KHARG ISLAND (Pers. Ḵārag, shortened to Ḵārg, contemporary Pers. Ḵārk, Ar. Ḵārak), an island and a district of Bušehr Province in the Persian Gulf. It is referred to as Ḵārag and Ḵārak in medieval Persian and Arabic sources (Ḥodud al-ʿālam, p. 20; Ebn Ḥawqal, p. 47; Eṣṭaḵri, p. 107; Ebn al-Balḵi, p. 150; Yāqut, II, p. 387; Nozhat al-qolub, ed. Le Strange, pp. 137, 171, 234, Dabirsiāqi, p. 106). It appears as “Khārrack” in East India Company records and as Khārag (and Khārgu) in the India Government’s gazetteer of the Persian Gulf (Lorimer, pp. 1019, 1022; Handbuch des Persischen Golfs, 5th ed., Hamburg, Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut, 1976, p. 194). Apparently, the first usage of the shortened Persian form, “Ḵārg” occurred in the late 19th century in Fārs-nāma-ye nāṣeri of Fasāʾi (ed. Rastgār, II, p. 1586).
This entry is divided into the following three sub-articles:
iii. Developments since the 1950s.