iran - Provinces and counties - Major cities
Iran has one of the highest urban-growth rates in the world. From 1950 to 2002 the urban proportion of the population increased from 27% to 60%. ^"payvand2" The United Nations predicts that by 2030 the urban population will form 80% of the overall population.{html}<ref name="tourismandtravel"/>{html} Most of the internal migrants have settled near the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Ahvaz, and Qom. The listed populations are from the the 2006/2007 (1385 AP) census ^Data .

;Tehran (population 7,705,036)
[[the revolution, Shahyad Tower was renamed Azadi Tower (Freedom Tower).]]
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran and like many big cities, suffers from severe air pollution. Tehran is the hub of the country's communication and transport network. The city has numerous large museums, art centers, palace complexes and cultural centers and host 45% of Iran's industries.

;Mashhad (population 2,410,800)
Mashhad (also spelt Mashad, literally "The place of martyrdom"), is located 850 kilometers (500 miles) east of Tehran, Iran (Persia), and is one of the holiest Shi'a cities in the world. It is the second largest city with a population of 2.8 million at the center of the province of Razavi Khorasan.

;Isfahan (population 1,583,609)
Isfahan or Eşfahān, located about 340 km south of Tehran, is the capital of Isfahan Province and Iran's fourth largest city.

The Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city also contains a wide variety of Islamic architectural sites ranging from the eleventh to the nineteenth century.

;Tabriz (population 1,378,935)
Tabriz is the largest city in north-western Iran and is the capital of East Azarbaijan Province. Tabriz is situated north of the volcanic cone of Sahand south of the Eynali mountain.

;Karaj (population 1,377,450)
Karaj is located in Tehran province and is situated 20 km west of Tehran, at the foot of Alborz mountains, however the city is increasingly becoming an extension of the metropolitan Tehran.

;Shiraz (population 1,204,882)
Shiraz is the capital of Fārs Province and is located in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains.
Shiraz is known as the city of Poetry, Wine and carpet production and flowers (such as Roses). It is also famous for its importance in the history of Iran. It has a moderate climate and has been a regional trade center for more than a thousand years.

;Ahvaz (population 969,843)
The city of Ahvaz, is the capital of the Iranian province of Khūzestān. It is built on the banks of the Karun River and is situated in the middle of Khūzestān Province. The city has an average elevation of 20 meters above sea level.

;Qom (population 951,918)
Qom (also known as Q'um or Kom) lies 97 miles by road south-west of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province and is built on the banks of the Qom (River) and is considered to be a holy city in Shi`a Islam, as it is the site of the shrine of Fatema Mæ'sume, sister of Imam `Ali ibn Musa Rida (Persian Imam Reza , 789–816 CE). The city is the largest center for Shi'a scholarship in the world, and is a significant destination of pilgrimage.

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