Shahkooh Village :( Part1)
In this article we are going to talk of a village that symbolizes success in information technology in Iranian villages. Shahkooh village is in Golestan province, northern Iran, and is the first Iranian village to experience communication and facilities via the internet before any other village in the country. Internet training courses and programs in this village have attracted the attention of its people from different ages. Now, keep us company to learn more about Shahkooh village.
Golestan province is one of the beautiful regions of Iran which has plenty of tourist attraction sites such as parks, ponds, waterfalls, forests, dams, and magnificent villages. Small villages in the countryside of Golestan province can be counted as one of the most attractive eco-tourist sites in this part of northern Iran. Thanks to the fertile plains of the province and stunning landscapes, these villages enjoy a beautiful nature and cool weather. In addition to all these, forest, mountain, and rock overlays have paved the ground for development of natural and recreational tourism. Shahkooh, Jahan-nama, and Ziarat villages are among these.
The mountainous village of Shahkooh is located in Central Alborz, 65 km south east of Gorgan. It is 2450 meters above sea level, located along Darreh Rino and Keno Darreh valleys and surrounded by the mounts Khosh Dashti, Shirkosh, Siahpoosh, Tarakeh Chal and Gavkoshan. Due to its being mountainous, Shahkooh village has cold winters and moderate summers. Being located on the mountain slopes it enjoys light and dry weather. It has an old history behind and used to be in the main road connecting the great Khorasan and Shahrood. According to the statistics carried out in the 2006, the population of Shahkooh village is about 700 people who speak the regional Mazandarani dialect. However, due to cold weather and snow in the region, half of its population migrates in winter, and there is a rise in population during summer.
The flora of Shahkooh region consists of pasture plants and juniper trees. Pastures in this region have a very wide range of plant species from which mention can be made of milk-vetch. Sagebrush, wild rue and many other species of plants can also be found in regional pastures. Juniper trees have added to the importance of the region since this kind of tree has a long growing period and a very tough and hard wood. Therefore its wood was used in the past in constructing houses of Shahkooh village. That is why even after the lapse of hundreds of years, pieces of wood used in them have still remained whole and sound. There are also proper conditions in Shahkooh region for medicinal plants to grow wildly.
Most of Shahkooh inhabitants earn their income from activities like farming, gardening, and animal husbandry; while some others work in the fields of handicrafts. Among agricultural products cultivated in the village we can name wheat, barley, potato, oil seeds, and vegetables; apricot, apple, and almond are also some of the gardening products of this region. Rich pastures existing around the village have led to a flourishing animal husbandry which in turn has brought about production of wool, meat, milk, yogurt, and butter. It is noteworthy that with the opportunity provided for the people of this region to connect to the internet, some of the youth could manage to work remotely and make connection to different places around the world. Many of the villagers have been taught how to make use of the cyberspace in Shahkooh's IC center, and the young inhabitants of this village refer to this center for different activities.
Source: Iran English radio
Other links:
Geographical Position, Golestan
