Ramsar, Mazandaran
| Ramsar Persian: رامسر ‹Remsar› |
|
|---|---|
| — city — | |
 |
|
| Nickname(s): Ramsar | |
| Motto: Paradise in Earth (Behesht roye Zamin) | |
 Ramsar
|
|
| Coordinates: 36°54′11″N 50°39′30″E / 36.90306°N 50.65833°ECoordinates: 36°54′11″N 50°39′30″E / 36.90306°N 50.65833°E | |
| Country |  Iran |
| Province | Mazandaran |
| County | Ramsar |
| Bakhsh | Central |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (Ŝahrdār) | Mohsen Morradi |
| Elevation | 985 m (3,232 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 31,659 |
| Time zone | IRST (UTC+3:30) |
| • Summer (DST) | IRDT (UTC+4:30) |
| Website | http://www.sh-ramsar.ir |
Ramsar (Persian: رامسر, also Romanized as Rāmsar and Rānsar; formerly, Sakht Sar)[1] is a city in and the capital of Ramsar County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 31,659, in 9,421 families.[2]
Ramsar lies on the coast of the Caspian Sea. It was also known as Sakhtsar in the past. Natives of Ramsar speak the Gilaki language which is a member of Iranian languages. The town is known for having the highest levels of natural background radiation on Earth.
Contents |
[edit] Location
Ramsar is the westernmost county and city in Mazandaran. It borders the Caspian Sea to the north, Gilan province to the west, Qazvin Province to the south, and Tonekabon to the east.
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Ramsar | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.0 (87.8) |
26.0 (78.8) |
34.8 (94.6) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
38.0 (100.4) |
34.0 (93.2) |
35.0 (95.0) |
35.2 (95.4) |
33.2 (91.8) |
32.0 (89.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
38 (100.4) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) |
10.6 (51.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
16.5 (61.7) |
21.4 (70.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
28.6 (83.5) |
28.7 (83.7) |
25.7 (78.3) |
21.6 (70.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
13.4 (56.1) |
19.35 (66.83) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 3.9 (39.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
6.1 (43.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
19.0 (66.2) |
21.6 (70.9) |
21.9 (71.4) |
19.4 (66.9) |
14.8 (58.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
6.0 (42.8) |
12.61 (54.70) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10 (14) |
−6 (21) |
−3 (27) |
0.0 (32.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
9.0 (48.2) |
15.0 (59.0) |
16.0 (60.8) |
10.0 (50.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
−1 (30) |
−2 (28) |
−10 (14) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 79.0 (3.11) |
74.5 (2.933) |
86.3 (3.398) |
48.5 (1.909) |
47.8 (1.882) |
60.2 (2.37) |
38.6 (1.52) |
66.0 (2.598) |
162.3 (6.39) |
269.6 (10.614) |
176.2 (6.937) |
109.4 (4.307) |
1,218.4 (47.969) |
| % humidity | 84 | 85 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 81 | 79 | 81 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 83.8 |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.3 | 8.5 | 10.9 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 6.3 | 8.7 | 10.5 | 9.4 | 8.0 | 95.5 |
| Sunshine hours | 104.9 | 100.0 | 91.1 | 122.0 | 165.2 | 187.0 | 186.5 | 162.1 | 122.9 | 118.8 | 108.4 | 96.3 | 1,565.2 |
| Source: Synoptic Stations Statistics | |||||||||||||
[edit] Tourism
Ramsar is a popular sea resort for Iranian tourists. The town also offers hot springs, the green forests of the Alborz Mountains and the vacation palace of the last Shah, and additionally the Hotel Ramsar. Twenty-seven kilometres south of Ramsar and 2700 meters above sea level in the Alborz mountains is Javaherdeh village, which is an important tourist attraction in Ramsar county.
[edit] Radioactivity
Some areas around Ramsar have the highest level of natural radioactivity in the world, due to the presence of radioactive hot springs. In the high-background radiation districts of Ramsar, the average dose of radiation received by a person for one year is about 10 mSv, and can reach levels in excess of 260 mSv.[3] · [4]
The highest levels of background radiation recorded in the world to date is from areas around Ramsar, particularly at Talesh-Mahalleh which is a very high background radiation area (VHBRA) having an effective dose equivalent several times in excess of ICRP-recommended radiation dose limits for radiation workers and up to 200 times greater than normal background levels. Most of the radiation in the area is due to dissolved radium-226 in water of hot springs along with smaller amounts of uranium and thorium due to travertine deposits. There are more than nine hot springs in the area with different concentrations of radioisotopes, and these are used as spas by locals and tourists.[5] This high level of radiation does not seem to have caused ill effects on the residents of the area and even possibly has made them slightly more radioresistant, which is puzzling and has been called "radiation paradox". It has also been claimed that residents have healthier and longer lives.[6] On the basis of this and other evidences including the fact that life had originated in a much more irradiated environment, some scientists have questioned the validity of linear no-threshold model, on which all radiation regulations currently depend.[5] Others point out that some level of radiation might actually be good for health and have a positive effect on population based on radiation hormesis model, by jump starting DNA repair mechanisms inside the cell.[7][8] Due to consumption of radioactive water around Ramsar, the agricultural products as well as other living matter and humans are also slightly radioactive.[5]
However, the small size of the population (only 1800 inhabitants in the high-background areas) makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions regarding their cancer epidemiology data.[9] Furthermore, there are questions regarding possible non-cancer effects of the radiation background. An Iranian study has shown that people in the area have a significantly higher expression of CD69 gene and also a higher incidence of stable and unstable chromosomal aberrations.[10] Chromosomal aberrations have been found in other studies[11] and a possible elevation of female infertility has been reported.[12]
[edit] Ramsar Convention
The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 160 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1920 wetland sites, totaling 1,680,000 square kilometres, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Presently, there are 160 contracting parties, up from 119 in 2000 and from 18 initial signatory nations in 1971.[13] Signatories meet every three years as the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP), the first held in Cagliari, Italy in 1980. Amendments to the original convention have been agreed to in Paris (in 1982) and Regina (in 1987).[14]
[edit] See also
- Rejuvenation (aging)
- Background radiation
- Banana equivalent dose
- History of Iran
- Tourism in Iran
- International rankings of Iran
- Naftalan
[edit] References
- ^ Ramsar, Mazandaran can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3081959" 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/02.xls.
- ^ sciencemag.org Of Stones and Health: The Radiation Paradox
- ^ Babapouran, Mozhgan (2005), "New public dose assessment from internal and external exposures in low- and elevated-level natural radiation areas of Ramsar, Iran", International Congress Series 1276: 169–174, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S053151310401742X
- ^ a b c http://www.angelfire.com/mo/radioadaptive/ramsar.html
- ^ http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/309/5736/883
- ^ http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/positive-effects-of-nuclear-radiation/1066
- ^ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050128222047.htm
- ^ Mosavi-Jarrahi, Alireza; Mohagheghi, Mohammadali; Akiba, Suminori; Yazdizadeh, Bahareh; Motamedid, Nilofar; Shabestani Monfared, Ali (2005), "Mortality and morbidity from cancer in the population exposed to high level of natural radiation area in Ramsar, Iran", International Congress Series 1276: 106–109, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531513104017492
- ^ . PMID 15063540.
- ^ Zakeri, F.; Rajabpour, M. R.; Haeri, S. A.; Kanda, R.; Hayata, I.; Nakamura, S.; Sugahara, T.; Ahmadpour, M. J. (2011), "Chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of individuals living in high background radiation areas of Ramsar, Iran", Radiation and Environmental Biophysics 50 (4): 571–578, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21894441
- ^ Tabarraie, Y.; Refahi, S.; Dehghan, M.H.; Mashoufi, M. (2008), "Impact of High Natural Background Radiation on Woman`s Primary Infertility", Research Journal of Biological Sciences 3 (5): 534–536, http://medwelljournals.com/abstract/?doi=rjbsci.2008.534.536
- ^ 2011-03-07
- ^ Ramsar: A brief history, retrieved 2009-11-07
[edit] External links
- Ramsar's tourism
- Ramsar's radioactivity
- Photos of Ramsar (Permission to use and copy these photos is hereby granted provided the above copyright notice appears in all the copies and modified versions of photos.)
- ramsar
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
