The Rural Geography of Iran

The vast land of Iran had been of urban, rural, and nomadic settlements in the past. Over time, the number of small rural settlements has decreased while the number of larger rural settlements has increased. In recent years, many of these large villages have, politically and administratively, acquired the status of cities. But the imminent phenomenon is the emergence of large and growing settlements around metropolitans and large cities in an area that neither has the original rural features nor the typical features of urban areas. The process of this transformation and its control is an issue that can be a source of irreparable damage to the future of the country if it is not taken seriously.