The Province of Golestan has an area of 20,380.7 square km., is in the southeast of the Caspian Sea. On the basis of the last divisions of the country in 1996, the townships of the Golestan Province are: Bandar Turkaman, Bandar Gaz, Ali Abad, Kord Kooy, Gorgan, Gonbad Kavoos and Minoo Dasht. The center of Golestan Province is Gorgan. The population of the province was 1.4 million in 1996, of which 41.3% were urban dwellers and 58.2 
percent resided in rural areas and the other 0.5 were non residents.
Golestan Province is divided into two sections, being the plain and mountainous parts, in the direction of Alborz Mountains, surrounding the shore and Caspian plain like an elevated wall. The ground slope reduces from the heights to the plains towards the Caspian Sea. In the southern and eastern plains of the Caspian Sea, influenced by the movements of earth and local winds, sandy hills have formed and a natural shallow dam has been created between the plain and sea. In the eastern Alborz, the direction of mountains is towards the northeast and gradually reduces in height. Its southern mountains are Abar Kooh Mountains and its highest summit being Shavar, 3,945m. in elevation. The northern range is Shahkooh which confronts the plain of Gorgan like a wall. It's highest peak being Pirgard, reaching a height of 3,204 m.