Javanrud

Javanrud is a city in the Central District of Javanrud County, Kermanshah province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The city is located 79 kilometers north of Kermanshah and is 1,300 meters above sea level.

At the 2006 National Census, its population was 43,104 in 9,591 households. The following census in 2011 counted 51,483 people in 13,043 households. The latest census in 2016 showed a population of 54,354 people in 15,010 households.

Etymology
The name of the city is derived from the Kurdish Javanrud tribe, which had formerly dominated the area, and which has now become almost fully urban.

History
During its early history, Javanrud was part of the loosely defined Ardalan province, the previous name of the present-day Kurdistan province. In 1909, its vali (governor) Aman-Allah Khan Ardalan ((r. 1799 – 1825)) ordered the construction of a fortress named Qal'a-ye Javanrud on a small hill near the middle of the Javanrud. In the mid-1970s, Javanrud was added to the Kermanshah province, later receiving its own sub-province in 1989.

Demographics
The city is populated by Kurds, from various tribal backgrounds, who adhere to Sunni Islam. However, the Jaff tribe is the main tribe in the city. The two Sufi branches Naqshbandi and Qadiriyya have a strong presence in the city as well. The locals speak Gorani, Sorani and Persian.