Country Iran Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30) | Capital Chabahar | |
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Bakhsh (Districts) Central District, Dashtiari District, Polan District Province Sistan and Baluchestan Province | ||
Chabahar County (Persian: شهرستان چابهار; formerly Chah Bahar County (Persian: شهرستان چاه بهار) is a county in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. The capital of the county is Chabahar. At the 2006 census, the county's population (including portions subsequently detached from the county to form Qasr-e Qand County) was 214,017, in 41,532 families; excluding those portions, the population in 2006 was 199,766, in 38,468 families. The county is subdivided into three districts: the Central District, Dashtiari District, and Polan District. The county has two cities: Chabahar and Negur.
Contents
Map of Chabahar, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
Population
As of 2008, more than half of the population were living in rural areas; the urban population is 77,128, of which a majority reside in Chabahar city. The aboriginal residents in the city of Chabahar are the Baluchis. In recent years, many people have immigrated to Chabahar from other parts of Iran to find a better life. Immigration changed Chabahar's face dramatically. Today Chabahar has a mix of different ethnicities including Baluchs, Turks, Sistanis (Zabolis), and other peoples of Iran.
Economy
Traditionally, the people of Chabahar County were employed in fishing and agriculture, with some coastal trade. In the 1970s Iran established a naval station and an air base there. In the 1980s the port facilities at Chabahar were significantly developed during the Iraq-Iran war, and further developed in the 1990s. The Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone was established in 1992. These developments changed the county from primarily rural, to an urban–rural mix.
Chabahar County is the site of Iran's ballistic missile test range.
Tourism
Although numerous opportunities exist in Chabahar County for tourists, such as the picturesque village of Tis, folk festivals, and spectacular landforms, tourism is undeveloped in Chabahar County.