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Arak
in Few lines.
Arak, (in
Persian: اراک) previously known as
Soltan-abad, is the center of Markazi province, Iran.
It had an estimated population of 511,127 in 2005. Because of its
good location, at the heart of the country, and its diverse
population and also its facilities sometimes it has been
considered one of the good alternatives for being the capital of
the country hence replacing the current capital, Tehran.
Location
and climate
The city is
surronded by mountains in the south, west, and east. Arak is
located in adjacency two important cities: Qom
and Isfahan.
Its average altitude is 1750m above sea level and is 280 km from
the capital, Tehran.
Arak in geneal
has a relatively cold and dry climate. Its weather is warm and dry
in summer, windy and cool in autumn, cold and snowy in winter, and
mild in spring. The maximum temperature may raise up to 35 degrees
Celsius in summer and may fall to below -25 degrees Celsius in
winter. The average rainfall is around 300mm and the annual
relative humidity is 50%.
History
Arak is built
on the ruins of a small town called Daskerah whom was destroyed
during Mongol invasion of Persia. Modern Arak is a relatively new
city having a mere 2 centuries of history. The city was created
during the Qajar era because of its fertile lands and also a
buffer against the attack of tribes hosted in southern Iran. This
region was called "Persian Iraq" from ancient times,
later it changed to "Soltan Abad". Under the rule of the
Reza Shah Pahlavi, the main railways crossed the city, later the
south-north oil pipe line passed from the city and made it grow
even further since the Shah wanted to make it the capital.
Industries
Arak is one of
the main industrial cities of Iran, possessing many plants for
heavy industries especially for the metal and machinery
industries, namely:
And in recent
years, a heavy
water production plant and two power plants: a fossil fuel
power plant and a low power (less than 40 megawatts) heavy water
nuclear power plant (just for research affairs.) Because of claims
that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, this city may be a
target in the 2005-2006
US-Israeli threats to attack Iran.[1]
Demography
According to
1995 data, Arak has a population of 380755 whom 193112 were male
and 187643 were female and consisted of a total of 84481 families.
There is a great diversity in the Iranian
ethnic living in this city. It includes Azaris,
Kurds
and Lurs
as well as minority Christians
Armenians.
Agriculture
and handicrafts
The main
agricultural products are grain, barley, and fruits which are
grape, apple, walnut and almond. However, Arak's hand made carpets,
especially the Saroogh brand, are famous internationally.
By the Courtesy of Wikipedia
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