From a geopolitical standpoint, the Persian Gulf is the only buffer zone that separates the Iranian mainland from its southern neighbors, who are ethnically and religiously at odds with Shiia Persians. Furthermore, this waterway serves Iran as a political tool to bargain with major powers, especially the United States.
What is the Persian Gulf known for?
The Persian Gulf is well known for being the battlefield of the Iran VS Iraq war from 1980-1998. The 1991 Gulf War is also named after the Persian Gulf. Due to oil spills and industrialization of the Persian Gulf much of its ecology has been damaged.
Why is the Persian Gulf so dangerous?
However, the Persian Gulf is not as biologically diverse as the Red Sea. Overall, the wild life of the Persian Gulf is endangered from both global factors, and regional, local negligence. Most pollution is from ships; land generated pollution counts as the second most common source of pollution.
What is the significance of the Persian Gulf to international relations?
Conclusively, the Persian Gulf and its sub-regions has led to development of political relations among nations today. The strategic positioning of the Persian Gulf also plays a role in the exploitation and access of oil by other international players.
Who ruled the southern shores of the Persian Gulf?
For most of the early history of the settlements in the Persian Gulf, the southern 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.
Why is the Persian Gulf important for Iran?
The Persian Gulf not only serves as the main exporting route for Iran's crude oil, but some of Iran's most strategic oil installations are located there. Kharg Island is home to Iran's largest oil export terminal, with the capacity to store 28 million barrels of oil.
Why is the Persian Gulf important to the world's economy?
The Gulf region provides approximately 40% of the world export of crude oil and some 15% of the world export of refined products. Most of the oil and oil product exports are transported by sea through ports on the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. This is the reason why this seaway has gained such great importance.
Why is the Persian Gulf region so important to the industrialized world?
Since World War II the Persian Gulf and the surrounding countries have come to account for a significant proportion of the world's oil production. In addition, the area has approximately two-thirds of the world's estimated proven oil reserves and one-third of the world's estimated proven natural gas reserves.
What is a fact about the Persian Gulf?
Interesting Persian Gulf Facts: It is 615 miles in length and only 35 miles wide at its most narrow point. The average depth of the Persian Gulf is 160 feet and its maximum depth is 300 feet. The coastal areas of the Persian Gulf are considered to be the largest source of crude oil in the world.
How are the Persian Gulf and Red sea so important for the region's economy *?
Explanation. On the east, the Persian Gulf serves the international shipping needs of all the oil-producing countries of the peninsula. The warm waters of the Persian Gulf are crowded with traffic. Huge tankers bring oil from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to the rest of the world.
Why is the Persian Gulf so rich in oil?
Algae, bacteria, and whatever else nature came up with eventually accumulated on the ocean floor in thick layers that grew to be miles deep. As more layers formed on top of these over time, the lower parts were compressed. Those compressed aquatic corpses transformed into oil.
What commodity makes the Persian Gulf so strategically important?
Oil, and particularly Persian Gulf oil, is the strategic commodity in the world. It makes everything run. And pending progress like invention of a cheap, high-performance electric car, or utter global calamity, oil will remain absolutely crucial until it is exhausted.
Why is the Middle Eastern oil so important for the world economy?
Since the 1930s the Middle East has emerged as the world's most important source of energy and the key to the stability of the global economy. This tumultuous region produces today 37% of the world's oil and 18% of its gas. When it comes to reserves, the Persian Gulf is king.
Why is the Middle East so important?
Today the Middle East's strategic location as a tricontinental hub, its vast petroleum reserves, its importance to Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike, and its many political disputes give it a global significance out of proportion to its size.
Why is it called the Persian Gulf?
In 550 BC, the Achaemenid Empire established the first ancient empire in Persis (Pars, or modern Fars), in the southwestern region of the Iranian plateau. Consequently, in the Greek sources, the body of water that bordered this province came to be known as the "Persian Gulf".
What is Arabian Gulf famous for?
Since World War II the Persian Gulf and the surrounding countries have come to account for a significant proportion of the world's oil production. In addition, the area has approximately two-thirds of the world's estimated proven oil reserves and one-third of the world's estimated proven natural gas reserves.
Is the Persian Gulf clear water?
The gulf is deeper on the east near the Iranian shore, where the water is clear and black. Much of the dirt clouding the water in this image is coming from the Shatt al Arab River, which enters the Gulf in the north along the Iran-Iraq border.
Why is the Persian Gulf so famous?
The Persian Gulf is well known for being the battlefield of the Iran VS Iraq war from 1980-1998. The 1991 Gulf War is also named after the Persian Gulf. Due to oil spills and industrialization of the Persian Gulf much of its ecology has been damaged.
How big is the Persian Gulf?
The Persian Gulf covers an area of 96,912 square miles. It is 615 miles in length and only 35 miles wide at its most narrow point.
What species of animals have been negatively affected by the development along the Persian Gulf's shores?
Species that have been negatively affected by the development along the Persian Gulf's shores include the flamingo, hawksbill turtle, and booted warbler.
What countries are in the Persian Gulf?
The main inflow to the Persian Gulf is the Sea of Oman and its basin countries include man, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran. It is believed that the name Persian Gulf is derived from the first ancient Persia empire - the Achaemenid Empire, in 550 BC. The Persian Gulf covers an area of 96,912 square miles.
Where is the Dugong Dugan found?
The dugong dugan is an unusual marine animal found in the waters of the Persian Gulf. They resemble livestock and are also referred to as sea cows.
Is the Persian Gulf threatened by oil spills?
As the mangroves continue to be destroyed by development the ecosystem of the Persian Gulf is being threatened. Oil spills also pose a significant danger to the ecosystem of the Persian Gulf which has important fishing grounds, pearl oysters, and coral reefs. Related Links: Facts. Seas Facts.
Why is the Persian Gulf important?
This discovery rendered them the most unstable regions of the world. The Persian Gulf is vital to the region’s economy, due to its vast oil reserves as well as its strategic positioning. Conflicts in this area remain unresolved, and date back to the past centuries. A number of external powers are involved in these conflicts, which result in violence, and are motivated by religious and ethnic differences, as well as resources (Sajedi, 2009).
What are the two most powerful countries in the Persian Gulf region?
The two most powerful states in the Persian Gulf region are Iran and Iraq, which have had strained relationship since the period in the Second World War. This poor relationship persisted even when Saddam Hussein came into power. The United States of America is an external player that has great influence in this area, especially in the period after the Soviet Union had disintegrated. As a result, the United States had a great influence in both the first and second Gulf Wars in 1990 and 2003. In addition, Iran has become a power and political icon in the area after the collapse of the Soviet Union and defeat of Iraq after the First Gulf War. The political superiority of Iran was evident during the Lebanon conflict in 2006, when it immensely supported Hezbollah during the conflict (Barnes & Jaffe, 2006).
What countries are in the Persian Gulf?
The countries located near the Persian Gulf include Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arabs Emirates. Being the largest holder of oil reserves and natural gas, the coastal areas around the Persian Gulf therefore, experience an increase in the number of related industries, in addition to economic competition. This presence of crude oil and other natural gas resources, therefore, makes the countries adjacent to the Persian Gulf play a critical role in the world’s economy. These valuable natural resources have made the area very critical from the geostrategic point of view (Anderson, 2000).
How long is the Persian Gulf?
The Persian Gulf is a shallow body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran; it is more than 500 miles long and as wide as 200 miles.
Why is the Gulf important to the world?
The importance of the Gulf in world trade rose dramatically in the twentieth century thanks to the discovery of huge oil fields in the lands around the Gulf, and to the increasing demand of the industrialized world for this product . Exports from Iran began in the early part of the century. Substantial development of the vast reserves of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states—Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates —occurred only after World War II. Today about one-quarter of the world's oil production comes from countries around the Gulf, and these countries also have close to 60 percent of the world's proven oil reserves. Perhaps even more important, the Gulf oil states have as much as 90 percent of the world's excess oil-production capacity—that is, oil that could be quickly produced if supplies were disrupted in some other producing area. There are also vast reserves of natural gas, about 36 percent of the world's total proven reserves. As oil supplies diminish in coming decades, more and more gas will be produced to make up the shortfall.
Why did the Europeans use the Gulf of Good Hope?
Nevertheless, trade through the Gulf became less significant as the Europeans used the route around the Cape of Good Hope to connect the Indian Ocean with Europe. Political instability in the areas around the Gulf also hindered peaceful trade.
Where was the Hormuz trade?
During the sixteenth century much of the large customs revenue of Hormuz was taken to the Portuguese capital of Goa. However, trade continued up the Gulf to Basra, and Portuguese attempts to monopolize trade in spices and horses were generally ineffective.
When did the Shah of Iran join the East India Company?
In 1622 the shah of Iran joined with the English East India Company to take Hormuz from the Portuguese. The shah then moved to alter the focus of trade in the Gulf from Hormuz to his new port city of Bandar Abbas, located on the Iranian mainland.
When did steamships start to enter the Gulf?
Around the middle of the century steamships began to enter the Gulf. In the 1860s the British India Steam Navigation Company (BI) began a regular service from Bombay to Basra. The close government-commercial nexus was obvious in that BI's agent in Basra was also the official British government representative there.
Which empire controlled Basra?
Iran, the Ottoman Empire (which controlled Basra), and the various petty states along the northern and western shores of the Gulf were all relatively weak in the eighteenth century. Early in the nineteenth century the British, by then dominant in the Indian Ocean area, asserted control over the Gulf.
