Chapter-Ii Profile of Esfahan Province
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CHAPTER-II PROFILE OF ESFAHAN PROVINCE CHAPTER-II PROFILE OF STUDY REGION 2.1 General Introduction The human relationship with different places on earth surface is interesting as geography focuses on human and natural aspects. Human activity is directly related with natural environment that helps to elevate and welfare the human life. Geography studies the water, soil, climate, plants and human characteristics and combination of these factors and their relation with each others make a suitable condition for living of mankind. For example climate effects human force particularly tourism activity. The Unevenness plays an effective role in determining suitable urban or rural places for tourism. Water resources, plants, animals, soil and geology are the part of ecosystem that must be protected by human being. Since long the relationship between human activities and natural condition is obvious. Natural properties, human capability with environment and its manifestations play vital role in forming and surviving geographical formation. Presently the existence of subject is more understood because of environmental capacities decline and shortage arises due to increasing population, human needs, technology development and its consequences. Geography studies different elements such as, water bodies, types of soils, vegetation topography, population, occupational structure and etc. The combinations of these elements and identify of this relationship with each others. For example, climate affects tourism sector 14 intensively alongwith physiography determine the location of urban and rural settlements, etc. 2.2 Site and Situation Esfahan province has a unique geographical location in Iran. The areal extent of study region is 107045.3 square kilometers accounting 6.29 percent area of Iran. This province extends from 30°42 to 34°30 of northern latitudes and 49°36 to 55°32 eastern longitudes and it is delimited in north by Semnan and Central provinces in south by Fars and Kohgiloyeh provinces, Yazd and Khorasan provinces on east and north east by Khozestan, Chaharmahal Bakhtyari and Lorestan from west and south (Fig. 2.1). This province ranks fifth in term of area after Kerman, Sistan and Baluchestan and Fars. Moreover, study region is surrounded by Zagros mountains in west, south-west and south. Large desert appears in north and north-west part in study region. 2.3 Administrative Divisions The study region is one of states in Iran. For administrative purpose the study region is divided into nineteen subdivisions (Table-2.1 ) It is found from this table that(Naiin district has occupied maximum 3593.1 square kilometers area accounting 33.6 percent whereas Khomynishahr has lowest aeral extent of 175.3 square kilometers in study region. 15 16 Table-2.1: Administrative Divisions of Esfahan Province Districts Area Per cent No. of No. of No. of Towns Talukas Villages Aran and Bidgol 5057.2 4.7 4 3 44 Ardestan 10877 10.2 3 7 217 Esfahan 157744 14.7 12 19 485 Borkhar & mimeh 7705.2 7.2 9 6 179 Tiran & koron 1768.8 1.6 3 4 72 Khominishahr 175.3 0.2 3 3 16 Khonsar 907.9 0.8 1 3 23 Semir 5297.5 4.9 4 6 120 Shohreza 4292.3 4.0 3 7 111 Feridan 3282 3.1 6 13 129 Feridan shahr 2236.1 2.1 2 5 84 Folavarjan 315.9 0.3 7 6 78 Koshan 4415.1 4.1 5 9 164 Golpaygan 1597.7 1.5 3 3 70 Lenjan 1111.3 1.1 8 5 60 Mobarokeh 1020.5 1.0 5 5 90 Naiin 35927.1 33.6 4 8 269 Najafabed 2279.9 2.1 5 5 49 Natanz 3003.1 2.8 2 5 87 Total 107044.3 100 89 122 2344 Source : Planning and Managing Organization, Tehran Note : Area is in square kilometers. 2.4 Physiography Esfahan province lies in central part of Iran-plateau having average height of 1500 meters from sea level. This mountainous is called Jabol (Fig.2.2). This region has an unevenness feature. Zagrous mountains series in west stretches from north of Golpayegan to Dena, From north-west to south-east has mountainous area of Galpayegan, Khonsar and Freidan including Dalankooh and Darhbid mountains having average height of 3915 and 3631 meters respectively from sea level respectively. The mountainous region in Esfahan province extends in 17 semirom region particularly in south and Shahreza district. Dena mountain series has 4409 meters height and Ali Jooha mountain has found height of 3717 meters in study region. The mountainous area of province lies in north in where Natanz, Ardestan and Naiin districts are known as Karkas mountain. Whereas Bidgol, Kashan, Ardestan, Natanz and Naiin districts lying eastern slope in central in study region mountains series and lie in central part in this province. Another Marshenal mountains series has\3330 meters^ieight lying in north-west in Esfahan plain. Panjee mountains is closed to Najababad district in Esfahan plain consisting of sediments and metamorphosis layers. This plain is formed by sedimentation with long and continuous alleviate stretched from Esfahan to Sirjan. The slope is towards north west and south-east direction. Central mountains lying in north-west to south-east direction separating central plain from north-east and eastern desert. Low height areas are located in east and northern east in dry region. It is the lowest part in this region having 780 meters height. The highest point of Esfahan city is at Amirhamzeh, Hezarjerib and Sepahan at average height of Esfahan1650 meters from sea level and lowest height at Abshar Street (1550 meters). Esfahan province is surrouned by desert plain in Dagh sorkh, Siahkooh districts and it stretches from east of Kashan to Ardestan region and north of Naiin around 10,000 square kilometers covering sandy hill and fixed granola, and around of Gavkhony wetland has small and great granular (Fig. 2.2) 18 Physiography Legend Height in Meters > 3,500 3,000 to 3,500 2,500 to 3,000 2,000 to 2,500 1,500 to 2,000 1,000 to 1,500 < 1,000 Geology Legend Volcanic Rock Sandstone Clay Salty Rock Sediments Limestone Fig. 2.2 19 2.5 Geology Esfahan province has three structural zones of zagros, sanandaj- sirjan and central having different geological sediments and formations. This regions evolves by three different geological faces, namely, volcanic rock, oceanic faces, and metamorphic rocks. It is considered that this province has made expansion of Precambrian formation and it is visible in southern parts, namely, Natanz, eastern south of shaheza and western south of Ardestan where limestone, sands tone and clayston are dominant.The second period formation includes a wide part of this province and it extends from west north to west and southern area having dominance of mountain and rocks outcrop. Third period formation in this province is found in west south of Kashan, eastern north of Natanz, west of Ardestan, Western South of shahreza north and eastern south of Naeen and some parts of Anarak in study area. Sediments appears in Zayanderood plains, Govkhoni Wetland, North and western north of Ardestan, Naeen area and north of Esfahan deserts dunes, salty land and wildernesses are processes of quaternary. Volcanic rocks of second and third period and before Permian appear in central Iran zone particularly in Kashan and East and South of Gavkhoni wetland. Existence of dunes and movable hills and salt mines in eastern parts of province in Naeen, Ardestan, Aran-e-Bidgol and Natanz express operation and effects of quaternary geological process or eastern and northern parts in Esfahan province. ( Fig. 2.2 ) 20 2.6 Drainage Water plays vital role in human life. Esfahan province has many rivers, streams and springs originating in west, northwest and south mountainous and off-shoots have sculptured peculiar landforms, long valleys and waterfalls. This provides enchanting scenery for the development of tourism. Out of total amount of accessible water, whether surface and under ground account for 70.6 percent (5278.4 million meter cubes) as underground water and the rest accounting 29.4 percent (2224.4 million meter cubes) as surface water. It is noticed that underground water in study area is the main source in dry and semi-dry region in Esfahan province. Zayandeh river besides Lied river are source of water in study region. Fig. 2.3 shows rivers in study region. West and southwest parts in Esfahan province has numerous rivers while central and eastern parts have few rivers. The average volume of surface water in Esfahan province is 2199.7 million meters cubes accounting 50 percent. Zayandeh and morghab river provides 12.3 million meter cubes water (5 percent). Zayandeh river is the biggest river in Esfahan province of 360 kilometers length. The highest elevation of Zayandeh river lies found at Kappaush maintain having 4300 meters from sea level and lowest is at Gavkhani wetland. Another river of this region is morghab river rising near Tiran mountain and flows in south-east direction and joins near Najafabad and flow for 50 kilometers. The source of morghab river consists of springs and rivulets. Number of other small streams traversing from this region 21 are numerous, morghab river irrigates farmlands. Cosgan river is the third river is traversing from semirom district. Cosgan river has many streams, namely, abmorok, garmab, chareh, and achab are major flowing towards south. Hana river is the tributary of caroon river originating from Agha- dagh and Firouz range in south in Esfahan province. Hana river lies in mountainous region and makes interesting scenery, water falls, natural pools, nice bank and are sources of attraction for thousand tourists annually. Marbor river lies in between dena and agha-dagh mountains. This river flows in south for about 64 kilometers.