ABSTRACT
The Gulf, often referred to as the Persian Gulf because of the dominant position of that country (Iran) in relation to it, is one of the strategically most important highways in the world. The Gulf separates south-west Iran from the Saudi Peninsula and at its head is fed by the waters of the Shatt al ‘Arab, which acts as a boundary between Iran and Iraq. The shallow Gulf runs in a south-easterly direction until opening into the Indian Ocean. It covers an area of 92,000 square miles (238,280 square km), is 615 miles (990 km) in length with a width that varies between 210 miles (338 km) and a mere 35 miles (56.3 km) at the Straits of Hormuz. It is bordered by eight countries – Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman – all of which, except Iran, are Arab states. The Iranian shore of the Gulf is mountainous, the head of the Gulf consists of the delta of the Shatt al ‘Arab, while most of the Arabian shore consists of sandy beaches along which are many small islands. The waters of the Gulf are rarely deeper than 300 feet (91.4 m) and it is deepest on the Iranian shore. The climate of the region is one of the most extreme in the world with very high temperatures and high humidity, accompanied in summer by frequent dust storms and haze.
