Larestan County

Larestan County is in Fars province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Lar.

Early history
In the medieval ages, Laristan was ruled by the local dynasty of Miladi, until it was removed by a Safavid invasion in 1610. In the thirteenth century, Larestan briefly became a center of trade and commerce in southern Persia. Larestan was nearly always an obscure region, never becoming involved in the politics and conflicts of mainstream Persia.

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.

Administrative changes
After the 2006 National Census, Gerash District was separated from the county in the establishment of Gerash County, which was divided into two districts of two rural districts each, with Gerash as its capital and only city at the time. The village of Latifi was elevated to the status of a city, and the village of Emad Deh became the city of Emadshahr.

In December 2017, the village of Dehkuyeh rose to city status. Evaz District was separated from the county in 2018 to form Evaz County, which was divided into two districts of two rural districts each, with the city of Evaz as its capital. Juyom District was separated from the county on 25 March 2021 to form Juyom County, which was also divided into two districts of two rural districts each, with Juyom as its capital and only city.

Language
Larestani people speak the Larestani language. Larestani people are of Persian descent, the majority of Larestani people are Sunnis. Larestani people call themselves "Khodmooni".

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

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

Climate
Lar has a hot desert climate (BWh). Snowfall in Larestan is a very rare event. In February 2017, it snowed in this city after 50 years.