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History
Geography and Climate
Demographics The province is divided into 14 townships. The present number of townships was achieved over time by subdivision of many of the larger townships into smaller ones. The townships in the province are: Piranshahr, Urmia, Mahabad, Oshnaviyeh, Miandoab, Naghadeh, Takab, Shahindej, Maku, Chaldoran, Salmas, Khoy, Sardasht and Bukan. There are no official statistics or census figures on the ethnic makeup of Iranian cities. The Encyclopedia Iranica however states that the geographic extent of Azeri-speaking people goes "well beyond the boundaries of West Azarbaijan" , and that Kurdish people "are found in the border regions of the West Azerbaijan province". . Other sources claim the Azeris as a major population of the province as well. Five of the cities in the province have predominantly Kurdish populations, namely: Piranshahr, Mahabad, Oshnaviyeh, Sardasht and Bukan. On the other hand, the city of Miandoab have Azeri majority. Some sources (such as: ) have claimed Urmia to have an Azeri majority. The remaining townships are heterogeneous and their populations have long been a mixture of Azeri and Kurdish peoples. there are four small ethnic and religious groups who are native to the province but who have minority status: Assyrians, Armenians, and Jews. The Sunni and Yarsan Kurds predominate in the western and southern highlands in the province, while the lowlands are dominated by the Shi’a Azeris (in the north), and Armenian and Assyrian Christians (in the south). The present borders of the province are the artifact of the Iranian official cartography and do not correspond with the borders of historic Azarbaijan (which ended where the highlands began). The diversity of religions in the province has been a major factor throughout the entire history of the province. The religions in the province are: Islam (Sunni and Shia sects), Christianity, Judaism, and Yarasani. Both Kurds and Turks follow Islam, the Kurds belonging to the Sunni branch and the Turks being mainly Shias, except for a very small minority who follow a religion called Yarasani (or Ahl-e Haqq, اهل حق). Christianity is the main religion of the Assyrians and Armenians. The Jews, as the name indicates, belong to the Judaism religion. The fourteen cities in the province and their populations (based on 2006 estimates *) are: Religion In this province, Islam (Sunni and Shiite) is the majority religion. However, there is also a large Christian minority, comprised of Assyrians who have historically lived on the west shore of Lake Urmia, as well as Armenians who are scattered throughout the province. Notably, the city of Maku in northern West Azarbaijan was the only city in Iran (before World War II) where Christians comprised the majority. Before World War I, Christian Armenians and Assyrians comprimised the majority in Urmia, but that was changed after the Armenian and Assyrian genocide during WWI. St. Thaddeus Cathedral is located on the outskirts of Chaldoran, near the village of Qara-Kelissa. Besides being a religious site with a particular significance among Iranian Christians, particularly Armenians, this large church (monastery) is also a rare and valuable monument in architectural and artistic terms. St. Thaddeus, also known as Jude Thaddeus or Jude Labbeus, was one of the apostles of Jesus Christ who traveled to Armenia, where he was later killed and upon whose grave the locals erected a small chapel in AD 301. The cathedral is known as Qara-kelissa ('Black church' in Turkish) to the locals, owing to the appearance of its western section. Churches in West Azarbaijan In all, thirty-one churches are registered by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran in the province. Many of these are historical landmarks and unusually rich in heritage. Some of the more famous ones are listed as follows: West Azarbaijan today In the city of Urumieh, some residents have a high standard of living in comparison with the other cities of the province. There are plenty of parks, coffee shops, cinemas, and internet cafes throughout the city. There are hundreds of small villages in the province as well, most of which have running water and electricity as well as television, satellite, and telephone lines. Southern cities which economically are considered poor areas have always been the venue of Kurdish demonstrators against the Islamic regime. * West Azarbaijan province is one of the most important provinces for Iran’s agriculture. Iran's current Minister of Energy, Parviz Fattah is from Urmia. Culture West Azarbaijan hails from a rich culture from Kurdish and Azari traditions. Many local traditions, such as music and dances continue to survive among the various peoples of the province. As a longstanding province of Persia, it is mentioned favorably on many occasions in Persian literature by Iran's greatest authors and poets: گزیده هر چه در ایران بزرگان زآذربایگان و ری و گرگان All the nobles and greats of Iran, Choose from Azarbaijan, Ray, and Gorgan. --Vis o Ramin از آنجا بتدبیر آزادگان بیامد سوی آذرآبادگان From there the wise and the free, set off to Azarbaijan --Nizami بیک ماه در آذرآبادگان ببودند شاهان و آزادگان For a month's time, The Kings and The Free, Would choose in Azarbaijan to be --Firdowsi Colleges and universities Urmia University was first built by an American Presbyterian missionary in 1878. A medical faculty was also established there headed by Joseph Cochran and a team of American medical associates. Joseph Cochran and his colleagues were buried in an old cemetery in the vicinity of Urmia. Urmia University website says this about them: There they lie in peace away from their homeland, and the testimonial epitaphs on their tombs signify their endeavor and devotion to humanity. The province today has the following major institutes of higher education: | ||||||||||||||
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