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Persian Gulf Facts

Persian Gulf Facts
The Persian Gulf is located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It is considered to be an extension of the Indian Ocean, and is a Mediterranean sea. 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. It is believed that the Persian Gulf formed approximately 15,000 years ago, making it a young body of water. 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.
Interesting Persian Gulf Facts:
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. 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.
The largest offshore oilfield, Safaniya Oil Field, is located in the waters of the Persian Gulf.
25% of the world's oil was being produced by the Persian Gulf nations in 2002.
The Persian Gulf's name has been in dispute by several countries since the 1960s, and in some countries it is commonly referred to as the Arabian Gulf.
There are several small islands in the Persian Gulf.
Significant islands in the Persian Gulf include Bahrain, a Persian Gulf Arab State, Qeshm Island, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, Kish, Bubiyan, Tarout, and Dalma.
There have been several artificial islands built in the Persian Gulf in recent years, popular as tourist destinations or for commercial use.
The construction of artificial islands has damaged the mangroves and created environmental issues.
Major cities located in the Persian Gulf region include Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Doha (Qatar), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Manama (Bahrain), Bandar Abbas (Iran), and Khobar City (Saudi Arabia).
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.
There are many local birds and migratory birds in the Persian Gulf region including the kalbaensis, which is a type of kingfisher near extinction due to development.
Species that have been negatively affected by the development along the Persian Gulf's shores include the flamingo, hawksbill turtle, and booted warbler.
The mangroves of the Persian Gulf are important for many small fish and insects that feed many of the marine birds. 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.


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