Malekan County


Malekan County is in East Azerbaijan province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Malekan. The county is one of the most productive regions for grapes in Iran.

Etymology

The word Malekan is derived from Malek Kandi, "the village of the king." However, there are various theories pertaining to the origin of the name "Malekan Kandi". The first hypothesis is that because the grounds were owned by the Qajars, the city had been named after the founder and king of the dynasty. The second conjecture holds that because there have been several kings that have come and gone in the past, it has been named this way. The third and the last supposition is that the name Malek Kandi is derived from the name of a king named Maleknia.

History

In 2013, the village of Mobarakabad was elevated to city status as Mobarak Shahr.
In 2023, Leylan District was separated from the county in the establishment of Leylan County and renamed the Central District. At the same time, Gavdul-e Sharqi Rural District was separated from the Central District in the formation of Aq Manar District, including the new Gavdul-e Jonubi Rural District.

Demographics

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the county's population was 100,366 in 24,823 households. The following census in 2011 counted 106,118 people in 29,686 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the county as 111,319 in 33,598 households.

Administrative divisions

Malekan County's population history and administrative structure over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.