# Birjand County

Birjand County (Persian: شهرستان بیرجند) is in South Khorasan province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Birjand.

## History

In 2007, the village of Mohammadiyeh was elevated to the status of a city as Mohammadshahr. After the 2011 National Census, Khusf District was separated from the county in the establishment of Khusf County.
After the 2016 census, Shakhen and Shakhenat Rural Districts were separated from the Central District in the formation of Shakhenat District.

## Location

This city is bordered by Qaenat city to the north, Zirkuh city to the northeast, Darmin and Sarbisheh cities to the east, Khusf city to the south, and Sarayan city to the west.

## Demographics
### Population

At the time of the 2006 census, the county's population was 221,756 in 60,240 households. The following census in 2011 counted 259,506 people in 71,384 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the county as 261,324 in 74,657 households.

### Administrative divisions

Birjand County's population history and administrative structure over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
Birjand County Population :
| Administrative Divisions | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 |
| Central District | 196,834 | 230,487 | 261,324 |
| Alqurat RD | 8,236 | 12,026 | 9,479 |
| Baqeran RD | 14,651 | 26,940 | 34,071 |
| Fasharud RD | 2,727 | 2,124 | 2,435 |
| Kahshang RD | 3,991 | 3,338 | 3,737 |
| Shakhen RD | 6,276 | 5,130 | 5,372 |
| Shakhenat RD | 3,105 | 2,909 | 2,594 |
| Birjand (city) | 157,848 | 178,020 | 203,636 |
| Khusf District | 24,922 | 29,019 | |
| Barakuh RD | 3,919 | 2,496 | |
| Jolgeh-ye Mazhan RD | 4,280 | 4,536 | |
| Khusf RD | 9,419 | 11,464 | |
| Qaleh Zari RD | 4,118 | 3,896 | |
| Khusf (city) | 3,186 | 4,920 | |
| Mohammadshahr (city) | | 1,707 | |
| Shakhenat District | | | |
| Shakhen RD | | | |
| Shakhenat RD | | | |
| Total | 221,756 | 259,506 | 261,324 |
| RD = Rural District ||||

## City Center

The city center of this city is Birjand. Birjand is also the capital of South Khorasan Province and according to the 2016 census, the population of Birjand was 203,636. Birjand is the first city in Iran to have a water supply organization, and the Birjand Water Pipeline Company is known as the first water supply organization in Iran. This city is also the second city in Iran to have urban water piped in 1923, before Tehran.
The Shokatiyeh School of this city is the third modern-style education school, after Dar al-Fonon and Roshdieh of Tabriz. Due to the political and strategic location of Birjand, the country's third airport was built in this city in 1933, after Qaleh Morghi and Bushehr.

## Health
### Imam Reza Hospital

Imam Reza Hospital was established in one of the lands and endowments belonging to the Alam family, known as Bagh-e Anari. In addition to accepting patients in Birjand city, this hospital also accepted other patients in southern cities of Khorasan province.

## Notable people

* Abd al-Ali al-Birjandi, 16th century astronomer
* Hakim Nezari Quhestani
* Amir Ali Khan Sheibany, PhD, founder and first CEO of Zob Ahan Esfahan (Esfahan Steel Company)
* Seyyed Mohammad Tadayyon
* Asadollah Alam, prime minister of Iran during Pahlavi dynasty
* Sima Bina, Iranian folk music singer
* Ahmad Kamyabi Mask, writer and renowned theater scholar
* Mohammad Hassan Ganji, geographer
* Mohammad Reza Hafeznia
* Ardalan Shoja Kaveh, actor