Persian Gulf
The
Persian Gulf (
Persian: خليج فارس
khalīj-e-Fārs; in
Arabic: الخليج الفارسي
al-khalīj al-fārisī), in the
Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the
Gulf of Oman located between
Iran (
Persia) and the
Arabian Peninsula.
The Persian Gulf was the focus of the
Iraq-Iran War that lasted from
1980 to
1988, with each side attacking the other's
oil tankers. In
1991 the Persian Gulf again was the background for what was called the "
Persian Gulf War" or "The Gulf War" when Iraq invaded Kuwait and was subsequently pushed back, despite the fact that this conflict was primarily a land conflict.
The natural environment of the Persian Gulf is very rich with good fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pearl oysters, but has become increasingly under pressure due to the heavy industrialisation and in particular the repeated major oil spillages associated with recent wars fought in the region.
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Satellite image showing the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz is the dramatic constriction on the right third. |
This inland sea of some 233,000 km² is connected to the Gulf of Oman in the east by the
Strait of Hormuz, and its western end is marked by the major
river delta of
Shatt al-Arab, which carries the waters of the
Euphrates and the
Tigris. Its length is 989 kilometres separating mainly Iran from Saudi Arabia with the shortest divide of about 56 kilometres in the Strait of Hormuz. The waters are overall very shallow and have a maximum depth of 90 metres, and an average depth of 50 metres.
Countries with a coastline on the Persian Gulf are (clockwise, from the north):
Iran,
Oman (exclave of Musandam),
United Arab Emirates,
Saudi Arabia,
Qatar on a
peninsula off the Saudi coast,
Bahrain on an island,
Kuwait and
Iraq in the northwest. Various small islands lie within the Persian Gulf.
The Persian Gulf and its coastal areas are the world's largest single source of
crude oil and related industries dominate the region.
Al-Safaniya, the world's largest offshore
oilfield, is located in the Gulf. Large gas finds have also been made with Qatar and Iran sharing a giant field across the territorial median line (North Field in the Qatari sector; South Pars Field in the Iranian sector). Using this gas, Qatar has built up a substantial liquified natural gas (
LNG) and petrochemical industry.
The oil-rich countries (excluding
Iraq) that have a coastline on the Persian Gulf are referred to as the
Persian Gulf States. They are
Iran,
Bahrain,
Kuwait,
Oman,
Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates. Iraq's egress to the gulf is narrow and easily blockaded consisting of the marshy river delta of Shatt al-Arab, which carries the waters of the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers, where the left (East) bank is held by Iran.
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Regional map showing the word Bahr Fars, ("Persian Sea") in Arabic, from the 9th century text Al-aqalim by Persian geographer Istakhri. |
Since the 1960s, starting with
Gamal Abdel Nasser, Persian Gulf's Arabs and their states have often used the name
Arabian Gulf [
1] (in
Arabic: الخلیج العربي
al-khalīj al-ʿarabī) for the body. This is controversial, and not commonly used outside of the Arab world or recognized by the
United Nations [
2][
3][
4] and other international organizations as historically the name is "Persian Gulf". "Arabian Gulf" is also an ancient name for the
Red Sea.
From 1763 until 1971, the
United Kingdom maintained varying degrees of political control over some Persian Gulf states, including the
United Arab Emirates (originally called the "Trucial Coast States") and at various times
Bahrain,
Kuwait,
Oman, and
Qatar.
*
Persian Gulf War*
Persian Gulf naming dispute*
Cradle of Humanity*
Deluge (prehistoric)*
Persian Gulf Studies website*
The Persian Gulf, Information, history and resources of the Persian Gulf
*
The Portuguese in the Arabian peninsula and in the Persian Gulf*
Persian Gulf Region*
Publication of Historical Maps of the Persian Gulf in Tehran*
Persian Gulf maps*
Factsheet on the Legal and Historical Usage of the "Persian Gulf" - ISG MIT*
The Persian Gulf: The Politics of Geographic Renaming*
UN GEGN " Historical, Geographical and Legal Validity of the Name: Persian Gulf
