Kerman province (Persian: استان کرمان) is the largest of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Kerman.
The province is in the southeast of Iran. In 2014 it was placed in Region 5. Mentioned in ancient times as the Achaemenid satrapy of Carmania, Kerman province has an area of 183,285 km (70,767 sq mi), encompassing nearly 11% of the land area of Iran.
Sistan and Baluchestan province (Persian: استان سيستان و بلوچستان) is the second largest of the 31 Provinces of Iran, after Kerman province, with an area of 180,726 km. Its capital is the city of Zahedan. The province is in the southeast of the country, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The name of the region was Baluchistan at first. Later it became «Baluchistan and Sistan», and today it has become «Sistan and Baluchestan».
Eastern Iran includes the provinces North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, and Sistan and Baluchestan some of which share a border with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Some references also count Kerman Province to this region.
Dominated by deserts, this region is characterised by an arid or hyper-arid climate.
South Khorasan province (Persian: استان خراسان جنوبی) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, located in the eastern part of the country. Its capital is the city of Birjand. In 2014, the province was placed in Region 5. This province is bordered to the north by Razavi Khorasan Province, to the northwest by Semnan Province, to the west by Isfahan and Yazd Provinces, to the south by Kerman Province, and to the southeast by Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The area of this province is 151,913 square kilometers (58,654 square miles), making it the third largest province in Iran after Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan. According to the 2016 census, South Khorasan's population is 768,898, making it the fourth least populous province in the country. With only about 5 inhabitants per square kilometre or 13 inhabitants per square mile, it is the most sparsely populated province in Iran.
South Khorasan Province is split into two distinct regions: the "mountainous and elevated" areas in the north and northwest, and the "low and flat" central and southern plains. The tallest mountains in the province include "Kamarak" and "Shah Kuh." It experiences a "dry and desert" climate, which can be further divided into "hot and dry" and "mild and dry" categories. The northern and northwestern parts are more fertile, while the southern and southwestern plains endure a dry and harsh climate. The rivers in this region are seasonal, with no permanent rivers present.
The Qutlugh-Khanids (Persian: قراختاییان کرمان, otherwise known as the Qutlugh-Khanid dynasty, Kirmanid dynasty, or infrequently as the Later Western Liao;后西辽) was a culturally Persianate dynasty of ethnic Khitan origin that ruled over Kirman (in present-day Kerman Province, Iran) from 1222 to 1306.
It was founded by Buraq Hajib, who emigrated from the Qara Khitai (Western Liao dynasty) during the collapse of the realm. Originally an independent entity, the Qutlugh-Khanid dynasty subsequently ruled as vassals of the Khwarazmian dynasty, the Mongol Empire and the Ilkhanate. The dynasty was removed from power by the Ilkhanid ruler Öljaitü, who appointed Nasir al-Din Muhammad ibn Burhan as governor of Kirman.
Sistan and Baluchestan province (Persian: استان سيستان و بلوچستان) is the second largest of the 31 Provinces of Iran, after Kerman province, with an area of 180,726 km. Its capital is the city of Zahedan. The province is in the southeast of the country, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The name of the region was simply Baluchistan at first, but later became "Baluchistan and Sistan" before becoming "Sistan and Baluchestan".