Gorgan  pronunciation  (Persian:گرگان‎‎; formerly Astrabad or Astarabad (استرآباد), is the capital of Golestan Province, Iran. It lies approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north east of Tehran, some 30 km (19 mi) away from the Caspian Sea. In the 2006 census, its population was 269,226, in 73,702 families.