Malekshahi County

Its capital is the city of Arkavaz. The Malekshahi tribe is the largest Kurdish tribe in Ilam.^{[citation needed]}

Malekshahi County Persian: شهرستان ملکشاهی
County
Location of Malekshahi County in Ilam province (center, pink)
Location of Ilam province in Iran
Coordinates: 33°18′N 46°35′E / 33.300°N 46.583°E / 33.300; 46.583
Country	Iran
Province	Ilam
Capital	Arkavaz
Districts	Central, Gachi
Population  (2016)
• Total	21,138
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST)

In November 2008, Malekshahi District was separated from Mehran County in the establishment of Malekshahi County, which was divided into two districts of two rural districts each, with Arkavaz as its capital.

The National Census in 2011 counted 22,587 people in 5,626 households. At the 2016 census, the county's population was 21,138 in 6,022 households.

The name in Persian (ملگشاهی) is from the old name, Melkishi, a Kurdish tribe spread from Ilam to Ardahan province in Turkey. There is a Georgian counterpart to this tribe, namely the Melikishvili. The Malekshahi form one of the largest tribes in Iran, Iraq and Turkey. Melikshahi Kurdish language and dialect is Malekshahi.

The population history and structural changes of Malekshahi County's administrative divisions over two consecutive censuses are shown in the following table. The latest census shows two districts, four rural districts, and three cities.

 

Wiki Commons has media related to Malekshahi County.