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KERMAN (the ancient Karmania)
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See also:KERMAN (the See also:ancient Karmania) , a See also:province of See also:Persia, bounded E. by See also:Seistan and See also:Baluchistan, S. by Baluchistan and See also:Fars, W. by Fars, and N. by See also:Yezd and See also:Khorasan. It is of very irregular shape, expanding in the See also:north to Khorasan and gradually contracting in the See also:south to a narrow See also:wedge between Fars and Baluchistan; the extreme length between Seistan and Fars (E. and W.) is about 400 W., the greatest breadth (N. and S.) from south of Yezd to the neighbourhood of Bander Abbasi about 300 m., and the See also:area is estimated at about 6o,000 sq. m. Kerman is generally described as consisting of two parts, an uninhabitable See also:desert region in the north and a habitable mountainous region in the south, but See also:recent explorations require this view to be considerably modified. There are mountains and desert tracts in all parts, while much of what appears on maps as forming the western portion of the See also:great Kerman desert consists of the fertile uplands of Kuhbanan, Raver and others stretching along the eastern See also:base of the lofty range which runs from Yezd . south-See also:east to Khabis. See also:West of and parallel to this range are two others, one culminating north-west of See also:Bam in the Kuh Hazar (14,700 ft.), the other continued at about the same See also:elevation under the name of the Jamal Bariz (also See also:Jebel Bariz) south-eastward to See also:Makran. These chains See also:traverse fertile districts dividing them into several See also:longitudinal valleys of consider-able length, but not averaging more than 12 M. in width. See also:Snow lies on them for a considerable See also:part of the See also:year, feeding the springs and canals by means of which large tracts in this almost rainless region in summer are kept under cultivation. Still farther west the Kuh Dina range is continued from Fars, also in a south-easterly direction to Bashakird beyond Bander Abbasi. Between the south-western See also:highlands and the Jamal Bariz there is some arid and unproductive See also:land, but the true desert of Kerman lies mainly in the north and north-east, where it merges northwards in the great desert " Lut," which stretches into Khorasan.' These See also:southern deserts differ from the kavir of central Persia mainly in three respects: they are far less saline, are more sandy and drier, and See also:present in some places tracts of 8o to too See also:miles almost absolutely destitute of vegetation. Yet they are crossed by well-known tracks See also:running from Kerman eastwards and north-eastwards to Seistan and Khorasan and frequently traversed by caravans. It appears that these sandy wastes are continually encroaching on the fertile districts, and this is the See also:case even in Narmashir, which is being invaded by the sands of the desolate plains extending thence north-westwards to See also:Barn. There are also some kefeh or See also:salt swamps answering to the kavir in the north, but occurring only in isolated depressions and nowhere of any great extent. The desert of Kerman lies about l000 ft., or less, above the See also:sea, apparently on nearly the same level as the Lut, from which it cannot be geographically separated. The See also:climate, which varies much with the See also:relief of the land, has the reputation of being unhealthy, because the cool See also:air from the hills is usually attended by chills and agues. Still many of the upland valleys enjoy a genial and healthy climate. The See also:chief products are See also:cotton, gums, See also:dates of unrivalled flavour from the southern parts, and See also:wool, noted for its extreme softness, and the soft underhair of goats (kurk), which latter are used in the manufacture of the Kerman shawls, which in delicacy of texture yield only to those of See also:Kashmir, while often surpassing them in See also:design, See also:colour and finish. Besides woollen goods (shawls, carpets, &c.) Kerman exports mainly cotton, See also:grain and dates, receiving in return from See also:India cotton goods, See also:tea, See also:indigo, See also:china, See also:glass, See also:sugar, &c. See also:Wheat and See also:barley are scarce. Bander Abbasi is the natural outport; but, since See also:shipping has shown a preference for See also:Bushire farther west, the See also:trade of Kerman has greatly fallen off. For administrative purposes the province is divided into nine-teen districts, one being the See also:capital of the same name with its immediate neighbourhood (humeh); the others are Akta and Urzu; Anar; Barn and Narmashir; Bardsir; Jiruft; Khabis; Khinaman; Kubenan (Kuhbanan); Kuhpayeh; Pariz; Rafsinjan; Rahbur; Raver; Rayin; Rudbar and Bashakird; Sardu; Sirjan; Zerend. The inhabitants number about 700,000, nearly one-third being nomads. (A. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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