Astara is a city in and the capital of Astara County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 86,757 in 25,192 families. It lies on the border with Azerbaijan Republic and on the Caspian Sea. It is a relatively important border trade center between Iran and the Caucasus
Rice has being cultivated in this region for many years, where some indigenous cultivars (landrace) were conventionally bred by farmers