Covering an area of 46,645 square kilometers, Mazandaran province is 11^th in Iran from the largeness point of view. The famous townships of this province are Sari, Behshahr, Ghaemshahr, Babol, Babolsar, Amol, Noor, Nowshahr, Tonkabon, Ramsar, Mahmood-Abad, and Neka.

According to the census of 1996, the population of the province was 2,602,008 of which 45.89% were registered as urban dwellers, 54,1% villagers, and remaining were non- residents. Sari is the capital city of the province. The sex ratio of the population of this province is 99.

From geographical point of view Mazandaran province is divided into two parts i.e. coastal plain and Alborz mountinous area. Alborz mountain range has surrounded the coastal strip and coastal plains of the Castal strip and coastal plains of the Caspian Sea like a high wall. Due to permanent breeze of the sea and local winds in southern and eastern coasts of the Caspian Sea, there have been formed sandy hills that have caused the appearance of a low natural barrier between the sea and plain.

The nature of Mazandaran province is under the influence of geographical latitude, Albroz heights, elevation from sea level, distance from the sea, southern wildernesses of Turkmenistan, local and regional wind currents, and diverse vegetation cover. Thus the climate of the province is divided into three kinds. Moderate Caspian weather with hot and humid summers and mild and humid winters. Moderate mountainous weather with long, cold, andfreezing winters and mild and short summers. And cold mountainousweather with long freezing winters and short cool summers. There is often snowfall in most of the seasons in this region that even continues during warmth period. There is not enough information on the ancient history of the province and basically the climatic conndition of the region has prevented the lasting of historical monuments. There has not been obtained any reliable vestige belonging to pre-Islamic periods in coastal plains of Mazandaran. Also there is not even a memorial of famous cities of early Islamic period (the reign of Tabarestan and Daylam kings) except Amol, Sari, and Lahijan.