FARS, a province of Persia, bounded on the north by the provinces of Khuzistan and Isfahan, on the east by Yazd and Kir man, and on the south by the Persian gulf. It lies roughly between 5o° and 57° E., and 26° and 32° N., and is composed of a great number of districts grouped together into some 20 sub-provinces, each under a governor. The coast towns of Bushire, Lingeh, Ban dar Abbas, Jask, Chahbar and some other smaller places. though not all geographically within the boundaries of Fars, form a sep arate administrative district known as the "Gulf Ports" or "South ern Ports" under a governor appointed from Tehran.
Fars was the ancient Persis (q.v.) or Persia in the narrowest sense, the ancestral home of the Persians. The country was in those days covered with fortresses, the best known of which were the three citadels which were built on peaks round Istakhr (see PERSEPOLIS) .
Climatically, Fars may be divided into garmsir and sardsir the warm and cold regions. The former extends from the coast to the foothills running parallel to it and includes the coastal districts of Liravi, Haiat Daud, Rud Hillah, Angali, Shabankareh, Zira, Dashtistan, Tangistan and Dashti. The sardsir embraces the mountainous parts of the province which form a succession of ridges, prolongations of the Zagros chain, running from north-west to south-east and intersected by elevated plains some of which are fertile and afford good pasture. The highest of these moun tains, the Kuh Dina in the north-western part of the province, has an elevation of over 13,00o feet. The rivers within the limits of Fars are the Rud Hillah and Mund, and a notable feature is the great inland depressions or salt lakes near the middle of the prov ince into which several inland streams drain.
The chief town of the province is Shiraz (q.v.) 182 m. N.E. of Bushire, and other populous centres are Niriz, Lar, Abadeh, Darab, Jahrum, Arsinjan, Ardakan, Fasa, Bastak, Kazerun, Firuzabad and Minab (under Bandar Abbas, q.v.). The population has been estimated at 7 50,00o but this is probably much too high. About a third are nomads of mixed race and turbulent character. Among the tribes of Fars are the Mamasseni whose habitat lies north of Kazerun; the Khamseh, a group of tribes of Arab origin and speech ; and the Qashqai, really a collection of tribes, of Turk origin and speech and migratory habits, who are somewhat scat tered and whose summer resorts are in the highlands between Shiraz and Isfahan. The Qashqai are nominally under the control of an Ilkhani or chief, but his influence in Fars, which was once great, has of recent years been greatly restricted by the Central Government.
Many districts of Fars are comparatively fertile, but are now impoverished by droughts, ravages of locusts and past misgovern ment. The products consist principally of cereals, tobacco, fruits and opium, with a little cotton. The wine of Shiraz is highly thought of in Persia, and is, on occasions, of excellent quality. Tobacco, of excellent quality, is grown mainly around Fasa, Darab and Jahrum for home consumption, and rosewater is exported from Maimand. Sulphur and lead are found, but not in commer cial quantities. The coastal region of Fars has been explored for petroleum, several wells having been sunk by the Anglo-Persian Oil Co. Ltd. at Salakh on Qishm island and at Bikarz, Chilingar and Gach Qaraguli, north of Ganawah, but hitherto without result. A well was also sunk by the Persian Mining Rights Corporation in 189o-95 near Dalaki, but without success.
The revenue of Fars and Southern Ports in 1926-27 was 20, 677,167 Krans, coming fourth, in order of importance, as a revenue producing province. (P. Z. C.)