Saravan (Balochi and )[a] is a city in the Central District of Saravan County, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.[4] The city lies in a long valley in the south of Masheked and north of Makran, close to the international border with Pakistan.
Saravan Persian: سراوان | |
|---|---|
City | |
 | |
  Saravan | |
| Coordinates: 27°22′15″N 62°19′57″E / 27.37083°N 62.33250°E[1] | |
| Country | Iran |
| Province | Sistan and Baluchestan |
| County | Saravan |
| District | Central |
| Population (2016)[2] | |
| • Total | 60,014 |
| Time zone | UTC+3:30 (IRST) |
Demographics
Language and ethnicity
The inhabitants of the city are Baloch and speak the Balochi language.[citation needed]
Population
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 58,652 in 10,078 households.[5] The following census in 2011 counted 59,795 people in 13,257 households.[6] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 60,014 people in 15,929 households.[2]
Earthquake
In 2013 a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 occurred near the city.[7]
Attacks on public figures
Saravan is the location of many attacks, presumably by Baloch insurgents.
- In 2008, Judge Ebrahim Karimi was assassinated.[8][9]
- A suicide bombing in 2008 killed four.[10]
- On October 26, 2013, about 20 Iranian border guards were killed in an attack by Baloch rebels near the Pakistani border.[11]
- In January of 2024, Pakistan launched airstrikes in Saravan in Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar, a retaliation for Iranian airstrikes in Pakistan two days earlier.[citation needed]
- Attack on Pakistani nationals in 27 January 2024 killing nine people.[citation needed]
Climate
Saravan has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh),[12] with very hot summers, mild winters, and ample sunshine throughout the year.
| Climate data for Saravan, Iran (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.1 (80.8) | 32.3 (90.1) | 35.8 (96.4) | 39.4 (102.9) | 43.4 (110.1) | 45.4 (113.7) | 44.6 (112.3) | 44.4 (111.9) | 41.4 (106.5) | 37.6 (99.7) | 32.2 (90.0) | 29.4 (84.9) | 45.4 (113.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.7 (63.9) | 20.6 (69.1) | 25.1 (77.2) | 31.2 (88.2) | 36.1 (97.0) | 39.0 (102.2) | 39.7 (103.5) | 38.4 (101.1) | 35.3 (95.5) | 30.4 (86.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 19.7 (67.5) | 29.8 (85.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.8 (51.4) | 13.6 (56.5) | 18.3 (64.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 29.3 (84.7) | 32.3 (90.1) | 32.8 (91.0) | 31.4 (88.5) | 27.9 (82.2) | 22.9 (73.2) | 16.6 (61.9) | 12.1 (53.8) | 22.7 (72.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.9 (39.0) | 6.6 (43.9) | 11.0 (51.8) | 16.2 (61.2) | 21.0 (69.8) | 24.2 (75.6) | 25.5 (77.9) | 23.5 (74.3) | 19.1 (66.4) | 14.3 (57.7) | 8.6 (47.5) | 4.6 (40.3) | 14.9 (58.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.0 (21.2) | −4.3 (24.3) | −0.2 (31.6) | 4.0 (39.2) | 10.4 (50.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 18.8 (65.8) | 17.0 (62.6) | 10.0 (50.0) | 3.6 (38.5) | −3.6 (25.5) | −6.0 (21.2) | −6.0 (21.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 19.1 (0.75) | 14.9 (0.59) | 22.1 (0.87) | 6.4 (0.25) | 6.1 (0.24) | 5.9 (0.23) | 5.5 (0.22) | 4.8 (0.19) | 0.9 (0.04) | 4.6 (0.18) | 4.5 (0.18) | 10.0 (0.39) | 104.8 (4.13) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 13.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 42.0 | 39.0 | 34.0 | 24.0 | 20.0 | 19.0 | 25.0 | 22.0 | 18.0 | 22.0 | 29.0 | 36.0 | 27.5 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | −3.5 (25.7) | −2.3 (27.9) | −0.5 (31.1) | 0.3 (32.5) | 1.6 (34.9) | 2.5 (36.5) | 6.6 (43.9) | 3.5 (38.3) | −1.2 (29.8) | −2.2 (28.0) | −3.3 (26.1) | −4.9 (23.2) | −0.3 (31.5) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 255.0 | 242.0 | 262.0 | 290.0 | 317.0 | 322.0 | 307.0 | 318.0 | 309.0 | 303.0 | 279.0 | 266.0 | 3,470 |
| Source: NOAA[13] | |||||||||||||
