Levels of Urbanization in Iran

The tourism industry, with its superior features, is considered a dynamic sector with bright futures.

Investment in this industry is increasing in all countries with tourist attractions. Today, attracting foreign tourists has become increasing competition among institutions involved in the tourism industry.

This industry not only plays a role in advancing the national economy and foreign exchange earnings, but it is a clean and pollution-free industry that also creates new jobs.

On the other hand, the growth of tourism, in addition to having cultural, natural, and historical attractions, etc., require the city’s infrastructure.

In this Iran tourism article, we discuss the situation of water, electricity, gas, etc. in the cities and villages of Iran.

Join the Iran travel guide center to know more about levels of urbanization in Iran.

Urban Developments and Levels of Urbanization in Iran

Iran is one of the developing countries in which urbanization’s growth rate has changed rapidly in recent decades.

Levels of urbanization in Iran accelerated with the discovery of oil resources and its extraction from the thirteenth century.

On the other hand, the government, with its city-centered and urban-oriented policies, has continuously taken steps to strengthen and develop the urban city, and in return for rural and nomadic life, it has, directly and indirectly, supported the life and culture of the city and urbanization.

Below we investigate the levels of urbanization in Iran from different aspects.

Electricity Situation in Iran

One of the important aspects of the levels of urbanization in Iran is the situation of electricity supply in different regions.

Iran is the 16th largest producer and 18th largest consumer of electricity in the world. Iran’s electricity industry in 2017, with 265 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, ranked 16th in the world and the second-largest in the region after Saudi Arabia.

This year, China and the United States accounted for the largest electricity generation in the world, with 6142 and 4088 billion kWh, respectively.

Iran is almost in the same group as Taiwan, Spain, Turkey, and Australia in electricity production.

According to Iran statistics published in February 2017, more than 99% of Iranian villages had electricity. A case in which Iran is ahead of the rest of the world, and while according to the United Nations, the rural population with electricity in the world is about 76 percent, this figure has reached 99.7 percent in Iran.

Water Situation in Iran

Another effective aspect of increasing the levels of urbanization in Iran is the water situation in Iran. Access to safe and hygienic water is essential for countries to have a good life. According to the Deputy Minister of Energy, about 63% of cities worldwide have a water supply system, which is close to 100% in Iran.

Accordingly, in 2018, equivalent to 1511 villages, with a population of 1.2 million people have benefited from safe and sustainable drinking water in Iran. More than 85% of Iranian villages currently have access to drinking water.

The Gas Supply Situation in Iran

The Iran natural gas industry is the most revolutionary industry in Iran; Because all the development of this industry has been done after the revolution. Today, the gas industry is one of the most self-sufficient industries in Iran; So that most of the equipment used in the gas industry is supplied in the country.

Currently, 1139 cities have gas, and gas supply has been done to 27 thousand 338 villages. 97% of the country’s urban population and 82% of the rural community is under Iran’s natural gas network coverage. So that 93.6% of the total population has Iran natural gas network coverage.

The Situation of Mobile Antennas in Iran

But the last and one of the most significant aspects that increase levels of urbanization in Iran is the situation of mobile networks.

According to Google, the total population of the world at the end of 2018 was close to 7.53 billion people.

There are more than 7 billion active mobile phones in the world, but the total number of devices connected to mobile networks, including objects, cars, and any other inhumane device, is close to 50 billion.

So, for every 1076 people in the world, 1 BTS antenna is installed. This situation is better in developed countries; there is 1 BTS antenna for a smaller number of users, and vice versa in countries that are lagging in terms of mobile network development; Maybe 1 BTS antenna is installed for every few thousand people.

According to the reports of the Radio Regulatory Authority of Iran, about 60,000 physical BTS antennas have been installed in Iran, which is the total number of antennas of three mobile operators in the country. According to Google, Iran’s population is about 81.16 million. So, the number of BTS antennas in Iran is one antenna per 1352 people.

Of course, the situation of Iran in BTS antennas is more favorable than in many countries in the world. Some of the world’s most famous countries have just been able to expand their 3G network across their country and allow their citizens to connect to data.

Mobile operators are continually trying to increase the number of BTS antennas and want more towers to be installed in cities, towns, and villages, and parallel with the growth of electricity, gas, and water networks.

Conclusion

Basically, one of the most important uses of cities today is the provision of modern tourism services which has marked a new era in human social and cultural interactions.

Urban centers due to the accumulation of civic institutions and social infrastructure can be a good place to attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Considering the high levels of urbanization in Iran can increase the number of foreign tourists entering Iran, which is good news for the country’s tourism industry and can give new life to this industry’s economic productivity.