Kermanshah Province (, ) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran and one of the provinces which border Iraq. The province was known from 1969 to 1986 as Kermanshahan, and from 1986 to 1995 as Bakhtaran. The capital of the province is the city of Kermanshah. According to a 2014 segmentation by the Ministry of Interior, it is the center of Region 4, with the region's central secretariat located in Kermanshah. A majority of people in Kermanshah Province are Shia, and there are Sunni and Yarsani minority groups.
At the time of the National Census conducted in 2006, the population of Kermanshah province was 1,842,457 in 444,185 households. By the time of the following census in 2011, there were 1,945,227 people in 530,911 households. At the latest census in 2016, Kermanshah had a population of 1,952,434 in 576,861 households.
Geography
Kermanshah province is located in western Iran. It shares borders with the provinces of Kurdistan, Hamadan, Lorestan, and Ilam within Iran. It also shares borders with the Iraqi governorates of Halabja, Sulaymaniyah and Diyala. Major cities and towns besides the capital include Eslamabad-e Gharb, Gilan-e Gharb, Harsin, Javanrud, Kangavar, Paveh, Qasr-e Shirin, Ravansar, Sahneh, Sarpol-e Zahab, and Sonqor.
Climate
As it is situated between two cold and warm regions, Kermanshah province enjoys a moderate and mountainous climate. It rains most in winter and is moderately warm in summer. The annual rainfall is 500 mm. The average temperature in the hottest months is above 22 °C.
History
The province has a rich Paleolithic heritage. Many caves with Paleolithic remains have been surveyed or excavated there. some of these cave sites are located in Bisetun and north of Kermanshah. The first known physical remains of Neanderthal man in Iran was discovered in Bisitun Cave. Do-Ashkaft Cave, Kobeh, Warwasi, and Mar Tarik are some of the Middle Paleolithic sites in the region. Kermanshah also has many Neolithic sites, of which the most well-known are Ganj Dareh, Sarab, and Asiab. At Ganj Dareh, the earliest evidence for goat domestication have been documented. In May 2009, based on a research conducted by the University of Hamedan and UCL, the head of Archeology Research Center of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization announced that the oldest prehistoric village in the Middle East dating back to 9800 B.C., was discovered in Sahneh, located in west of Kermanshah.
The monuments found in Kermanshah show two glorious periods, the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras. The mythical ruler of the Pishdadian is described as founding the city while Tahmores Divband built it. An alternative narrative is that the construction was by Bahram IV of the Sassanid dynasty during the 4th century CE. Kermanshah reached a peak during the reign of Hormizd IV and Khosrau I of Sassanids, before being demoted to a secondary royal residence.
The city suffered major damage during the Arab invasions but recovered in the Safavid period to make great progress. Concurrent with the Afghan attack and the fall of Isfahan, Kermanshah was almost completely destroyed by the Ottoman invasion.
During the Iran–Iraq War the province suffered heavy fighting. Most towns and cities were badly damaged and some like Sar-e Pol-e Zahab and Qhasr-e-Shirin were almost completely destroyed.
The November 2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake killed more than 600 people.
On December 28, 2017, Kermanshah became one of several Iranian provinces to break out into protests. The Supreme Leader of Iran has blamed western interference. Some female organizations such as The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) have taken partial credit for the organization of these protests.
Administrative divisions
Cities
According to the 2016 census, 1,468,615 people (over 75% of the population of Kermanshah province) live in the following cities: Banevreh 3,187, Bayangan 1,513, Bisotun 4,942, Eslamabad-e Gharb 90,559, Ezgeleh 1,502, Gahvareh 4,050, Gilan-e Gharb 22,331, Gowdin 2,629, Halashi 804, Harsin 44,146, Homeyl 1,317, Javanrud 54,354, Kangavar 51,352, Kerend-e Gharb 7,798, Kermanshah 946,651, Kuzaran 4,007, Miyan Rahan 695, Nowdeshah 3,683, Nowsud 1,949, Paveh 25,771, Qasr-e Shirin 18,473, Ravansar 24,527, Robat 823, Sahneh 35,508, Sarmast 2,913, Sarpol-e Zahab 45,481, Satar 1,048, Shahrak-e Rijab 3,907, Shahu 3,558, Sonqor 44,256, Sumar 180, and Tazehabad 14,701.