The

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

is home to many

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

s, mostly small, distributed in the gulf's entire geographic area and administered by the neighboring nations. Most islands are sparsely populated, with some being barren, and some utilized for communication, military, or as ship

dock The word dock () in American English refers to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore). In British English, the term is not used the same way as in American Engl ...

s. Some of the islands in the Persian Gulf are artificially constructed islands. The artificial islands often serve as tourist resorts, housing developments, or hotels. Despite their small sizes, some of these artificial islands have caused serious hazards for the already fragile ecosystem of the Gulf and its dwindling wildlife mass. A few of the Gulf islands are also historically significant, having been utilized by the ancient empires, neighboring kingdoms, and in the recent times, colonial powers such as the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

, and the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

. Recent globalization, and discovery of oil, has made some of the Persian Gulf islands very significant for developed nations as a source of oil and raw industrial material. Recent wars, and political unrest has also made these islands strategic military locations for foreign powers from

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. Some islands in the

are nations themselves;

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

, an independent Gulf state, is the only gulf country that is also an island.

Bahrain

Amwaj Islands Amwaj Islands (; transliterated: Juzur Amwaj) are a group of man-made islands, located in the Persian Gulf to the northeast of Bahrain, off the north coast of Muharraq Island. They lie northeast of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island. Geogra ...

Bahrain Island Bahrain Island ( ''Jazīrah al-Baḥrayn''), also known as al-Awal Island and formerly as Bahrein, is the largest island within the archipelago of Bahrain, and forms the bulk of the country's land mass while hosting the majority of its population ...

Hawar Islands The Hawar Islands (; transliterated: ''Juzur Ḥawār'') are an archipelago of desert islands; all but one are owned by Bahrain, while the southern, small, and uninhabited Jinan Island (Arabic: جزيرة جينان; transliterated: ''Jazirat Ji ...

* Jidda Island *

Muharraq Island Muharraq Island (), formerly known as Moharek, is the second largest island in the archipelago of Bahrain after Bahrain Island. It lies east of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island. History The island is named after Muharraq City, the form ...

* Nabih Saleh *

Sitra Sitra ( or , ''As-Sitra''), also known as Sitrah or Sitra Island ( ), is an island in Bahrain situated approximately south of the capital, Manama, which is on Bahrain Island. History The island of Sitra has witnessed various conflicts. One ...

Umm an Nasan Umm an Nasan island () is the fifth largest island in Bahrain. It is west of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island. Description Umm an Nasan is privately owned by (former) Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and is off limits to ordi ...

* Umm as Sabaan

Iran

* Abbasak Island (Shah Zendegi) * Bu Musa * Cheraghi Island *

Farsi Island Farsi Island () is a tiny, barren Iranian island (Bushehr province) in the Persian Gulf. There is an IRGC Navy base on this island. The island has an area of about and is restricted from the public. The center of Farsi Island is located at lati ...

* Forur Bozorg Island (Polour) * Forur Koochak Island (Forurgan) * Greater Tunb *

Lesser Tunb Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb (, ''Tonb-e Bozorg'' and ''Tonb-e Kuchak'', , ''Tunb el-Kubra'' and ''Tunb el-Sughra'') are two small islands in the eastern Persian Gulf, close to the Strait of Hormuz. They lie at and , respectively, some from eac ...

* Hendurabi Island *

Hengam Island Hengam Island () is an Iranian island located south of Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Persian Gulf. Geography The island is wide and shaped like a truncated cone. The island is generally calcareous and generally low-lying. The highest point on t ...

Hormuz Island Hormuz Island (; ), also spelled Hormoz, Ormoz, Ormuz or Ormus, is an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf. Geography Hormuz Island has an area of . Located in the Strait of Hormuz, off the Iranian coast, the island is part of Hormozgan Provin ...

* Jonobi Island (Mir Mohna Island) *

Kharg Island Kharg or Khark Island () is a continental island of Iran in the Persian Gulf. The island is off the coast of Iran and northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Its total area is . Administered by the adjacent coastal Bushehr Province, Khark Island p ...

(Khark) * Kharku Island *

Kish Island Kish ( ) is a resort island in Bandar Lengeh County, Hormozgan Province, off the southern coast of Iran in the Gulf. The island constitutes the city of Kish, Iran, Kish. Owing to its free trade zone status, the island is marketed as a consumers ...

* Larak Island * Lavan Island * Morghi Island * Motaff Island * Mouliaat Island *

Naaz Islands The Naaz islands (also Naz islands, ) are two tidal islands in the Persian Gulf, on the shore of Qeshm Island. At low tide, the intertidal zone of Qeshm connects the islands to the shore and at high tide the littoral zone is submerged and two hi ...

* Nakhiloo Island * Negin Island * Om e Sile Island (Khan) * Ommolkorm Island (Gorm) * Qabre Nakhoda Island *

Qeshm Island Qeshm (Persian language: قشم) is an arrow-shaped Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz of the Persian Gulf (), measuring roughly 1,500 square kilometres (576 square miles) in surface area. Separated from the Iranian mainland by the Claren ...

* Rostam Island (Reshadat oil field platform) * Sadra Island * SeDandon Island * Sheykh Andarabi Island * Shidvar Island *

Sirri Island Sirri Island (), is an island in the Persian Gulf belonging to Iran. Sirri island (also known as Siri Island) is situated from Bandar-e Lengeh and west of Abu Musa island. Sirri is one of six islands in the Abu Musâ Island Group (and is pa ...

* Tahmadu Island (Jabrin)

Kuwait

* Auhah Island *

Bubiyan Island Bubiyan Island () is the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain situated in the north-western corner of the Persian Gulf, with an area of . Bubiyan Island is part of the Shatt al-Arab delta. The Mubarak Al Kabeer Port is currently ...

Failaka Island Failaka Island ( '' / ''; Kuwaiti Arabic:فيلچه ) is a Kuwaiti Island in the Persian Gulf. The island is 20 km off the coast of Kuwait City in the Persian Gulf. The name "Failaka" is thought to be derived from the ancient Greek – ' " ...

* Kubbar Island * Miskan Island * Qaruh Island *

Umm al Maradim Island Umm al Maradim ()(''Translation: Mother of boulders'') is an island located at the extreme south of Kuwait's marine borders near the junction with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Umm Al-Maradim is surrounded by deep waters which enable ships to land ...

Umm an Namil Island Umm al Namil () is an island belonging to Kuwait, located within Kuwait Bay, in Persian Gulf. The island is at shortest, away from the Kuwaiti mainland. The island is known to be the site of several archeological finds, mainly from the ancien ...

* Warbah Island * Green Island

Qatar

* Halul Island * Shura Awa Island (Jazīrat Sharā‘awh)

Saudi Arabia

* Arabia Island *

Tarout Island Tarout Island (Arabic: جزيرة تاروت), also spelled Tārūt, is an island in the Persian Gulf in the Qatif Governorate, located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Situated about six kilometers off Qatif mainland coast, the island ...

* Huwaisat Island * Mashaab Island *Paradise Island *Muslimyah Island *Qumairi Island * Jana Island *Grid Island *Crane Island * Couscous island * Al Bayna Island * Abu Ali Island * Darien Island

United Arab Emirates

* Daiyina * Das * Dalma * Arzanah * Al Qaffāy * Sir Abu Nu’ayr * Zirku Island

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Islands in the Persian Gulf