Arak, Iran

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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.[1] 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.

1 Location and climate
2 Climate
3 History
4 Industries
5 Universities
6 Demography
7 Agriculture and handicrafts
8 Notable people from Arak
9 References
10 External links

[edit] Location and climate

Arak is located at 34.08° N 49.7° E. The city is surrounded 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.

[edit] Climate

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%.

[edit] History

Arak is built on the ruins of a small town called Daskerah, which was destroyed during Mongol invasion of Persia their name was the bayats. 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" or Aragh-e Ajam (عراق عجم) 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.

[edit] 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:

Machin Sazi Arak (MSA) and AZAR AB factories (for producing heavy machinery such as boilers and chemical reactors)
Wagon Pars (train manufacturer)
Iranian Aluminum Company (IrAlCo)
Avangan (for high voltage pylons)
HEPCO (heavy road construction vehicles)
Petrochemical factories and oil refineries
Navard Aluminum Mfg. Group (Navard e Aluminum) aluminum factory
Iran Combine Manufacturing Company (Combine-sazi-e Iran)

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. ^[1]

[edit] Universities

1. Arak University of Medical Sciences
2. Arak University of Science and Technology
3. University of Arak
4. Islamic Azad University of Arak
5. Tarbiat Moallem University of Arak

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.