Shahrestane

Shahrestane, or shahrestan (Persian: شهرستان), is the Persian term for a county, a common administrative division in Iran. In the contemporary system, shahrestans are the second-level subdivisions, located within provinces (ostan) and divided into districts (bakhsh). The name comes from shahr (city) and stan (place), reflecting a territory organized around a central city that serves as the county seat.

A shahrestan usually comprises a central district (bakhsh-e markazi) containing the county capital, together with one or more additional districts. These districts include both urban municipalities and rural areas organized into dehestans (rural districts) with villages. The county area often features a mix of urban centers and surrounding countryside, with administrative arrangements designed to manage local services, development, and planning.

Governance rests with a local administrator known as the farmandar (county governor), appointed by the provincial governor-general with approval from the Ministry of Interior. The shahrestan may also host municipal councils in its cities, and dehyars who oversee rural districts, coordinating with provincial authorities on budgeting, infrastructure, and public services. In parallel, the provincial government maintains oversight and coordination across multiple shahrestans within the province.

Historically and in modern administration, shahrestans function as intermediate units that balance local governance with provincial oversight. They vary in size and population and may have their boundaries adjusted in response to demographic and administrative reforms. The term shahrestan is widely used in official documents and geographical descriptions across Iran, and it is sometimes encountered in Persian-language historical texts describing territorial organization. Related terms include ostan (province), bakhsh (district), and dehestan (rural district).