe, and whereWilliam Knox D'Arcy dug Iran's first oil well.
Abadan is said to be where the tomb ofElijah, the long livedHebrew prophet is.
Iwan ofHermes, andIwan of Karkheh, two enigmatic ruins north ofSusa.
The government ofIran is spending large amounts of money in Khuzestan province. The massive Karun-3 dam, was inaugurated recently as part of a drive to boost Iran's growing energy demands.
Khuzestan is the major oil-producing region ofIran, and as such is one of the wealthiest provinces in Iran. Khuzestan ranks third among Iran's provinces in GDP.[73]
In 2005, Iran's government announced it was planning the country's second nuclear reactor to be built in Khuzestan province.[74] The 360 MW reactor will be alight waterPWR Reactor.[75]
Khuzestan is also home to theArvand Free Trade Zone.[76] It is one of six economic Free Trade Zones in Iran,[77] including the PETZONE (Petrochemical Special Economic Zone inMahshahr).
TheKarun River is the only navigable river in Iran. The British, up until recent decades, after the discovery byAusten Henry Layard, transported their merchandise via Karun's waterways, passing through Ahvaz all the way up toLangar near Shushtar, and then sent by road toMasjed Soleimanthe site of their first oil wells in the Naftoon oil field. Karoun is capable of the sailing of fairly large ships as far up asShushtar.
Karkheh, Jarrahi, Arvandrood, Handian, Shavoor, Bahmanshir (Bahman-Ardeshir), Maroon-Alaa', Dez, and many other rivers and water sources in the form ofKhurs, lagoons, ponds, and marshes demonstrate the vastness of water resources in this region, and are the main reason for the variety of agricultural products developed in the area.
Sketch of the Abadan island showing rivers and date palm plantations
The abundance of water and the fertility of the soil have made this region a rich and well-endowed land. The variety of agricultural products such aswheat,barley,oilseeds,rice,eucalyptus, medicinal herbs; the existence of many palm andcitrus farms; the proximity of mountains suitable for raisingolives, and of coursesugar cane—from which Khuzestan takes its name—all show the great potential of this fertile region. In 2005, 51,000 hectares of land were planted with sugar canes, producing 350,000 tons ofsugar.[78] The abundance of water supplies, rivers, and dams, also have an influence on the fishery industries, which are prevalent in the area.
The Abadan island is an important area for the production ofdatepalms, but it has suffered from the invasion of the Iraqi army during theIran–Iraq War. The palm groves are irrigated bytidal irrigation.[79] At hightide, the waterlevel in the rivers is set up and the river flow enters the irrigation canals that have been dug from the river towards the inland plantations. At low tide, the canals drain the unused part of the water back to the river.
TheKarun 3 and 4, and Karkheh Dam, as well as the petroleum reserves provide Iran with national sources of revenue and energy. The petrochemical and steel industries, pipe making, the power stations that feed the national electricity grid, the chemical plants, and the large refineries are some of Iran's major industrial facilities.
The province is also home toYadavaran Field, which is a major oil field in itself and part of the disputedAl-Fakkah Field. Khuzestan holds 80% of Iran's onshore oil reserves, and thus 57% of Iran's total oil reserves, making it indispensable to the Iranian economy.[80]
The Iran-Iraq War (Revised & Expanded Edition): Volume 1 – The Battle For Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982. by E.R. Hooton (Author), Tom Cooper (Author), Farzin Nadimi (Author)
^Ramhormozi, H. (19 April 2016).Averting an Iranian geopolitical crisis : a tale of power play for dominance between colonial powers, tribal and government actors in the pre and post World War One era. FriesenPress.ISBN9781460280645.OCLC978354291.
^Journal of Middle Eastern studies, Vol. 25, No. 3 (August 1993), pp. 541-543
^شرح بررسی و سنجش شاخصهای فرهنگ عمومی کشور (شاخصهای غیرثبتی){گزارش}:استان خوزستان/به سفارش شورای فرهنگ عمومی کشور؛ مدیر طرح و مسئول سیاست گذاری:منصور واعظی؛ اجرا:شرکت پژوهشگران خبره پارس -شابک:۹-۴۸-۶۶۲۷-۶۰۰-۹۷۸ *وضعیت نشر:تهران-موسسه انتشارات کتاب نشر ۱۳۹۱ *وضعیت ظاهری:۲۷۶ ص:جدول (بخش رنگی)، نمودار (بخش رنگی) [The project of surveying and measuring the country's public culture indicators] (in Persian).
^Rahimi, Mohammad Reza (c. 2024) [Approved 4 November 2013].Approval letter regarding national divisions in Khuzestan province.lamtakam.com (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Council of Ministers. Proposal 133760/42/1/1; Notification 82399/T45846H. Archived fromthe original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved28 January 2024 – via Lam ta Kam.
^Jahangiri, Ishaq (26 September 2021) [Approved 27 April 1400].Resolution on the national divisions in Izeh County, Khuzestan province.sdil.ac.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Cabinet of Ministers. Proposal 66241; Notification 46297/T57921. Archived fromthe original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved30 July 2023 – via Shahr Danesh Legal Research Institute.
^Rahimi, Mohammad Reza (c. 2019) [Approved 29 September 1391].Creating divisional changes and reforms in Khuzestan province.qavanin.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Council of Ministers. Proposal 4/1/133776/42/1. Archived fromthe original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved27 January 2024 – via Laws and Regulations Portal of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
^Davodi, Parviz (c. 2023) [Approved 29 July 1386].Reforms of national divisions in Khuzestan province, Hoveyzeh County.qavanin.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Political and Defense Commission of the Government Board. Proposal 40005/42/4/1; Letter 58538/T26118H. Archived fromthe original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved1 August 2023 – via Laws and Regulations Portal of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
^Rahimi, Mohammad Reza (c. 2016) [Approved 10 June 2013].Approval letter regarding national divisions in Khuzestan province.rc.majlis.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Board of Ministers. Notification 216671/T48709H. Archived fromthe original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved3 August 2023 – via Islamic Parliament Research Center.
^Mokhbar, Mohammad (26 April 2023) [Approved 11 December 1401].Letter of approval regarding the national divisions of Khuzestan province.sdil.ac.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Council of Ministers. Notification 214690/T60301H. Archived fromthe original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved20 September 2024 – via Shahr Danesh Law Research Institute.
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