FARS, Pars or Farsistan, is the province of the kingdom of Persia which gives its name to the country. It lies between lat. 27° 20' and 31° 42' N., and long. 49° 20' and 54° E., being about 220 miles in length and breadth. It has Kirman and Luristan on the east, the Persian Gulf on the south, Khuzistan on the west, and Irak-Ajam on the north, with a superficies of about 44,335 geographical square tones, or nearly one-third of France. It has many rich and picturesque tracts, and is less desert than other parts of Persia. This province of Persia contains the salt la.kes of Bakhtegan (also called Niriz) and Dereachte, which are in tho neighbourhood of Shiraz ; and there is a fresh-water lake in the plain of Zerdan. The principal streams aro tho Bendamir or Aram, which receives the Kur-ab or Cyrus river, as it falls into lake Bakhtegan, and the Nabon, whose course is from Firozabad southward to tho Persian Gulf. In this province are also the higher parts of the two branches of the Tab. Towards the north (according to Mr. 3forier) Madar-i-Suliman marks the tomb of Cyrus (son of Cambyses); to the west are the ruins of Kula Safed ; and nearly in the centre are those of the ancient capital, I'ersepolis. This territory represents ancient Persia, which was watered by the Amxes, Gyndes, Oroatis, Arasis, Pelents., and Bagrad. Its cities were Corna, Axima, Arbrca, and Artacana, besides many others whose sites are unknown. Persepolis was the capital in the time of Alexander ; more anciently, tho seat of the government was at Pasargada (Strabo, lib. xv. p. 729), the Persagadis of Quintus Curtius (lib. v. cap. vi.); but as this historian speaks of the fortress of Persepolis, and tho city of Persagadis (Farsa-Gerd ?), it is possible that the extensive ruins in the plain near the former, may be the Pasargada of Pliny (lib. vi. cap. xxvi.). The tribes now inhabiting it are,— Feili, 100 houses, Lek, Persians and Lek. Ilyat, 120 houses, Turk.
Bergushadi, 50 houses, Turk.
Gurani 400 houses and tents, Lek.
Kajar Afshar, a mixed tribo of Turk, 250 houses, and Lek 100 houses.
Abulvardi, 300 tents, smugglers engaged in trade. Tewellellee, 40 houses, Turk cuitivators.
Amelsh, 40 houses, Turk cultivators.
Zargar Lek and Kara Guzlu Turk, 100 houses.
Basile 3300 tents, of Arab descent. Arab,'7300 tents.
Kashki, 30,000 to 90,000 tents of Turks. Mamasenm, 8000 tents and houses of Lek.
The entire southern region of Fars, bordering on the Persian Gulf, is called the Garmsair. It extends from the sea to the latitude of Kazerun, and runs parallel with the Persian Gulf. From the banks of the Tab to the confines of Luristan, from Bushir eastward as far as Cangoon, the tract is named the Dushtistan, or land of plains. The Tungistan is a small tmet of land east of I3ushir. The greater portion of the people of the whole Garmsair consists of an independent lawless set, mtusy of the tribes being robbers by profession. A huge wall of mountains separates the Garm Bair or low region, from the Sardsair or high table-land of Persia. One of the most conspicuous of these is an abrupt lofty hill named Honnooj, where specimens of coal wens found. Sardsau is also termed the Sa.rhada, a word literally signifying boundary or frontier, but, them, is generally applied to any high land where the climate is cold. The Sea. of Oman, or Persian Gulf, called also Persian Sea, Erythrean Sea, also Sea of Fars, has several islands, the Jazirah-i Lafet, called also Jazimh-i-Damz, or Long Island, known on maps ws Kishm ; also Khareg Island, on maps Karrack, a small island, but well watered, not very far from Bushir, which once belonged to the Dutch, and was held from 1838 to 1846 by the British.—Onseley's Tr. I. p. 304 ; Kinneir's Per. Empire, p. 54 ; Chaney's Euphrates, p. 210 ; Porter's 2'r. p. 548 ; MacGregor's Persia.