Fars Province (; , , ), also known as Pars Province (, ) as well as Persis (the origin of the name "Persia"), is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. With an area of 122,400 km2, it is located in Iran's southwest, in Region 2, and its administrative center is Shiraz. Fars province neighbours Bushehr province to the west, Hormozgan province to the south, Kerman and Yazd provinces to the east, Isfahan province to the north, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province to the northwest.
At the 2006 census, the province numbered 4,220,721 people in 1,014,690 households. As of the following census in 2011, Fars had a population of 4,596,658 people in 1,250,135 households, of whom 67.6% were registered as urban dwellers (urban/suburbs), 32.1% villagers (small town/rural), and 0.3% nomad tribes. The most recent census in 2016 counted 4,851,274 people in 1,443,027 households.
Fars is the historical homeland of the Persian people. It was the homeland of the Achaemenid and Sasanian Persian dynasties of Iran, who reigned on the throne by the time of the ancient Persian Empires. The ruins of the Achaemenid capitals Pasargadae and Persepolis, among others, demonstrate the ancient history of the region. Due to the historical importance of this region, the entire country has historically been also referred to as Persia in the West. Prior to Arab rule, this region was known as Pars.
Etymology
The Persian word Fârs (), derived from the earlier form Pârs (), which is in turn derived from (), the Old Persian name for the Persis region. The names Parsa and Persia originate from this region.
Administrative divisions
Cities
According to the 2016 census, 3,401,675 people (over 70% of the population of Fars province) live in the following cities: Abadeh 59,116, Abadeh Tashk 7,379, Ahel 3,179, Alamarvdasht 4,068, Ardakan 14,633, Arsanjan 17,706, Asir 3,042, Bab Anar 7,061, Baba Monir 1,379, Bahman 7,568, Baladeh 5,972, Banaruiyeh 9,077, Beyram 7,300, Beyza 7,252, Darab 70,232, Darian 10,037, Dehram 3,468, Dezhkord 3,924, Do Borji 2,907, Dobiran 13,809, Duzeh 1,348, Efzar 2,657, Emad Deh 4,235, Emam Shahr 5,803, Eqlid 44,341, Eshkanan 9,115, Estahban 36,410, Evaz 19,987, Fadami 4,097, Farashband 20,320, Fasa 110,825, Firuzabad 65,417, Galleh Dar 13,448, Gerash 34,469, Hajjiabad 21,675, Hamashahr 3,852, Hasanabad 2,045, Hesami 3,131, Ij 6,246, Izadkhast 5,910, Jahrom 141,634, Jannat Shahr 13,598, Juyom 8,010, Kamfiruz 3,713, Karzin 8,841, Kavar 31,711, Kazerun 96,683, Khaneh Zenyan 4,027, Khaniman 3,020, Khavaran 4,332, Kherameh 18,477, Khesht 9,599, Khonj 19,217, Khumeh Zar 6,220, Khur 7,338, Khuzi 3,245, Konartakhteh 6,081, Korehi 3,954, Kuhenjan 3,281, Kupon 3,237, Lamerd 29,380, Lapui 8,985, Lar 62,045, Latifi 7,300, Madar-e Soleyman 1,546, Marvdasht 148,858, Masiri 9,031, Mazayjan 3,567, Meshkan 4,617, Meymand 10,120, Miyan Deh 5,912, Mobarakabad 4,707, Mohr 7,784, Neyriz 49,850, Now Bandegan 2,410, Nowdan 2,892, Nujin 3,769, Nurabad 57,058, Qaderabad 14,973, Qaemiyeh 26,918, Qarah Bulaq 6,772, Qatruyeh 2,895, Qir 20,010, Qotbabad 7,476, Ramjerd 2,550, Runiz 5,760, Saadat Shahr 17,131, Safashahr 26,933, Sarvestan 18,187, Sedeh 6,747, Seyyedan 8,574, Shahr-e Pir 8,927, Shahr-e Sadra 91,863, Sheshdeh 5,960, Shiraz 1,565,572, Soghad 12,582, Soltanabad 1,928, Surian 9,776, Surmaq 3,050, Varavi 4,622, Zahedshahr 9,719, and Zarqan 32,261.
Most populous cities
The following sorted table lists the most populous cities in Fars according to the 2016 census results announced by the Statistical Center of Iran.
Demographics
The main ethnic group in the province consists of Persians (including Larestani people and the Basseri), while Qashqai, Lurs, Arabs, Kurds, Georgians, and Circassians constitute minorities.
Due to the geographical characteristics of Fars and its proximity to the Persian Gulf, Fars has long been a residing area for various peoples and rulers of Iran. However, the tribes of Fars including, Mamasani Lurs, Khamseh and Kohkiluyeh have kept their native and unique cultures and lifestyles which constitute part of the cultural heritage of Iran attracting many tourists. Kurdish tribes include Uriad, Zangana, Chegini, Kordshuli and Kuruni.
Among the hundreds of thousands of Georgians and Circassians that were transplanted to Persia under Shah Abbas I, his predecessors, and successors, a certain amount of them were to guard the main caravan routes; many were settled around Āspās and other villages along the old Isfahan-Shiraz road. By now the vast majority Caucasians that were settled in Fars have lost their cultural, linguistic, and religious identity, having mostly being assimilated into the population.