The Persian Islands
Introduction
Persian Islands; the Kish Island, Tonb-e koochak, Tonb-e bozork, Kharg Island and Aboomoosa have ancient connection to its people culturally and to the neighboring lands geographically. Each of them had a purpose in the ancient history. Kish Island for instance, was a central point where civilization exchanges hands between the Susa and Assyrian and Elamite civilizations. Therefore, it acted as a strategic position where these two groups would meet. Aboomoosa Island on the other hand, was a place enriched with iron oxide deposits. For this reason, several empires ruled it over the years. This was not until it was disputed by the UAE after Iran claimed sovereignty over it. This Island therefore caused some friction among various rulers within and on the main lands. The Arabs who dwelt and ruled here, welcomed some of the rulers (Sadri, 1).
The Kharg Island was rich in pearls. For this reason, it was one strategic trading post. Later on, other world leaders came forth and took away ownership in exchange for money. This was paid to the then Arab ruler, Bandar Rig. Economically, Kharg Island was one of the largest oil terminals in Iran. Later on, the Iran and Iraq war left many of the facilities brought down by the bombings. The Tunb Islands are associated culturally to the Persian people. They represented traces of Persian origin and the dominions of several kings, including those of Hormuz. The connection of the mainland to the islands became significant at the time of expulsion by the Persian Central Government. This was once a connection entailing human geography, commerce and territorial administration of these people. Here, the Arab states and Iran have remained in constant friction. Wars and several acts of warfare have been experienced around these two Tonb Islands (Akhani,1).
First, the Kharg Island was tied to the Persian people both historically and economically. The reason behind misunderstandings between several empires lies in the rich oil deposits of the Island. This is because it forms the larger part of Darius Oilfield. This Island was occupied as was reported by Captain A. W. Stiffe in 1898. Some traces of religion were also found to be in existence. For instance, Ruins of a coarse stone temple were also discovered within the islands. This means that the inhabitants practiced Christianity. Back in time, the island was once used by the British as they were attempting to block Siege of Herat. In terms of law, the act of war that erupted between the Iran and Iraq nations brought doubt to the English Contract law case as the conditions depicted repudiatory breach of contract. It is evident that the mainland has tremendously benefited from the Island (Khoobdel, 259). First, it is the largest oil exportation terminal. In addition, it has given chance to revolution as it has acted as a platform of war and point of interest for several regimes. Through this, several rulers come together and sign peace treaties. Culturally, the people of Persia are able to trace their cultural heritage archeologically within the Island. This island is therefore a rich and most important one to Iran.
The Kish Island was a way station between two civilizations: Assyrian and Elamite. The Island was linked to the mainland both politically and economically. This can be seen when Susa primitive boats sailed and passed Kish. At the Persian Gulf was greatly affected by height of power of civilization. This means that Kish Island was strategically in a civilization position. This can be seen when civilization vanished and the Island lost importance. However, the Island falls under a good climatic zone, the semi-equatorial climate. This type climate supports a band of vegetation is important for the establishment of resort clubs and international hotels. This has rendered it an important tourist destination. The government has developed it into an economic hub (Yusefi, 500).
The Aboomoosa Island is one of the farthest from the Iranian coast. It has a city at its center, Abu Musa. Several rulers have fought for the Island. One of the main reasons was because of the vast deposits of iron oxides. The Arabs were entrusted with the extraction of the minerals. This came with restricted conditions. They were to sell it to a German leader as per the common consent. This was mainly for the sake of peace. The Persian people were tied to the Island economically. Geographically, it has a good climate with a rich ecosystem. It is therefore evident that it attracts settlement and recreational programs. The soil however, lacks important nutrients that would allow for farming. For this reason, the locals resort to fishing as a means of livelihood. Another important connection that exists between the mainland and the island is that it is one of the major ports for exporting oil.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Persian Islands have historical, political and economic connection with the mainland. This comprises the neighboring empires, the Persian people and the Arab traders. The Kharg Island as the one of the main oil terminals, serves the central government economically well. The Tonb Islands on the other hand are used to trace the culture of the people. Generally, the Islands have connection to the life of the Persian people.
References
Sadri Mirdamadi, Farhad, Ur Shlonsky, and Julie Franck. “The effect of the Persian object marker-RA and of lexical restriction on the acceptability of extraction across WH islands.” 41st Incontro di Grammatica Generativa Conference. 2015.
Akhani, Hossein. Plants and Vegetation of North-West Persian Gulf: The Coasts and Islands of Khore Musa, Mahshahr and Adjacent Areas. University of Tehran, 2015.
Khoobdel, Mehdi, et al. “The stinging Apidae and Vespidae (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) in Iranian islands, Qeshm, Abu–Musa, Great Tunb and Lesser Tunb on the Persian Gulf.” Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 4 (2014): S258-S262.
Yusefi, Gholam Hosein, et al. “Morphological analysis of Brandt’s hedgehog (Paraechinus hypomelas) reflects the isolation history of Persian Gulf islands and has implications for taxonomy.” Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 119.2 (2016): 497-510.