What countries are the Persian Gulf? What is the name of the sea in Dubai? Geographical location and economy of the Gulf countries

Hydrologically, the Persian Gulf is a true Mediterranean sea. But since oil was discovered here, everyone has perceived it solely as a means of enriching the economy. The Gulf War in 1991 disrupted the balance of the ecosystem, which brought coral reefs and their inhabitants, and the entire “marine population” of the Gulf, to the brink of extinction. All efforts are being devoted to restoring the environment - after all, on a global scale, this is no less, if not more, wealth of the region than oil.

ARAB MEDITERRANEAN SEA

The Persian Gulf is indeed a gulf in its geography, but in its hydrological regime it is a typical Mediterranean sea, because on all sides it is separated from the ocean by the lands of the countries of the Arab world.

The northwestern part of the Indian Ocean, which we are accustomed to calling the Persian Gulf, is so vast and cuts so deeply into the land (about 926 km) that it even looks more like a sea, surrounded on all sides by land. The Asian coast forms a complex outline here. From the south and southwest, the bay goes around the bowl-shaped Arabian Peninsula, which contains the territories of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. In the same part of the bay, not far from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the state of Bahrain owns a small island archipelago; Kuwait shares its northwestern border with Iraq, from which the two greatest rivers, mentioned in the Bible, the Tigris and Euphrates, flow into the Persian Gulf. Before flowing into the gulf, they join into the Shatt al-Arab River, which runs the border between Iraq and Iran, which encircles the gulf from the north and east.

The Persian Gulf does not immediately enter the Indian Ocean. First, it connects through the Strait of Hormuz (a strategically important place 195 km long and up to 54 km wide) with the Gulf of Oman; This is the only way to export oil from the oil-rich Persian Gulf by sea. The Gulf of Oman opens into the marginal Arabian Sea and through it connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean.

There are quite a lot of islands in the bay, almost all of them are located close to the shore and are small in size (except for Bahrain in the southwest and Qeshm in the east, in the Strait of Hormuz). In the south there are coral reefs, which, together with the 700 species of fish that inhabit them, suffer from global warming and the results of human economic activities. But the marine fauna of the bay is still very diverse. Along with common species, you can see here one of the least studied and very vulnerable species of dolphin - the humpback. Or the only surviving representative of the siren order is the large aquatic mammal dugong, which is also called the “sea cow”, and in a more poetic version, the “sea maiden”. The bay is home to a variety of commercial fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines), crustaceans (shrimp, lobsters, crabs) and cephalopods (cuttlefish, octopus). There have always been so many shellfish that the bay became one of the oldest centers of pearl mining; this fed many families along the coast.

In the 1920s oil gradually began to replace pearls as an export product - the main thing in the 20th century. wealth of the region. The oil and gas potential of the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks of the Persian Gulf basin is the result of the geological history of the Gulf, which lasts 35 million years. The background is as follows: about 180 million years ago, the protocontinent Pangea split into ancient Laurasia and Gondwana, from which the current continents later emerged (Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica and the Hindustan Peninsula). The movement of tectonic plates did not end there: as a result of their collisions, mountains were formed and water basins were blocked, forming inland seas, lakes, or bays such as the Persian, the largest in the world after the Hudson. If it were not for the movement of sections of the earth's crust, it would have been a body of water of a much larger area: scientists suggest that earlier, 500 thousand years ago, its waters splashed far from the current borders - at the foot of Elbrus.

Currents in the Persian Gulf have a special rhythm that turns the water flows into spirals and gyres directed counterclockwise. The bay is considered a shallow part of the Indian Ocean. It is widest in the southern part. The northern coast is mountainous and steep, while the southern coast is mostly low-lying, with many reefs and banks.

TWO PERSIAN MOTOR PEDALS

Oil and gas are an explosive guarantee of the economic well-being of local residents.

Already at that time, the Persians created a powerful fleet in the Persian Gulf. By the way, the bay, which appears under the name “Persian” in Greek documents, is named after this ancient historical region, Persia. The lands of the Persians were part of the empire of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). In our era, in the period from 224 to 651, on the same shore of the gulf there was another Persian state - the Sassanid Empire, which was suppressed by the Arabs and then the Mongols. The latter were expelled by representatives of the Iranian Safavid Shah dynasty, who ruled from 1501 to 1722. Today, only a small part of the former huge Persian territory is occupied by Iran, which, by the way, was called Persia until 1935.

The bay is strongly associated with the Persians, although other peoples also tried to gain a foothold here. First the Afghans, then the Europeans: the Portuguese, who discovered the bay in 1521, followed by the Dutch, French and Spaniards. From the very beginning of the 17th century. The expansion of Britain in the form of the East India Company into this region begins, and its influence in this region was felt to one degree or another until 1971, when many countries around the Persian Gulf gained independence. And in 1979, the bloc of the Central Treaty Organization, or CENTO (a military-political alliance of the countries of the Near and Middle East, created on the initiative of Great Britain, the USA and Turkey), also collapsed.

When the Persian state weakened and was in anarchy, the Russian Empire wanted to prevent the expansion of Turkey and control the Caspian Sea itself, for this purpose Peter I went on the First Persian Campaign (1722-1723), followed by the Second Persian Campaign (1796) for the Azerbaijani territories and the Russian-Persian wars (1804-1813 and 1826-1828) for Eastern Transcaucasia. In the second half of the 19th century. Russian warships visited the Persian Gulf, and in British government circles the idea of dividing Persia between Russia and England was hatched.

Many sought to consolidate their presence in the region by naming the bay “in honor” of their people. This is how incorrect and short-lived versions (and even then only in certain periodicals) appeared: “Arabian Gulf”, “British Sea” and even “American Gulf”. Disputes about the official name of the bay arise with enviable frequency and serve as a lever to influence the mood of representatives of the Arab East. But still, the International Hydrographic Organization thought sensibly and left this geographical object with a historical name: the Iranian (Persian) Gulf. The Iranians themselves sometimes call it the Iranian Sea.

During World War II, through the so-called “Persian Corridor,” which ran through the Gulf and further into Iran, the Allies supported the Soviet Union with important supplies of military and industrial goods. And in 1991, the Persian Gulf itself became the site of international military action to restore Kuwait's independence. The environmental consequences of this war were catastrophic: about 8 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf.

Oil is the main wealth and, in a certain sense, the main problem of the inhabitants of these places. Its reserves are estimated at up to 60% of the world's. Oil sales boosted the economies of many countries, but attracted a lot of unnecessary attention from outside. Changing lifestyles have also brought new diseases to the region: today there is an unfavorable picture in terms of the incidence of diabetes.

Many countries plan to invest excess oil revenues in science, the study of the Gulf and healthcare (including solving the problems of diabetics). Qatar is working most actively in this direction. Not all countries show the same rates of development. Among the leaders is the UAE: Dubai, which was a small settlement even before the 1940s, today attracts leading architects and designers, outstanding specialists in various fields, providing them with unlimited opportunities. Many projects are very ambitious: for example, the idea of land reclamation, which resulted in the appearance of a series of artificial “Palm Islands” in the UAE. Today, the region is trying to get rid of the devastating consequences of the war and restore the environment, because in addition to the oil business, numerous tourists bring income: more than 1 million guests come from the UK alone to Dubai every year.

FUN FACTS

■ King Fahd International Airport is the largest in the world by area: 780 km2 (like, for example, the small UAE emirate of Umm al-Qaiwan).

■ Restaurants in Kuwait are prohibited from serving unopened oysters: what if there is a valuable pearl inside? There is a certain excitement involved in purchasing closed shells, and gambling is prohibited.

■ Tiger sharks have been coming to the Persian Gulf to give birth to their babies for centuries, even from Australia.

■ According to some reports, oxygen in the air of the UAE is only up to 80% of normal.

■ Shaped like a rhinoceros horn, the United Arab Emirates consists of seven microstates with an absolute monarchy.

■ In Arabian countries, beauty contests among camels are held on special sand podiums. The Arabs call their forelimbs “hands” and appreciate their lightness and thinness (as well as the hind legs), the small size of the foot, the wide chest and long body, the beauty of the head and the grace of the gait, and the size of the hump. Nursing camels are allowed to participate in the show together with their babies so that the animals do not get nervous. The best combination of all qualities helps camels win races - the favorite local pastime of the Arabs.

ATTRACTIONS

■ Pearl farms of the south coast.
■ O. Sir Bani Yas (Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE): the Pleistocene "Arabian Wildlife Park";
■ O. Bahrain (Bahrain): Qalat al-Bahrain fortress (3rd millennium BC) - a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Al-Areen Nature Reserve.
■ o. Qeshm (Iran): Ara (Hara) mangrove forest, Hormoz Marine Park (Qeshm), Valley of Stars, Namakdon geological massif, Chaku gorge, Harboz caves, Portuguese fortresses (from the beginning of the 16th century).

Atlas. The whole world is in your hands No. 149

Dubai is an amazing city where modern infrastructure harmoniously combines with oriental traditions. Thanks to excellent conditions for recreation, hot and beautiful coastline, people come here all year round.

Helpful information

In a short period of time, the following arose in Dubai:

The highest skyscrapers;
artificial island in the form of a palm tree;
The only one with seven stars;
Unique ski slope in a desert;
Own metro.

Dubai itself is considered one of the most fast growing cities in the world. There are no many types of taxes in Dubai, so trade is actively conducted, and events are organized - exhibitions, conferences and seminars.

What is the sea like in Dubai?

Looking ahead to the question “on which sea is Dubai located?”, it is worth noting that Dubai is located on the shores of the Persian Gulf at an altitude of 5 meters above sea level.

Sea or ocean waters?

In terms of geographical location, the United Arab Emirates is bordered by a bay, sea and ocean.

The country has two coasts, one of which borders the Gulf of Oman, and the second the Persian Gulf.

Most cities and resorts, including Dubai, overlook the waters of the first bay, and it, in turn, is part of Arabian Sea– a body of water belonging to the inland waters of the Indian Ocean.

The entire coastline of the emirate of Fujairah, as well as several resort towns located in Sharjah, faces the Persian Gulf (it is persistently called the “Arabian Gulf”). This water area is large, and it is connected to the Gulf of Oman by a small Strait of Hormuz.

It is worth noting that the coast of Dubai is washed by only one bay, the name of which is Persian. The total length of the coastline is approximately 70 km. Since Dubai is just a stone's throw from the Gulf of Oman, returning from the UAE, one can say that the vacation was spent on the coast of the sea and ocean.

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf has impressive size, and its waters wash not only the shores of Dubai, but also the territory of Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran and Iraq. At the same time, the bay has a relatively shallow depth, the maximum point at the bottom is 102 meters from the surface.

The length of the reservoir is 900 km, and its width is 320 km. By chemical composition this water area is more reminiscent of the sea than the Gulf of Oman.

The best beaches in Dubai are located on the gulf coast:

Jumeirah Beach Residence;
Sunset Beach;
Kite Beach;
Jumeirah Open Beach.

Beach parks have also been built on the Persian Gulf coast, where tourists spend almost all their time. The most famous and popular parks are: Al Mamzar And Jumeirah Beach.

An excellent addition to the beach in Dubai are diving clubs designed for both beginners and professionals, as well as water parks - the largest in the Middle East.

All indigenous people in Dubai - very rich people;
For a wedding the husband must give 7 kg of gold to his wife;
Compared to other cities, morals in Dubai are a little more free;
To the sacred Ramadan holiday even tourists are not allowed to drink water before sunset;
About 90% of the city's residents are visitors from Iran, Pakistan and India;
For women there are special carriages in the metro, and tables in restaurants;
Only rich UAE residents can afford several wives;

The capital of the United Arab Emirates is no less attractive for tourists. Read where Abu Dhabi is located.

Tourists not allowed into the country, if the passport contains Israel;
Height of Burj Khalifa– 828 meters, and the number of floors – 166;
In establishments very cool, so you should wear long sleeves;
Legendary Jumeirah Mosque featured on the 500 dirham note;
4 km from the coast is archipelago World– islands repeating continents;
The best way to travel around the city - taxi, for girls - with a pink roof;
In the UAE You can't take pictures military and government buildings;
For girls forbidden wear immodest clothes.

Watch in this video the surroundings of the Persian Gulf in Dubai:

The Persian Gulf - the northwestern part, is so vast and cuts so deeply into the land (approximately 926 km) that it even looks more like a sea, surrounded on all sides by land. The Asian coast forms a complex outline here. From the south and southwest, the bay goes around the bowl-shaped Arabian Peninsula, which contains the territories of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. In the same part of the Gulf, not far from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain owns a small island archipelago; Kuwait shares its northwestern border with Iraq, from which two of the greatest rivers, mentioned in the Bible, flow their waters into the Persian Gulf - and. Before flowing into the gulf, they join into the Shatt al-Arab River, which runs the border between Iraq and Iran, which encircles the gulf from the north and east.
The Persian Gulf does not immediately enter the Indian Ocean. First, it connects through the Strait of Hormuz (a strategically important place 195 km long and up to 54 km wide) with the Gulf of Oman: this is the only way to export oil from the oil-bearing Persian Gulf by sea. The Gulf of Oman opens onto the outskirts and through it connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean.
There are quite a lot of islands in the bay, almost all of them are located close to the shore and are small in size (except for Bahrain in the southwest and Qeshm in the east, in the Strait of Hormuz). In the south there are coral reefs, which, together with the 700 species of fish that inhabit them, suffer from global warming and the results of human economic activities. But the marine fauna of the bay is still very diverse. Along with common species, you can see here one of the least studied and very vulnerable species of dolphin - the humpback. Or the only surviving representative of the siren order is the large aquatic mammal dugong, which is also called the “sea cow”, and in a more poetic version, the “sea maiden”. The bay is home to a variety of commercial fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines), crustaceans (shrimp, lobsters, crabs) and cephalopods (cuttlefish, octopus). There have always been so many shellfish that the bay became one of the oldest centers of pearl mining; this fed many families along the coast. In the 1920s oil gradually began to replace pearls as an export product - the main thing in the 20th century. wealth of the region. The oil and gas potential of the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks of the Persian Gulf basin is the result of the geological history of the Gulf, which lasts 35 million years. The background is as follows: about 180 million years ago, the protocontinent Pangea split into ancient Laurasia and Gondwana, from which the current continents later emerged (Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica and the Hindustan Peninsula). The movement of tectonic plates did not end there: as a result of their collisions, mountains were formed and water basins were blocked, forming inland seas, lakes, or bays such as the Persian, the largest in the world after the Hudson. If it were not for the movement of sections of the earth's crust, it would have been a body of water of a much larger area: scientists suggest that earlier, 500 thousand years ago, its waters splashed far from the current borders - at the foot of Elbrus.

Story

The strategically important geographical location determined the interest that conquerors of different eras had in this bay. The shores of the Persian Gulf were previously inhabited by representatives of nomadic tribes. In ancient Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, the memory of the developed civilization of Dilmun, which flourished in the Gulf, near the island of Bahrain, was preserved. In Sumerian records of the 3rd millennium BC. e. Dilmun also appears as the place where a man lived who escaped the flood. So in ancient texts, everyday details associated with trade with Dilmun are interspersed with epic ideas about these shores as the cradle of humanity. On the opposite bank, the descendants of nomadic peoples, settled Persians, founded one of the most powerful states of antiquity - the power of the Achaemenid dynasty, which flourished in the centuries. BC e. Already at that time, the Persians created a powerful fleet in the Persian Gulf. By the way, the bay, which appears under the name “Persian” in Greek documents, is named after this ancient historical region, Persia. The lands of the Persians were part of the empire of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). In our era, in the period from 224 to 651, on the same shore of the gulf there was another Persian state - the Sassanid Empire, which was suppressed by the Arabs and then the Mongols. The latter were expelled by representatives of the Iranian Safavid Shah dynasty, who ruled from 1501 to 1722. Today, only a small part of the former huge Persian territory is occupied by Iran, which, by the way, was called Persia until 1935.
The bay is strongly associated with the Persians, although other peoples also tried to gain a foothold here. First the Afghans, then the Europeans: the Portuguese, who discovered the bay in 1521, followed by the Dutch, French and Spaniards. From the very beginning of the 17th century. The expansion of Britain in the form of the East India Company into this region begins, and its influence in this region was felt to one degree or another until 1971, when many countries around the Persian Gulf gained independence. And in 1979, the bloc of the Central Treaty Organization, or CENTO (a military-political alliance of the countries of the Near and Middle East, created on the initiative of Great Britain, the USA and Turkey), also collapsed.
When the Persian state weakened and was in anarchy, the Russian Empire wanted to prevent the expansion of Turkey and control the Caspian Sea itself, for this purpose Peter I went on the First Persian Campaign (1722-1723), followed by the Second Persian Campaign (1796) for the Azerbaijani territories and the Russian-Persian wars (1804-1813 and 1826-1828) for Eastern Transcaucasia. In the second half of the 19th century. Russian warships visited the Persian Gulf, and in British government circles the idea of dividing Persia between Russia and England was hatched.
Many sought to consolidate their presence in the region by naming the bay “in honor” of their people. This is how incorrect and short-lived versions (and even then only in certain periodicals) appeared: “Arabian Gulf”, “British Sea” and even “American Gulf”. Disputes about the official name of the bay arise with enviable frequency and serve as a lever to influence the mood of representatives of the Arab East. But still, the International Hydrographic Organization thought sensibly and left this geographical object with a historical name: the Iranian (Persian) Gulf. The Iranians themselves sometimes call it the Iranian Sea.
During World War II, through the so-called “Persian Corridor,” which ran through the Gulf and further into Iran, the Allies supported the Soviet Union with important supplies of military and industrial goods. And in 1991, the Persian Gulf itself became the site of international military action to restore Kuwait's independence. The environmental consequences of this war were catastrophic: about 8 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf.

Oil and gas

Oil and gas are an explosive guarantee of the economic well-being of local residents.
Oil is the main wealth and, in a certain sense, the main problem of the inhabitants of these places. Its reserves are estimated at up to 60% of the world's. Oil sales boosted the economies of many countries, but attracted a lot of unnecessary attention from outside. Changing lifestyles have also brought new diseases to the region: today there is an unfavorable picture in terms of the incidence of diabetes.
Many countries plan to invest excess oil revenues in science, the study of the Gulf and healthcare (including solving the problems of diabetics). Qatar is working most actively in this direction. Not all countries show the same rates of development. Among the leaders is the UAE: Dubai, which was a small settlement even before the 1940s, today attracts leading architects and designers, outstanding specialists in various fields, providing them with unlimited opportunities. Many projects are very ambitious: for example, the idea of land reclamation, which resulted in the appearance of a series of artificial “Palm Islands” in the UAE. Today, the region is trying to get rid of the devastating consequences of the war and restore the environment, because in addition to the oil business, numerous tourists bring income: more than 1 million guests come from the UK alone to Dubai every year.

General information

Washes states: Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran.

The most important ports: Bandar Shahpur, Bandar Mahshahr, Kharq (Iran); El Fao, Basra (on the Shatt al-Arab river, Iraq); Kuwait City (Kuwait); Ras Tanura (Saudi Arabia); Manama (Bahrain); Umm Said (Qatar); (United Arab Emirates).

Major airports: international airports "King Fahd" (Dammam, Saudi Arabia), Dubai (UAE), Bahrain (Manama, Bahrain), Basra (Basra, Iraq).

Numbers

Area: 239,000 km2.

Length: 926 km.

Width: from 180 to 320 km.

Depth: up to 102 m.

Salinity: up to 40%º.

Climate and weather

Subtropical, dry. The northwest wind (shamel) predominates.

Average January temperature:+23°С.

(Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE): Pleistocene "Arabian Wildlife Park";
■ Bahrain Island (Bahrain): Qalat al-Bahrain fortress (3rd millennium BC) - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Al-Areen Nature Reserve.
■ Qeshm Island (Iran): Ara (Hara) mangrove forest, Hormoz Marine Park (Qeshm), Valley of Stars, Namakdon geological massif, Chaku gorge, Harboz caves, Portuguese fortresses (from the beginning of the 16th century).

Curious facts

■ Only in the 20th century. More than 15 ships sank in the waters of the Persian Gulf for various reasons. And how many of them have accumulated at the bottom over previous centuries is a mystery and an attraction for divers.
■ Restaurants in Kuwait are prohibited from serving unopened oysters: what if there is a valuable pearl inside? There is a certain excitement involved in purchasing closed shells, and gambling is prohibited.
■ Tiger sharks have been coming to the Persian Gulf to give birth to their babies for centuries, even from Australia.
■ According to some reports, oxygen in the air of the UAE is only up to 80% of normal.
■ Shaped like a rhinoceros horn, the United Arab Emirates consists of seven microstates with an absolute monarchy.

■ King Fahd International Airport is the largest in the world by area: 780 km2 (like, for example, the small UAE emirate of Umm al-Qaiwan).

The Persian Gulf of the Indian Ocean, bounded by the Arabian Peninsula, washes the shores of South-West Asia. In the east, through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, it is connected to the Arabian Sea.

The area of the Persian Gulf is 240 thousand km 2, length - 926 km, width ranges from 180 to 320 km, maximum depth reaches 115 m. The Persian Gulf has a large number of islands, as well as coral reefs.

On the shores of the Persian Gulf are the states of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The main revenues to the treasuries of all these countries come from the export of oil, vast deposits of which are located at the bottom and coast of the Persian Gulf. In addition, the United Arab Emirates receives huge profits from tourism. Cool winter days (average January temperature +20° C) and warm, clear sea water (in winter temperature not lower than +22° C) attract people from all over the world who want to have a good rest here.

In the Persian Gulf is the Bahrain archipelago, which includes 25 islands on which the state of the same name is located. Most of the archipelago is a barren semi-desert. Only in the vicinity of big cities are there many gardens.

There are a lot of fish in the coastal waters of the archipelago. However, the shallows serve not only for fishing, but also for pearl fishing. It should be noted that the pearl industry in Bahrain is world famous. There were times when more than a thousand boats with 20 thousand pearl seekers on board went out into the bay. Nowadays, the number of boats has sharply decreased, and those who used to search for the precious natural formations at the bottom of the bay are working in oil fields and refineries.

Persian Gulf - represents the vast inland sea of the Indian Ocean, framed from the northeast by the shores of Persia, from the west, southwest and south by the shores of Arabia. It is the easternmost of the 7 true Mediterranean seas (see Earth; Oceans). It is connected to the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The general direction of the bay is from southeast to northwest, in a straight line from the coast of the Oman Peninsula to the Shat al-Arab delta, the greatest extent of the bay is 915 versts, but if we consider the length of the bay along its axis, which has a slightly curved shape to the southwest, then from the mouths of Shat al-Arab to the Strait of Hormuz there will be a line about 1030 miles long. The bay is widest in the southern part, where it reaches 345 versts along the meridian; to the north the bay becomes narrower, and against the Qatar Peninsula its width is only about 160 versts, further to the north the bay again becomes wider to 300 versts, and then narrows to 200 versts and remains at this width until the very northern end. The width of the Strait of Hormuz is 50 versts. P. Bay is located between the parallels of 23°58" - 30°25" northern latitude and the meridian (from Greenwich) 47°48" - 56°35" east longitude; According to Krummel, the surface of the P. Gulf together with the Gulf of Oman is 236,840 square meters. km, of this number slightly less than a third is in the Gulf of Oman. The total length of the coastline is about 2268 versts; the character of the northern and southern shores of the bay is completely different: while the P. coast, about 1170 versts long, is mountainous, steep, deep and little indented, the southern or Arabian coast, with the exception of the Ruus al-Jebal mountains on the Oman Peninsula, is low, has two large bays , the length of the coastline is about 2035 versts, and the sea along it for a long distance is occupied by reefs and banks (the famous Pearl Banks). The southern, or Arabian, coast is made up of sandy formations and is a completely deserted area; only near the cities can you find groves of date palms. The population of this coast consists exclusively of Arabs. Along its entire length, the coastline consists of a series of steep and harsh mountain ranges, piling up one behind the other with a general direction parallel to the coast. The height of the mountains increases with distance from the coast, on which no signs of vegetation can be seen from a ship passing nearby. A narrow and low-lying strip of land, enclosed between the mountains and the sea, bears the local name “Germzir”, that is, a hot country, a name well deserved, since this entire area is devoid of irrigation, is completely rainless in the summer and truly belongs to the hottest countries on the globe . Along the coast there are several small port towns, exclusively inhabited by Arabs, while the rural population consists of Persians, a completely non-maritime nation, so that all coastal cabotage is exclusively in the hands of the Arabs. The coast is generally very inhospitable; There is not a single good anchorage for large ships here. The head part of the bay is shallow, and the shores of the Shat al-Arab delta are very low-lying. There are only two large bays in the entire sea, both on the Arabian coast; the more northern one is called Barein and has a pointed shape towards the south, and in the middle of its entrance there is an island: the greatest width of the bay is about 100 versts. Another bay is located to the south and is formed by a vast depression of the coast: it is called Bar el-Benat; its greatest width is about 450 versts, and it deepens 230 versts. The islands of the Arabian Gulf are as different in character as its shores: the shores along the Gulf are high, mountainous and surrounded by great depths, while the islands of the Arabian coast are low-lying and surrounded by a whole labyrinth of shoals. Of these, the most remarkable are: Bubian - a large island near the Shat al-Arab delta itself, formed by alluvial deposits; Barein (47 versts long and 17 versts wide) at the entrance to the bay of the same name and others. The cape that ends the Oman Peninsula in the north in the Strait of Hormuz is called Ras Muzandam. On the northern side of this strait, near the P. shore, lies the vast island of Kishm (100 versts long and 35 versts wide), then in the middle of the bay at its entrance there are several small islands scattered. Further north along the same coast there are several more islands, the largest of which are Sheikh Shuaib and Karii. Depths as you approach the Strait of Hormuz decrease to 50-70 fathoms (sea), although depths of about 100 fathoms are found near Cape Muzandam. Further in the P. gulf, depths rarely reach 40-50 fathoms, and at the top of the bay they decrease to 20-30 fathoms. A line of 20 fathoms depth runs from the Shat-el-Arab delta at a distance of about 90 versts; beyond this isobath, especially off the Arabian coast, the depths are very irregularly distributed and there are many banks, shoals and reefs. The bottom soil in the middle of the bay, in its deep places, is mostly silt, and near the Pearl Jars it consists of sand and fragments of coral and hard rock; on the Arabian coast, especially north of Barein, whitish mud is often found. The upper part of the bay is undoubtedly covered by sediments of Shat-el-Arab, and according to Rawlinson, the coast here advances at a rate of about 20 fathoms per year, although from a comparison of old and new surveys such an increase in the delta is not noticeable. Navigation in the bay is quite difficult for sailing ships, because the winds there are very fickle and often blow very freshly from north to south, and in winter in the opposite direction. Prevailing winds are north-westerly, locally shamal; they blow most often in June and July and usually for 3-7 days in a row; these winds bring so much dust from Mesopotamia that a thick haze forms. The shamal reaches its greatest strength in the winter months, when these winds alternate with southeastern winds, called caus; the latter reach particular strength in December and April. In winter, especially in the southern part of the bay, strong northeast winds blow, locally our, bringing foggy and rainy weather. During the changing seasons, especially in autumn, strong squalls occur, but they have not yet been sufficiently studied. Coastal breezes are very irregular and are noticeable only near the coast; sea breezes are very regular in the summer in Bushehr; on the Arabian coast the breezes from the shore are more regular. The cyclones of the Arabian Sea do not enter the Gulf. The climate of the P. gulf is extremely difficult for Europeans to tolerate. The severity of the terrible summer heat is intensified by the high humidity of the air and the dust raised by every wind. The Arabian coast is hotter than the Persian coast, and the southern part of the bay has a higher temperature than the northern one. In winter, the winds blow cold and harshly, but the lower temperatures make this time of year healthier for Europeans. On a ship in the shade, the highest air temperature was observed in August, +38° C., and in February the lowest, +7° C. There is little precipitation, in Bushehr there is from 12 to 74 cm per year, and on the Arabian coast, probably even less. Precipitation occurs almost exclusively in the winter months, but dew is abundant, especially in summer. Thick fogs occur near the coast. The currents seen in the bay are probably exclusively tidal; in any case they are very weak and are limited to the northern part of the bay. After strong winds, drift currents are noticed. The ebb and flow of the tides in P. Bay does not operate correctly, which is explained both by the narrowness of the entrance and by the numerous banks and shoals. The high tide ranges between 6-10 feet, being highest in August when the monsoon blows. The tidal wave extends at 13 o'clock from the Strait of Hormuz to the upper reaches of the Gulf. Tidal currents reach 2-3 knots in places. The waves in the bay are short and steep. The water temperature reaches such limits as nowhere else in the other seas; in August it reaches 35° C. Along the entire coast of the P. Gulf there is only one populated place of some importance: Bandar-Bushir on the Persian coast. The rest are more like villages, especially along the Arabian coast, where there are many abandoned towns. The shores of P. Bay are quite barren, but where the date palm is cultivated, due to the high temperature it produces a bountiful harvest; The dates at the mouth of the Shat al-Arab are considered the best in the world. The waters of the bay are extremely rich in all kinds of organisms; The Arabs consistently get good catches. The fish is immediately dried in the sun and in this form goes to Arabia, Zanzibar and even India. The main wealth of the bay is pearl fishing. Shells with pearls are found throughout the Arabian coast of the gulf, in all its many shallows. Fishing lasts from May to September. It is believed that up to 5,000 boats, with 70,000 people, go fishing annually, catching pearls worth up to 2.5 million metals. rub. Despite annual fishing since time immemorial, the catch does not seem to be diminishing.

The best pearls are found near the mouths of streams and rivers. The richest fishing is around the Barein Islands. The fishing itself is quite primitive; catchers sometimes dive to a depth of up to 13 fathoms, exposed to danger from sharks, which kill about 20 people every year. There is a lot of fish in the coastal waters of the archipelago. However, the shallows serve not only for fishing, but also for pearl fishing. Residents of Bahrain are engaged in vegetable gardening and horticulture, cultivating date palms, citrus fruits, pomegranates, figs, mangoes, grapes, almonds and other southern fruits. Grain farming is of less importance. The population does not have enough of its own bread, and it, like many other agricultural products, is imported from abroad. There is little fresh water on the islands; it is obtained from artesian wells. In some places, even at the bottom of the Persian Gulf, fresh water is in full swing, and local residents are trying to use this gift of nature to their advantage. They go to the bay, insert a bamboo tube into the spring so that one end rises above the water surface, and fill the vessels with water.

It should be noted that the pearl fishery in Barein is world famous. There were times when more than a thousand boats with 20 thousand pearl seekers on board went out into the bay. Nowadays, the number of boats has sharply decreased, and those who used to search for the precious natural formations on the bottom of the bay are working in oil fields and refineries.
However, pearl mining has not completely died out; it is still carried out using the same old methods as many years ago. Pearl divers do not use diving suits, but only clamp their nostrils with wooden clips when diving to the bottom of the bay. Each of them has a dagger in a wooden sheath attached to its side, which serves as protection against sharks and other sea predators.
The duration of a diver's stay under water is, as a rule, 45–50 seconds, in exceptional cases – 60–70 and even 90 seconds.
Pearls are exported to Bombay and Baghdad, as well as to Europe. Other export items included horses, cotton paper, dry fruits, rose water, and opium. Most of the ships sailing in the bay are English, but there are also American ones. In addition to cargo ships, a mail steamer runs weekly between Bombay and Bassora. Telegraph cables are laid across the gulf to Fao, Bushir and Yashak, where there are stations with international exchange of dispatches. Local shipping is carried out partly on fairly large ships (100-400 tons), called "bagalas"; they even go to India, to the Red Sea and to the western coast of Africa; They go well in moderate winds, but require a lot of command. Smaller vessels, 100-120 tons, are used for sailing around the bay and for pearl fishing.

The Arabian or Persian Gulf separates the Arabian Peninsula from Iran. It is connected to the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman via the Strait of Hormuz. Many experts argue that it would be more correct to call the Persian Gulf an inland sea of the Indian Ocean, since its hydrological regime is similar to that of the sea. But most often this bay is considered a section of the Arabian Sea. A map of the Persian Gulf shows that rivers such as the Euphrates and Tigris flow into it. Previously, they passed as separate river systems, but due to sediment, the land area gradually increased and the rivers merged into a single stream.

Economic importance of the bay

The Gulf region has rich gas and oil deposits. The largest oil field is Safaniya. States located on the Persian Gulf coast produce at least 25% of the world's oil reserves per year.
In addition, pearl mining is well developed there. Therefore, it is difficult to overestimate the economic importance of the Persian Gulf. The following states are located on its shores: UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Iran, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia. The Persian Gulf contains one fourth of the world's mineral reserves. Therefore, it plays a vital role in the economy. This bay connects the countries of the East with the West. It constantly serves as the object of claims of colonial states. The political situation in the region has always been tense.

Geographical features

The bay covers an area of about 239 thousand square meters. km. Its length is 926 km, and its width varies from 180 to 320 km. The average depth is 50 m. The deepest place reaches 102 m. There are many islands in the water area. The state of Bahrain occupies three large islands and a large number of small ones. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge and is 16 km away from Saudi Arabia.
The largest island in the bay is Qeshm, which is 136 km long. It is a possession of Iran and is located across the strait from the coast. Iran also owns the islands of Kish, Small and Great Tunb. The large Bubiyan Island is considered Kuwaiti territory. It is an uninhabited island with marshy soil. The UAE and Saudi Arabia also have their own islands in the Persian Gulf. There are even artificial islands that are being created to develop the tourism business. The Persian Gulf has many coral reefs, which makes it even more interesting for travelers. In summer the water reaches a temperature of +33 degrees. In winter it cools down to 15 degrees. The sea water of the bay has a salinity of about 40 ppm. The circulation of currents occurs there counterclockwise. The main ports of the Persian Gulf are Basra, Fao, Abadan, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Manama, Dubai, etc.