Rudbar

Rudbar (Persian: رودبار, romanized: Rudbār) (Gilaki:, Rubâr) is a city in the Central District of Rudbar County, Gilan province, Iran, serving as both capital of the district and of the county.

At the 2006 National Census, its population was 11,454 in 3,303 households. The following census in 2011 counted 10,926 people in 3,406 households. The latest census in 2016 showed a population of 10,504 people in 3,559 households.

Rudbar is 268 kilometres (167 mi) from Tehran and with a variable climate. It is located on the fringes of a valley through which the Sepid River (Sepidrood in Farsi, Esparoo in Roudbari language) flows. Rudbar can be considered as a gateway to the Gīlān Province from central Iran.

Its name (meaning "by the river" in Persian) is a reference to the river named Sepid Rood (Sepid Roud) that passes by the city. Rudbar is also called "Roodbar Zeitoun (olive)" for the olive gardens in the area.

Rudbar's local economy notably includes olives and olive-based products. Groves of olive trees surround the city. Olive oil is produced locally. Rudbar is also known for its cream-hued, handcrafted carpets of fine quality. Despite the olive gardens that may suggest presence of a Mediterranean climate, the winters are very cold in the area. The winds in the Sepid Rood valley (Manjil) are well known in the country.

Main language there is the Roudbari Language, a subdivision of Mard indigenous language. There are several dialects and ethnicities in Gilan who have either their own language from South Caspies or slight variations to the way they speak. Some of these "sub-dialects" of Gilaki are Rashti, Some’e Sarai, Eastern Gilaki (Lahijan, Langerud, Rudesar, Amlash, chaboksar). The majority of the people in Rudbar are Mards, and a minority are Talysh. They speak the Talysh Language and Gilaki.