Astara, Iran
| Astara آستارا |
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|---|---|
| — city — | |
 Astara
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| Coordinates: 38°25′45″N 48°52′19″E / 38.42917°N 48.87194°ECoordinates: 38°25′45″N 48°52′19″E / 38.42917°N 48.87194°E | |
| Country |  Iran |
| Province | Gilan |
| County | Astara |
| Bakhsh | Central |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 40,664 |
| Time zone | IRST (UTC+3:30) |
| • Summer (DST) | IRDT (UTC+4:30) |
Astara (Persian: آستارا, also Romanized as Āstārā)[1] is a city in and the capital of Astara County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 40,664, in 11,436 families.[2] It lies on the border with Azerbaijan Republic and on the Caspian Sea. It is a relatively important border trade center between Iran and the Caucasus.
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[edit] Etymology
The oldest theory for the name of Astara comes from Vedic songs and writings which explains Astara as a place where the rays of lights shine from behind to light the pathways ahead. another theory is that the city's name is derived from the Talysh word اوستهرو (Osta-ro or hosta-ro), meaning "the place where the travel gets slower" (given the marshlands that surrounded the region before)this theory geologically is impossible due to sandy soil condition of the area which is 15 meters deep. [1]. Astar also means lining or coating in Azeri, which is a more descriptive Turkic language, maybe used to describe the area.
[edit] History
Astara is an area where Zoroaster may have visited. Its history dates back to 6,000 years ago. The spoken language was Talysh, but due to commerce with Azeris and migration of Azeris into town, the use of Talysh is almost none. Persian is also commonly used for commerce.
[edit] Climate
Astara has a humid subtropical climate with cold, wet winters and hot, humid summers.
| Climate data for Astara | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) |
8.8 (47.8) |
11.2 (52.2) |
16.6 (61.9) |
22.3 (72.1) |
27.3 (81.1) |
30.5 (86.9) |
29.8 (85.6) |
25.6 (78.1) |
20.3 (68.5) |
15.2 (59.4) |
11.3 (52.3) |
18.98 (66.16) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.9 (35.4) |
2.1 (35.8) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.3 (48.7) |
14.0 (57.2) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.6 (69.1) |
20.5 (68.9) |
17.5 (63.5) |
13.1 (55.6) |
8.4 (47.1) |
4.3 (39.7) |
11.22 (52.19) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 95.6 (3.764) |
90.2 (3.551) |
108.3 (4.264) |
60.7 (2.39) |
56.5 (2.224) |
45.9 (1.807) |
41.2 (1.622) |
88.8 (3.496) |
230.0 (9.055) |
239.0 (9.409) |
144.6 (5.693) |
91.7 (3.61) |
1,292.5 (50.886) |
| % humidity | 84 | 85 | 86 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 71 | 75 | 82 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 81.5 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 112 |
| Source: Iranian Meteorological Organization [3] | |||||||||||||
[edit] People
- Religion: Mostly Islam Shi'a Islam
- Ethnic groups:90% Azerbaijani, 5% Talysh, 5% other:Persian, Kurd, Russian [4][5]
- Language: Azeri, Persian, Talysh language[4]
[edit] Famous people from Astara
- Ebrahim Nabavi - Iranian journalist
- Nima Youshij - a famous Iranian poet who was living in exile in Astara
- Behzad Behzadi - an author of Azerbaijani language dictionaries
- Payan Rafat - football player
[edit] Transport
Astara is a railhead for the broad gauge Azerbaijan State Railway.
[edit] References
- ^ Astara, Iran can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3054011" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
- ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)" (Excel). Islamic Republic of Iran. http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/01.xls.
- ^ http://www.irimo.ir/english/statistics/climanormals/gilan/astara.txt
- ^ a b Guilan Portal : Astara
- ^ Encyclopaedia İranica : Astara
[edit] External links
- Astara entry in the Encyclopædia Iranica
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