The Kermanshah Province with an area of 24,461 square kilometers is located in the west of the country. This province from the east is limited to the Hamedan Province, from the north to Kurdestan Province, from the west to Iraq and from the south to Ilam and Lurestan provinces. According to the latest divisions of the country in 1996, the townships of Kermanshah were Islam Abad Qarb, Paveh, Javan Rood, Sar Pol-e-Zahab, Sonqor, Sahneh, Qasr-e-Shirin, Kermanshah,
Kangavar, Gilan Qarb, Harsin.The population of the province in 1996 was about 1.8 million out of which 61.7 percent were settled in the cities and 37.7 % resided in rural areas, the rest were non-residents. The Province of Kermanshah is located between Iranian Plateau and Mesopotamia Plain in the mountainous area and Zagross heights along with summits cover the whole area. Parts of the slopes of a lower incline and mountainous expansion are low lands and alluvium plains.