Bushire

Seaport and capital of Bushire province, southern Iran; population (1991) 133,000. Bushire is situated at the northern end of a peninsula on the eastern shore of the Gulf. The port is linked by road to Shiraz, and it serves as a trade centre for much of inland Iran.

At one time Bushire was the most important naval base in Persia, and was the seat of the British Political Residency in the Gulf; monuments of the British occupation can still be seen. The port was badly damaged during the Iran–Iraq war (1980–88), but it is quickly regaining its regional status.

In 1763 an agreement was entered into with Sheikh Sadun of Bushire for the establishment of an English factory here, the agreement being confirmed by Karim Khan, the Persian ruler; but in 1769 the English withdrew from Bushire to Basra.