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Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf from space
Location Western Asia
Type Gulf
Primary
inflows
Sea of Oman
Basin countries Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab
Emirates and Oman (exclave of
Musandam)
Max. length 989 km (615 mi)
Surface area 251,000 km2(97,000 sq mi)
Average depth 50 m (160 ft)
Max. depth 90 m (300 ft)
Persian GulfFrom Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia
The Persian Gulfis located in Western Asia between Iran
to the northeast and the Arabian Peninsula to the southwest.
The Persian Gulf is an extension of the Indian Ocean (Gulf of
Oman) through the Strait of Hormuz.[1]The Shatt al-Arab
river delta formsthe northwest shoreline.
The Gulf was a battlefield of the 19801988 Iran-Iraq War,
in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers. It is the
namesake of the 1991 Gulf War, the largely air- and land-
based conflict that followed Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
The Persian Gulf has many fishing grounds, extensive coral
reefs, and abundant pearl oysters, but its ecology has been
damaged by industrialization and oil spills.
The body of water is historically and internationally known as
the "Persian Gulf".[2][3][4]Some Arab governments refer to it
as the "Arabian Gulf" or "The Gulf",[5]but neither term is
recognized internationally. The name "Gulf of Iran (Persian
Gulf)" is used by the International Hydrographic
Organization.[6]
Contents
1 Geography
1.1 Extent
2 Oil and gas
3 Etymology
4 Naming dispute
5 History
5.1 Ancient history
5.2 Colonial era
6 Islands
7 Cities and population
7.1 Major cities
8 Wildlife
8.1 Gallery
Coordinates: 26N 52
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Map of the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Oman leads t
the Arabian Sea. Detail from larger map of theMiddle East.
Considering the historical background of the name Persian Gulf, Sir Arnold Wilson mentions in a book, published
1928 that:
No water channel has been so significant as Persian Gulf to the geologists, archaeologists,geographers, merchants, politicians, excursionists, and scholars whether in past or in present. Thiswater channel which separates the Iran Plateau from the Arabia Plate, has enjoyed an Iranian
Identity since at least 2200 years ago.[1] During the years 550 to 330 BC, coinciding with the sovereignty of the first Persian Empire over the Middle East
area, especially the whole part of the Persian Gulf and some parts of the Arabian Peninsula, the name of "Pars Seais widely found in the compiled written texts.[1]
In the travel account of Pythagoras, several chapters are related to description of his travels accompanied by Dari
the Great, to Susa and Persepolis, and the area is described. From among the writings of others in the same period
there is the inscription and engraving of Darius the great, installed at junction of waters of Red Sea (also called
"Arabian Gulf" or "Ahmar Sea") and the Nile river and the Rome river (current Mediterranean) which belongs to th
5th century BC where, Darius the Great, the king of the Achaemenid Empire has named the Persian Gulf Water
Channel: Pars Sea(Persian Sea).[1]
Before being given the present name, the Persian Gulf was called many different names. The classical Greekwriters, like Herodotus, called it 'the Red Sea'. In Babylonian texts it was known as 'the sea above Akkad'.
Naming dispute
The name of the gulf, historically and internationally known as the Persian Gulf after the land of Persia (Iran), has
been disputed by some Arab countries since the 1960s.[12]Rivalry between Iran and some Arab states, along with
the emergence of pan-Arabism and Arab nationalism, has seen the nameArabian Gulfbecome predominant in
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A historical map of the Persian Gulf in a Dubai
museum with the wordPersianremoved[10][11]
Picture depicting extent of earlycivilizations around the Persian Gulf,
including Lackhmids, and Sassanids.
Picture depicting the Achaemenid
Persian empire in relation to the
Persian Gulf.
most Arab countries.[13][14]Names beyond these two have also been applied to or proposed for this body of
water.
History
Ancient history
The world's oldest known civilization (Sumer) developed
along the Persian Gulf. The shallow basin that now underlies
the Gulf was an extensive region of river valley and
wetlands during the transition between the end of the Last
Glacial Maximum and the start of the Holocene, which,
according to University of Birmingham archaeologist Jeffrey
Rose, served as an environmental refuge for early humans
during periodic hyperarid climate oscillations, laying the
foundations for the legend of Dilmun[15]For most of the
early history of the settlements in the Persian Gulf, thesouthern shores were ruled by a series of nomadic tribes.
During the end of the fourth millennium BC, the southern part of the
Persian Gulf was dominated by the Dilmun civilization. For a long time
the most important settlement on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf
was Gerrha. In the 2nd century the Lakhum tribe, who lived in what is
now Yemen, migrated north and founded the Lakhmid Kingdom along
the southern coast. Occasional ancient battles took place along the
Persian Gulf coastlines, between the Sassanid Persian empire and the
Lakhmid Kingdom, the most prominent of which was the invasion led by
Shapur II against the Lakhmids, leading to Lakhmids' defeat, andadvancement into Arabia, along the southern shore lines.[16]During the
7th century the Sassanid Persian empire conquered the whole of the
Persian Gulf, including southern and northern shores.
Between 625 BC and 226 AD, the northern side was dominated by a
succession of Persian empires including the Median, Achaemenid,
Seleucid and Parthian empires. Under the leadership of the Achaemenid
king Darius the Great (Darius I), Persian ships found their way to the
Persian Gulf.[17]Persian naval forces laid the foundation for a strong
Persian maritime presence in Persian Gulf, that started with Darius I andexisted until the arrival of the British East India Company, and the Royal
Navy by mid-19th century AD. Persians were not only stationed on
islands of the Persian Gulf, but also had ships often of 100 to 200
capacity patrolling empire's various rivers including Shatt-al-Arab, Tigris,
and the Nile in the west, as well as Sind waterway, in India.[17]
The Achaemenid high naval command had established major naval bases located along Shatt al-Arab river,
Bahrain, Oman, and Yemen. The Persian fleet would soon not only be used for peacekeeping purposes along the
Shatt al-Arab but would also open the door to trade with India via Persian Gulf.[17][18]
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Picture depicting "Persian Corridor"
through which the Allies provided
supplies to USSR.
Following the fall of Achaemenid Empire, and after the fall of the Parthian Empire, the Sassanid empire ruled the
northern half and at times the southern half of the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf, along with the Silk Road, were
important trade routes in the Sassanid empire. Many of the trading ports of the Persian empires were located in or
around Persian Gulf. Siraf, an ancient Sassanid port that was located on the northern shore of the gulf, located in
what is now the Iranian province of Bushehr, is an example of such commercial port. Siraf, was also significant in
that it had a flourishing commercial trade with China by the 4th century,
having first established connection with the far east in 185 AD.[19]
Colonial era
Portuguese expansion into the Indian Ocean in the early 16th century
following Vasco da Gama's voyages of exploration saw them battle the
Ottomans up the coast of the Persian Gulf. In 1521, a Portuguese force
led by commander Antonio Correia invaded Bahrain to take control of
the wealth created by its pearl industry. On April 29, 1602, Shh Abbs,
the Persian emperor of the Safavid Persian Empire expelled the
Portuguese from Bahrain,[20]and that date is commemorated as National
Persian Gulf day in Iran.[21]With the support of the British fleet, in 1622
'Abbs took the island of Hormuz from the Portuguese; much of the
trade was diverted to the town of Bandar 'Abbs, which he had taken
from the Portuguese in 1615 and had named after himself. The Persian
Gulf was therefore opened by Persians to a flourishing commerce with
the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Spanish and the British merchants, who
were granted particular privileges.
In World War II, the Western Allies used Iran as a conduit to transport
military and industrial supply to Russia (USSR), through a pathway
known historically as the "Persian Corridor". This path would utilize theTrans-Iranian Railway, but in order for the supply to be transported to
Iran, Britain utitlized the Persian Gulf as the entry point for the supply chain.[22]Persian Gulf therefore became a
critical maritime path through which the Allies transported equipment, to Russia against the Nazi invasion.[23]
From 1763 until 1971, the British Empire maintained varying degrees of political control over some of the Persian
Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates (originally called the Trucial States)[24][25]and at various times
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar through the British Residency of the Persian Gulf. United Kingdom maintains a
high profile in the region to date; in 2006 alone, over 1 million British nationals visited Dubai.[26]
Islands
Persian Gulf is home to many small islands. Bahrain an island in the Persian Gulf, is itself a Persian Gulf Arab state
Geographically the biggest island in the Persian Gulf is Qeshm island located in the Strait of Hormuz and belonging
to Iran. Other significant islands in the Persian Gulf include Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Kish administered by
Iran, Bubiyan administered by Kuwait, Tarout administered by Saudi Arabia, and Dalma administered by UAE. In
recent years, there has also been addition of artificial islands, often created by Arab states such as UAE for
commercial reasons or as tourist resorts. Although very small, these artificial islands have had a negative impact on
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Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates
Kuwait City, Kuwait Manama, Bahrain
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Doha, Qatar
the mangrove habitats upon which they are built, often causing unpredicted environmental issues. Persian Gulf
islands are often also historically significant having been used in the past by colonial powers such as the Portuguese
and the British in their trade or as acquisitions for their empires.[27]
Cities and population
Eight nations have coasts along the gulf: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United
Arab Emirates. The gulf's strategic location has made it an ideal place for human development over time. Today,many major cities of the Middle East are located in this region.
Major cities
Wildlife
The wildlife of the Persian Gulf is diverse, and entirely unique due to the gulf's geographic distribution and its
isolation from the international waters only breached by the narrow Strait of Hormuz. The Persian Gulf has hosted
some of the most magnificent marine fauna and flora, some of which are near extinction or at serious environmenta
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risk. From corals, to dugongs, Persian Gulf is a diverse cradle for many species who depend on each other for
survival.
A great example of this symbiosis are the mangroves in the gulf, which require tidal flow and a combination of fres
and salt water for growth, and act as nurseries for many crabs, small fish, and insects; these fish and insects are the
source of food for many of the marine birds that feed on them. [28]Mangroves are a diverse group of shrubs and
trees belonging to the genusAvicenniaorRhizophorathat flourish in the salt water shallows of the gulf, and are th
most important habitats for small crustaceans that dwell in them. They are as crucial an indicator of biological healt
on the surface of the water, as the corals are to biological health of the gulf in deeper waters. Mangroves' ability to
survive the salt water through intricate molecular mechanisms, their unique reproductive cycle, and their ability to
grow in the most oxygen-deprived waters have allowed them extensive growth in hostile areas of the gulf. [29][30]
Unfortunately, however, with the advent of artificial island development, most of their habitat is destroyed, or
occupied by man-made structures. This has had a negative impact on the crustaceans that rely on the mangrove,
and in turn on the species that feed on them.
One of the more unusual marine mammals living in the Persian Gulf isDugong dugon, commonly referred to as th
dugong. Called "sea cows" for their grazing habits, their mild manner and resemblance to the livestock, dugongs
have a life expectancy similar to that of humans and can reach lengths of up to 3 meters. These gentle mammals
feed on the sea grass and genetically resemble the land mammals more than the dolphins and the whales. [31]
Despite the simplicity of their grass diet, new developments along the Persian Gulf coastline, particularly artificial
island development in Arab states, pollution particularly by oil spills caused during the "Persian Gulf war" and also
due to occasional oil spills, and uncontrolled hunting has had a negative impact on the survival of the dugongs.[31]
After Australian waters with some 80,000 dugong inhabitants, the waters off Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, and Saudi
Arabia have some 7,500 dugongs remaining, making the Persian Gulf the second most important habitat for the
species. Dugong's current number is dwindling and it is not clear how many are currently alive or what their
reproductive trend is.[31][32]Unfortunately, ambitious and uncalculated construction schemes, political unrest and a
ever present international conflict, and presence of the most lucrative world supply of oil, along with lack of
cooperation between Arab states and Iran, has had a negative impact on the survival of many marine species,
including dugongs.
Coral is another important inhabitant of the Persian Gulf waters. Corals are vital ecosystems that support multitude
of marine species, and whose health directly reflects the health of the gulf. Recent years have seen a drastic decline
in the coral population in the gulf, partially owing to global warming but majorly due to irresponsible dumping by
Arab states like UAE and Bahrain.[33]Construction garbage such as tires, cement, and chemical by products have
found their way to the Persian Gulf in recent years. Aside from direct damage to the coral, the construction waste
creates "traps" for marine life in which they are trapped and die.[33]The end result has been a dwindling population
of the coral, and as a result a decrease in number of species that rely on the corals for their survival.
The Persian Gulf is also home to many migratory and local birds. There is great variation in color, size, and type of
the bird species that call the gulf home. One bird in particular, the kalbaensis, a sub-species of the kingfishers is at
the brink of extinction due to real state development by cities such as Dubai and countries such as Oman.[28]
Estimates from 2006 showed that only three viable nesting sites were available for this ancient bird, one located 80
miles (129 km) from Dubai, and two smaller sites in Oman, all of which are in the process of becoming real estate
developments.[28]Such expansion would prove devastating and could cause this species to become extinct.
Unfortunately for the kingfisher, a U.N. plan to protect the mangroves as a biological reserve was blatantly ignored
by the emirate of Sharjah, which allowed the dredging of a channel that bisects the wetland and construction of an
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Dugong mother and its
offspring in shallow water.
A healthy coral is an
indication of a viable aquatic
One variant of the kingfisher
bird group.
adjacent concrete walkway.[28]Environmental watchdogs in Arabia are few, and those that do advocate the
wildlife are often silenced or ignored by developers of real estate, most of whom have royal family connections and
huge energy profits to invest.[28]The end result has been sacrifice of a beautiful yet delicate ecology that has been
harmony for hundreds of years, for structures that are erected only a few years, yet will have a lasting detrimental
effect.
Almost no species in the Persian Gulf is spared from the real estate development of UAE and Oman, including the
hawksbill turtle, the flamingo, and the booted warblers, mainly due to destruction of the mangrove habitats to makway for towers, hotels, and luxury resorts.[28][34]Even dolphins that frequent the gulf in northern waters, around
Iran are at serious risk. Recent statistics and observations show that dolphins are at danger of entrapment in purse
seine fishing nets and exposure to chemical pollutants; perhaps the most alarming sign is the "mass suicides"
committed by dolphins off Iran's Hormozgan province, which are not well understood, but are suspected to be
linked with a deteriorating marine environment from water pollution from oil, sewage, and industrial run offs.[35][36
The Persian Gulf is also home to over 700 species of fish, most of which are native to the gulf. [37]Of these 700
species, more than 80% are coral reef associated, and directly or indirectly depend on the coral reef for their
survival.
[37]
Overall, the wild life of the Persian Gulf is endangered from both global factors, and regional, localnegligence. Most pollution is from ships; land generated pollution counts as the second most common source of
pollution,[38]ranging from mercury, to acidic or basic toxins.
Gallery
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Dolphinsoff the southern
shore ofIran, around
Palm and sunset in Minoo
Island (Persian Gulf).
The gulf is the location of
many of the region's primary
See also
Arabcuisine of the Persian Gulf
Cradle of civilization
Deluge (prehistoric)
Gulf of Aden
References
1. ^ abcdUnited Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names Working Paper No. 61
(http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/ungegn/docs/23-gegn/wp/gegn23wp61.pdf), 23rd Session, Vienna, 28 March
4 April 2006. accessed October 9, 2010
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32. ^"Persian Gulf Mermaids Face Environmental Threats" (http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/03/dugong-mermai
persian-gulf/). Maurice Picow. 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
33. ^ ab"Dumping by Construction Crews Killing Bahrain Coral" (http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/06/coral-
bahrain-construction/). Maurice Picow. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
34. ^TimThomas and Ian Robinson (2001). "Turtles Rehabilitated After Persian Gulf Oil Spills"
(http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/archives/mtn55/mtn55p26.shtml). Retrieved 2010-11-23.
35. ^Mandana Javidinejad (2007). "Dolphins of Persian Gulf are in danger"
(http://www.payvand.com/news/07/sep/1339.html). Payvand News Agency. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
36. ^Vahid Sepehri (October 3, 2007). "Iran: Spill, Dolphin Deaths Spark Alarm At Persian Gulf Pollution"
(http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1078857.html). Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty. Retrieved December 25,
2010.
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