Larestan County

Early history

In the medieval ages, Laristan was ruled by the local Miladian dynasty, until it was removed by a Safavid invasion in 1602 led by Allahverdi Khan. In the thirteenth century, Larestan briefly became a center of trade and commerce in southern Persia.^[5] Larestan was nearly always an obscure region, never becoming involved in the politics and conflicts of mainstream Persia.^[5]

The historical region of Larestan consists of several counties in Fars province (Larestan County, Khonj County, Gerash County and Lamerd County) and Bastak County in Hormozgan province.^[6][7]

Administrative changes

In November 2008, Beyram, Evaz, and Gerash Districts were separated from the county in the establishment of Gerash County.^[8] However, Beyram and Evaz Districts were returned to Larestan County six months later.^[9] The village of Latifi was elevated to the status of a city,^[10] and the village of Emad Deh became the city of Emadshahr.^[11]

In December 2017, the village of Dehkuyeh rose to city status.^[12] Evaz District was separated from the county in 2018 to establish Evaz County.^[13] Juyom District^[b] was separated from the county in 2021 in the establishment of Juyom County and renamed the Central District.^[14]

Language

Larestani people speak the Larestani language.^[16] Larestani people are of Persian descent,^[5] the majority of Larestani people are Sunnis.^{[5][17][18][19]} Larestani people call themselves "Khodmooni".

Population

At the time of the 2006 census, the county's population was 223,235 in 49,571 households.^[20] The following census in 2011 counted 226,879 people in 54,686 households.^[21] The 2016 census measured the population of the county as 213,920 in 60,410 households.^[2]

Administrative divisions

Larestan County's population history and administrative structure over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.