Persian Gulf

Map of the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Oman leads to the Arabian Sea. Detail from larger map of the Middle East.

The Persian Gulf (Persian: خليج فارس, Khaleej-é-Fars, in Arabic: Al-Khalīj Al-Fārisī الخليج الفارسي), in the Middle East region, is an extension of the Gulf of Oman located between Iran (Persia) and the Arabian Peninsula.

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 Arvand/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, 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 oil-rich Arab countries (excluding Iraq) that have a coastline on the Persian Gulf are referred to as the Persian Gulf States. They are 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 Arvand/Shatt al-Arab, which carries the waters of the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers, where the left (East) bank is held by Iran.

The Persian Gulf and its coastal areas are the world's largest single source of crude oil and related industries dominate the region.

Satellite image showing the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz is the dramatic constriction on the right third.

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 pearl oysters in abundance, but has become increasingly under pressure due to the heavy industrialisation and in particular the repeated major oil spillages associated with various recent wars fought in the region.

Naming Dispute

Main article: Persian Gulf naming dispute

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, Gulf Arabs and their states have often used the name Arabian Gulf [1] (in Arabic: الخلیج العربيAl-Khalij Al-Arabi) for the body. This is controversial, and not commonly used outside of Arab nations or recognized by the United Nations and other international organizations. "Arabian Gulf" is also an ancient name for the Red Sea.

British Residency of the Persian Gulf

Main article: British Residency of the Persian Gulf

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.

See also

• Persian Gulf naming dispute
• Cradle of Humanity
• Deluge (prehistoric)

External links

• 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
• Persian Gulf Pavillion of Tehran Int'l Book Fair
• Publication of Historical Maps of the Persian Gulf in Tehran [2]
• Factsheet on the Legal and Historical Usage of the "Persian Gulf" - ISG MIT
• The Persian Gulf: The Politics of Geographic Renaming