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{{Short description|Geographic naming dispute}} | |||
'''The name of ] separating the ] from ]''' has been the subject of some dispute in recent decades. It is most commonly called the '''Persian Gulf''', after the land of ] (modern Iran). However, various forms of rivalry between ] and ]s have caused the alternate term '''Arabian Gulf''' to become predominant in some circles. Names beyond these two have also been applied to this body of water, as discussed below. | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} | |||
], 2007 (])<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-01-02 |title=The Persian Gulf |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/8354/the-persian-gulf |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov |language=en |quote=Clouds of tan, blue, and green swirl fancifully along the shores of the Persian Gulf in this photo-like image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on November 28, 2007.}}</ref>|thumb]] | |||
The '''Persian Gulf naming dispute''' concerns the ] known historically and internationally as the ],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/447346/Persian-Gulf-From-rich-history-to-security-depth|title=Persian Gulf: From rich history to security depth|date=29 April 2020|newspaper=Tehran Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Bosworth, C. Edmund |title=The Persian Gulf States: A General Survey |publisher=] |year=1980 |editor=Cottrell, Alvin J. |location=Baltimore, Maryland |pages=xvii–xxxvi |chapter=The Nomenclature of the Persian Gulf |quote=Not until the early 1960s does a major new development occur with the adoption by the Arab states bordering on the Gulf of the expression ''al-Khalij al-Arabi'' as a weapon in the psychological war with Iran for political influence in the Gulf; but the story of these events belongs to a subsequent chapter on modern political and diplomatic history of the Gulf. ''(p. xxxiii.)'' |author-link=Clifford Edmund Bosworth}}</ref> after ] (the ]) is involved in an ongoing ]. In connection with the emergence of ] and ] in the 1960s, the usage of the toponym "Arabian Gulf" ({{langx|ar|الخليج العربي}}) as well as just "Gulf" increased.<ref>] (Autumn 1980). "Security Considerations in the Persian Gulf". '']''. Vol. 5, No. 2. pp. 79–113.</ref> | |||
== |
==History== | ||
This body of water was referred to as the Persian Gulf by Arab historians and geographers, including the ] Arabic-speaking historian ], writing in the 10th century.<ref>. roger-pearse.com. Retrieved 24 February 2009.</ref> | |||
<ref></ref> | |||
] to a Bahraini government official; the name "Persian Gulf" ({{lang|ar|الخليج الفارسي}}) has been used. The document dates before the initiation of ].<ref>http://www.irdc.ir/fa/content/12485/print.aspx {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190405/http://www.irdc.ir/fa/content/12485/print.aspx |date=4 March 2016 }} ]</ref>]] | |||
In possibly every map printed before 1960 and in most modern international treaties, documents and maps, this body of water is known by the name "Persian Gulf", reflecting traditional usage since the Greek geographers ] and ], and the geopolitical realities of the time with a powerful ] (]) comprising the whole northern coastline and a scattering of local ]s on the Arabian coast. But by the ] and with the rise of ], some Arab countries, including the ones bordering the Persian Gulf, adopted widespread use of the term "الخليج العربي" (''al-Khaleej al-Arabee''; Arab Gulf or Arabian Gulf) to refer to this waterway; this is the standard usage in modern ]. This coupled with the decreasing influence of Iran on the political and economic priorities of the English speaking Western World led to increasing acceptance, in regional politics and the mostly ]-related business, of the new alternative naming convention "Arabian Gulf". | |||
According to authors Philip L. Kohl, Mara Kozelsky, and Nachman Ben-Yehuda in their work ''Selective Remembrances'', Sir ] (British adviser to the ruler of ]) was "the first westerner to use and advocate the name 'Arabian gulf', first in the journal ''Soat al-Bahrain'' (''Voice of Bahrain'') in 1955."<ref>{{cite book|author1=Kohl, Philip L. |author2=Mara Kozelsky |author3=Nachman Ben-Yehuda |title=Selective Remembrances: Archaeology in the Construction, Commemoration, and Consecration of National Pasts |year=2007 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-45059-9 |page=225 }}</ref> Mahan Abedin of ] agrees with this, noting that Arab countries used the term "Persian Gulf" until the 1960s.<ref name="IranALA">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Alai|first=Cyrus| orig-year= 15 December 2000|date= 7 February 2012 | title=Geography iv. Cartography of Persia|encyclopedia= ] |access-date= 1 February 2012|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/geography-iv-cartography-of-persia- | quote = After ], some circles decided to change the name of the Persian Gulf to Arabian Gulf. Although the government of Persia opposed the move vehemently, in some editions of a few maps and atlases the term Persian was omitted, leaving only 'The Gulf' (e.g., The ], p. 39), while the historical term Persian Gulf mostly remained intact, as in the ]. ''(p. 77; fig. 7.)''}} | |||
</ref><ref name="IranMILA">{{cite encyclopedia |author = Milani, Mohsen M. | orig-year= 15 December 2006|date= 30 March 2012 | title=Iraq vi. Pahlavi Period, 1921–79|encyclopedia=]|access-date=1 February 2012|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/iraq-vi-pahlavi-period-1921-79 |quote=...Iraqi troops began to engage their Iranian counterparts in border skirmishes. Iraq once again called for 'liberation' of the Khuzestan province from 'Persian occupiers,' and began to use the term 'Arabian Gulf,' rather than Persian Gulf....}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724234550/http://www.aljewar.org/news.aspx?id=14787 |date=24 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>]</ref> However, with the rise of ] during that decade, some Arab countries, including the ones bordering the Gulf, adopted widespread use of the term {{nowrap|{{lang|ar|الخليج العربي}}}} (''al-Khalīj al-ʻArabī''; ''Arab Gulf'' or ''Arabian Gulf'') to refer to this waterway. Teymoor Nabili (a senior presenter for ]) said "ironically, among the major drivers of the movement for change were Arab perceptions that ], driven by ], had supported ] during the ]".<ref>Teymoor Nabili (12 December 2010). . Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 11 June 2012.</ref> | |||
Until the end of the 19th century, "Arabian Gulf" has been used to refer to what is now known as the ]. This usage was adopted into Europeans maps from, among others, Strabo and Ptolemy who called the Red Sea, ''Sinus Arabicus'' (]). Both of these Greek geographers reserved "Persian Gulf" to refer to the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. In the early Islamic era, Muslim geographers did the same, calling the body بحر فارس (''Bahr Faris''; Persian Sea) or "خليج فارس" (''Khalij Faris''; Persian Gulf). Later, most European maps from the early Modern Times onwards used similar terms (''Sinus Persicus'', ''Persischer Golf'', ''Golfo di Persia'' and the like, in different languages) when referring to the Persian Gulf, possibly taking the name from the Islamic sources. For a short while in the ], the term "Gulf of Basra" was also being used, which made a reference to the town of ] (Iraq), an important trading port of the time. Basra, however, is not on the shore of the waterway. The Times Journal, published in London in 1840, referred to the Persian Gulf as the "Britain Sea," despite the distant geography. For more information, see the ] paper: "Historical, Geographical and Legal Validity of the name 'Persian Gulf'" (April 2006). | |||
{{multiple image | |||
| image1 = Mercator 1595.jpg | |||
| caption1 = Gerard Mercator's map of 1595 showing Persian Gulf terminology (''Mare di ] formerly Persicus sinus''), and Sinus Arabicus (Red Sea). | |||
| image2 = Ortelius 1580.jpg | |||
| caption2 = Map by Abraham Ortelius, dated 1580 using the term "Persicus" (''MAR ] (formerly Sinus Persicus)''). | |||
| footer = | |||
}} | |||
The capture of ] by the ] in 1534 gave ] access to the ] via the port of ] at the head of the Persian Gulf. This coincided with the early mapmaking efforts of ], whose 1541 terrestrial globe attempts to give the most up-to-date information, naming the gulf ''Sinus Persicus, nunc Mare de Balsera'' ("Persian Gulf, now Sea of Basra").<ref>]. (1541) via ].</ref> However, on his world map of 1569, the name is changed to ''Mare di Mesendin'' (after the peninsula Ra's ], in modern-day ]),<ref>]. (1569) via wilhelmkruecken.de.</ref> while his rival ], for the world atlas of 1570, opted for ''Mare El Catif, olim Sinus Persicus'' (after the Arabian port of Al ]), but labelled the entrance to the gulf{{spaced ndash}} the present-day ]{{spaced ndash}} as ''Basora Fretum'' (Strait of Basra).<ref>]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303103255/http://www.cartographicarts.com/popup.html?img=E4167A |date=3 March 2012 }} (1570) via cartographicarts.com.</ref> Among all this confusion, the old name gradually reasserted itself in the 17th century, but Turkey still uses the name "Gulf of Basra" ({{lang|tr|Basra Körfezi}})<ref>Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism . www.kultur.gov.tr.</ref> in Turkish today. | |||
Following British attempts to establish control over the seaway in the late 1830s, the ''Times Journal'', published in London in 1840, referred to the Persian Gulf as the "Britain Sea", but this name was never used in any other context.<ref>United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names . (April 2006).</ref> | |||
==Proposed alternatives== | |||
{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2022}} | |||
The matter remains very contentious as the competing naming conventions are supported by certain governments in internal literature, but also in dealings with other states and international organizations. Some parties use terms like "The Gulf" or the "Arabo-Persian Gulf". Following the ] of 1979 some people in Islamic groups suggested the use of "Islamic Gulf" or "Muslim Gulf".<ref name=Good2006>{{cite book|author=Jubin M. Goodarzi|title=Syria and Iran: Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in the Middle East|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Co6YXWrepvYC|pages=, |access-date=3 November 2014|year=2006|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-84511-127-4}}</ref> The originator of the term ''Islamic Gulf'' is not known, while some people suggest that prominent figures of the early years of the ] including ], ], and ] may have supported the idea. During his May 1979 visit to the ], Khalkhali suggested the term "Muslim Gulf".<ref name=Good2006/> The idea was quickly abandoned after Iran was invaded by its predominantly Muslim neighbor, ], in the ]. | |||
In Arab countries the terms "Gulf" and "Arabian Gulf" are preferred: {{blockquote|text=The "Gulf" refers to the body of water known as the Arabian Gulf in ], or the Persian Gulf as referred to in many other places. |title=List of GCC countries, Gulf countries |source=<ref>{{cite web|title=DubaiFAQs UAE information guide|url=http://www.dubaifaqs.com/list-of-gcc-countries.php|website=DubaiFAQs UAE information guide|access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref> }} | |||
=== Iranian viewpoint === | |||
] interviews Iranian king ] in 1974 for ]. Pahlavi uses the name "]" in the video.]] | |||
] only uses the term "Persian Gulf" and does not usually recognize the naming when it is referred to as "Arabian Gulf" or just the "Gulf" or by any other alternative.<ref>{{cite news| author = <!--Staff--> |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/24/us.iran/|work=]|title=Name Game Stokes U.S.–Iranian Tensions|date=24 January 2008|access-date=15 June 2012}}</ref> | |||
In a 1974 interview by ] in '']'', the last ] himself preferred the term "Persian Gulf" while talking to Wallace.<ref>{{cite interview |subject=Shah of Persia |interviewer=] |title=] |publisher=] |date=February 1974}}</ref> In February 2010 Iran threatened to ban from its airspace foreign airlines, especially those from the Gulf region, who did not use the term "Persian Gulf".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/7293430/Iran-threatens-flight-ban-over-Persian-Gulf-name-row.html|work= ]|title=Iran Threatens Flight Ban over 'Persian' Gulf Name Row|last=Spencer |first=Richard|date=23 February 2010|access-date=22 May 2010|author-link= Richard Spencer (journalist)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/22/iran-demands-airlines-say_n_472078.html |title=Iran: Airlines Must Say 'Persian Gulf' Or Face Airspace Ban |work=HuffPost|date=2010-02-22 |access-date=2013-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-warns-airlines-over-not-calling-gulf-persian-2010-2 |title=Iran To Arabs: It's 'Persian Gulf' Not 'Arabian Gulf' – If You Call It 'Arabian Gulf', You're Toast |website=] |date=2010-02-22 |access-date=2013-12-06}}</ref> In 2011, President ] made a speech to the United Nations General Assembly during which he said that the only correct name of the sea between Iran and the Arabian peninsula was the Persian Gulf, and he dismissed the use of any other names as "illegitimate and void".<ref>{{cite web|title=Iran (Islamic Republic of) H. E. Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President|url=http://gadebate.un.org./node/186|website=UN General Assembly General Debate of the 66th Session|access-date=4 May 2016}}</ref> | |||
In 2012 the Iranian government threatened to sue Google over its decision not to label the gulf with any name, warning it would face "serious damages" if it does not denote the area as the Persian Gulf.<ref>{{cite web |title=Iran 'to sue Google' over Gulf |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-18108246.amp |website=BBC News |access-date=29 June 2022 |date=17 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
{{anchor|National Persian Gulf Day}}Iran officially designated 30 April as ]. The date coincides with the anniversary of ]'s successful military campaign when the ] was driven out of the ] in the ]. The decision was taken by the ], presided over by former President ], noting that the campaign launched in 2009 by certain Arab states to rename the Persian Gulf was the driver behind the decision.<ref>. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601090505/http://www.muslimherald.com/English/EN_News/International/065233849.htm |date=1 June 2010 }}. Retrieved 26 February 2009.</ref><ref>. '']''. Retrieved 30 April 2010.</ref> The Iranian postal authority issued a series of stamps commemorating the day.<ref name="english.irib.ir">{{cite web|url=https://japan.mfa.gov.ir/en/newsview/536033|title=Introducing a book: Documents on the Persian Gulf's name the eternal heritage of ancient time, part 2|accessdate=November 1, 2021|website=japan.mfa.gov.ir}}</ref><ref>, Retrieved 26 February 2009.</ref>{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} | |||
=== Arab viewpoints === | |||
{{Unbalanced|section|date=June 2022}} | |||
{{Listen|pos=right|filename=Jamal Abdel Nasser voice mentioned the name "Persian gulf" in Arabic.ogg|title=Jamal Abdel Nasser mentioning the name "Persian Gulf" in Arabic in a speech.|description=Former Egyptian President ] using the name "]"<br />]:{{lang|ar|من المحیط الاطلسی الی الخلیج الفارسی}}<br />]:{{lang|en|From the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oUgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA96|page=|title=Where I Stand and Why|author=Gamal Abdel Nasser|magazine=]|date=20 July 1959|volume=47|issue=}}</ref>}} | |||
] states prefer the use of the term "Arabian Gulf".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Henderson|first1=Simon|title=Understanding the Gulf States|url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/understanding-the-gulf-states|website=The Washington Institute|access-date=1 June 2016|date=Spring 2004}}</ref> | |||
Abdel Khaleq al-Janabi, a Saudi Arabian historian, said "It's this name that has been retained by history books and Arab historians, like ] and ]. It's also in treaties signed between the governors of the gulf and the British who dominated the region from the beginning of the 20th century ... From a scientific and historical point of view, it has been called the Persian Gulf since ]". He said that it was "without foundation" to claim the Romans named it "Arabian Gulf". "Things didn't change until ] came to power and the rise of Arab nationalism. The Arabs then began to use the name 'Arabian Gulf{{'"}}, he added.<ref name="France 24 16.6.2010">{{cite news |title=Web wrangle: Persian or Arabian Gulf? |url=https://observers.france24.com/content/20100616-web-controversy-persian-gulf-or-arabian-gulf-iran |work=France 24 |date=16 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811012023/https://observers.france24.com/content/20100616-web-controversy-persian-gulf-or-arabian-gulf-iran |archive-date=11 August 2011}}</ref> | |||
In an interview with ], ] writer Hussain al-Baharna said one of the reasons for the dispute over naming the "Arabian Gulf as the Persian Gulf" is that the Red Sea was referred to as at the time of negotiations over the ownership of ] "Ann That Arabian Gulf", and it was not then possible to call what had since become the Arab Gulf region by the name "Arabian Gulf", it was called the "Persian Gulf" at that time.<ref>{{in lang|ar}} Ali Najeeb (19 June 2008). . ]. Retrieved 12 June 2012.</ref> In recent decades, prominent scholars and political and religious leaders, including Professor ], Ahmad al-Saraf, ] (Prime Minister of Morocco from 2011 to 2017), Abdul Monem Saeed, Abdul Khaliq al-Janabi, Qaradawi, and Gen. Majdi Omar, Former First Deputy of the Egyptian National Defense Council have supported the use of "Persian Gulf" and believe there is a lack of justification for changing the name. | |||
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://japan.mfa.gov.ir/en/newsview/japan.mfa.gov.ir|title=Introducing a Book and Atlas|website=japan.mfa.gov.ir}}</ref> | |||
<center> | |||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
File:Cairo street.persian gulf.jpg|''Shāri' al-Khalīj al-Fārsī'' ({{langx|ar|شارع الخليج الفارسي}}), the Persian Gulf Street in ] | |||
Image:Istakhri map 2.jpg|Regional map showing the word ''Bahr Fars'', ("Persian sea") in Arabic, from the 9th century text ''Al-aqalim'' by the Persian geographer ]. | |||
File:Persian-gulf-dubai-mus.JPG|A historical map of the Persian Gulf in ], ]. The word "Persian" is erased from the phrase "Persian Gulf". | |||
Image:Persia1808.JPG|An 1808 British map depicting the "Persian Gulf". | |||
Image:Iran e Bozorg2.jpg|Map depiction of 1719 using the term "Persian Gulf". | |||
Image:Matthaus 1598.JPG|1598 German map using the term "Persicus" for the body of water. | |||
Image:Ortelius 1580.JPG|Map by Abraham Ortelius dated 1580 using the term "Persicus". | |||
Image:Hondius 1610.JPG|1610 Map by ] map maker Jodocus Hondius using term "Perſicus" | |||
Image:Mercator 1595.JPG|Gerard Mercator's map of 1595 showing Persian Gulf terminology. | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
</center> | |||
==International viewpoints== | |||
===United Nations=== | |||
The ] discussed the naming issue during its 23rd session, held in Vienna from 28 March to 4 April 2006.<ref name="UN">. Working Paper No. 61, United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, United Nations. New York, 2006.</ref> | |||
===International Hydrographic Organization=== | |||
The matter remains very contentious, in particular as the competing naming conventions are supported by respective governments, in internal literature, but also in dealings with other states and international organizations. Some parties with certain aims use terms like "The Gulf" or the "Arabo-Persian Gulf". After the ] of ] some people within Islamic groups suggested the use of "Islamic Gulf" (the originator of the term is not known, while some people suggest that prominent figures of the early years of the ] including ], ], and ] may have supported the idea), but the idea was quickly abandoned after Iran was invaded by its predominantly Muslim neighbor, Iraq. Possibly the most famous person who has used the term "Islamic Gulf" recently has been ], who used the term as late as ]. | |||
The ] (IHO), an international body for provision of hydrographic information for worldwide marine navigation and other purposes, uses the name "Gulf of Iran (Persian Gulf)" for this body of water, in its standard S-23 (Limits of Oceans and Seas), section 41, published in 1953.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf|title=Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd Edition|year=1953|publisher=]|access-date=28 December 2020|page=21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008191433/http://www.iho.int/iho_pubs/standard/S-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf|archive-date=8 October 2011}}</ref> | |||
== |
===United States=== | ||
] using the name "]" as part of his "] Message to the ]" in 2015.<ref name="wh">« {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204211039/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/video/2016/03/19/president-obama-s-nowruz-message-iranian-people |date=4 February 2017 }}» at ] official website Retrieved: 4 August 2016. website.</ref>]] | |||
The ] ] GEOnet Names Server (GNS) is the "official repository of standard spellings of all foreign place names" sanctioned by the ] (BGN).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/index.html |title=NGA: GNS Home |publisher=Earth-info.nga.mil |date=2013-09-16 |access-date=2014-02-05}}</ref> The GNS lists "Persian Gulf" as the ''Conventional'' name, along with 16 ''Variant'' names in different languages, such as "Gulf of Iran", "Gulf of Ajam", "Gulf of Basra", "Arabian Gulf", "Persian-Arabian Gulf", "Gulf of Fars", and "Farsi Gulf".<ref name="GeoNames">{{cite web |title=GeoNames Search |url=https://geonames.nga.mil/namesgaz/ |website=geonames.nga.mil |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412035207/https://geonames.nga.mil/namesgaz/ |archive-date=April 12, 2014 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
According to the '']'': | |||
:Tehran believes in defending the historical term "Persian Gulf" against "Arabian Gulf," which it regards as a name dreamed up by Arab nationalists. While Iran dominates the eastern side of the waterway, the western shores are held by Arab countries. | |||
In ''Persian Gulf States Country Studies'' published in 1993 by the Federal Research Division of the U.S. ], the authors follow the practise of the BGN by using "Persian Gulf" while acknowledging in the ] that the governments of Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain "officially reject the use of the term Persian Gulf—as do other Arab governments—and refer to that body of water as the Arabian Gulf".<ref>{{cite web|title=Persian Gulf States Country Studies|url=http://memory.loc.gov/master/frd/frdcstdy/pe/persiangulfstate00metz_0/persiangulfstate00metz_0.pdf|website=American Memory from the Library of Congress|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref> | |||
==Viewpoint of the UN and the US == | |||
The ] on many occasions has requested that only '''Persian Gulf''' be used as the standard geographical designation for that body of water. Most recently, the UN Secretariat has issued two editorial directives in ] and ] affirming the position of this organization on this matter. | |||
Since about 1991, due to increased cooperation with ], various branches of the ] have issued directives to their members to use the "Arabian Gulf" when operating in the area to follow local conventions ("Persian Gulf" is still used in official publications and websites).<ref>. ]. 9 December 2010.</ref> The practice of the ], based in ], is to use "Arabian Gulf": {{blockquote|text=It is commonly understood to be a friendly gesture of solidarity and support for our host nation of Bahrain and our other Gulf Cooperation Council partners in the region to use the term they prefer |author=Spokesman for the United States Fifth Fleet |source=<ref>{{cite news|last1=Zraick|first1=Karen|title=Persian (or Arabian) Gulf Is Caught in the Middle of Regional Rivalries|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/world/middleeast/persian-gulf-arabian-gulf-iran-saudi-arabia.html?_r=0|website=The New York Times|date=12 January 2016|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>}} | |||
The group of experts on Geographical Names was set up by the secretary-general of the United Nations in pursuance of economic and Social council resolution 715A(XXVII) on April 23, 1959 and has endorsed 'Persian Gulf' as the official name for this body of water. | |||
===Atlases and other media=== | |||
The use of the name ']' was described to be 'faulty' by the eighth United Nations conference on the standardization of Geographical names, Berlin, 27 August September 2002.{{fact}} | |||
The ] uses the name Persian Gulf to refer to this body of water. In 2004, the society published a new edition of its ''National Geographic ] of the World'' using the term "Arabian Gulf" as an alternative name (in smaller type and in parentheses) for "Persian Gulf". This resulted in heavy protests by many Iranians, especially the Internet user community and the Iranology Academy,<ref>{{cite news|title=Iranologists condemn deliberate distortion of Persian Gulf's name|url=http://www.payvand.com/news/04/dec/1206.html|access-date=6 August 2013|newspaper=Payvand|date=24 December 2004|archive-date=18 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818144921/http://www.payvand.com/news/04/dec/1206.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> which led to the Iranian government acting on the issue and banning the distribution of the society's publications in Iran. On 30 December 2004, the society reversed its decision and published an Atlas Update, removing the parenthetical reference and adding a note: "Historically and most commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is referred to by some as the Arabian Gulf." The June 2010 Nation Geographic Style Manual states: "The internationally accepted name is Persia Gulf, although Arab countries call the body of water the Arabian Gulf. Where scale permits, National Geographic maps include a map note about the Arabian Gulf. If Arabian Gulf is used in text, it should be explained."<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42579127|title=Mapping the Persian Guld Naming Dispute|first=Martin H.|last=Levinson|journal=ETC: A Review of General Semantics|volume=68|issue=3|date=July 2011|pages=279–287|publisher=Institute of General Semantics|jstor=42579127 }}</ref> | |||
The 2000 '']'' elaborates: Persian Gulf is the "long-established name" and the best choice. "Some Arab nations call it the Arabian Gulf. Use Arabian Gulf only in direct quotations and explain in the text that the body of water is more commonly known as the Persian Gulf." | |||
In the ], Persian Gulf has been the label sanctioned for U.S. government use since a decision by the ]'s ] in ]. This practice remains State Department policy . In recent years, due to increased cooperation with Arab ], various branches of the ] have issued directives to their members to use the "Arabian Gulf" when operating in the area ("Persian Gulf" is still used in official publications and websites), partially to follow local conventions, or simply to follow local laws that ban the use of "Persian Gulf", e.g. in the ]. Also for similar reasons, branches of American universities in the region have also dropped references to "Persian Gulf" in their teaching materials. | |||
In 2004, the Persian Gulf-naming dispute was the subject of a ] by an Iranian ]ger named Pendar Yousefi.<ref>Petrossian, Fred (10 May 2007). . ]. Retrieved 14 May 2012.</ref><ref>{{dead link|date=June 2012}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219100611/http://legofish.com/google/ |date=19 February 2009 }}.</ref><ref name="thepersiangulf.org">{{dead link|date=June 2012|reason=thepersiangulf.org appears to be ]}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220095708/http://www.thepersiangulf.org/googlebomb.html |date=20 February 2010 }}.</ref> This was the combined efforts of hundreds of bloggers, webmasters and Persian forums who pointed links with the word Arabian Gulf to a spoof error page found at .<ref name="thepersiangulf.org"/> | |||
In ], the ] published a new edition of its ''National Geographic ] of the World'' using the term "Arabian Gulf" as an alternative name (in smaller type and in parentheses) for "Persian Gulf". This resulted in heavy protests by many ], especially the Internet user community, which led to the Iranian government acting on the issue and banning the distribution of the society's publications in Iran. On ], ], the society reversed its decision and published an Atlas Update, removing the parenthetical reference and adding a note: "Historically and most commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is referred to by some as the Arabian Gulf." It also removed the alternative Arabic names for certain islands and/or replaced them with Persian ones (''see also'' ]). | |||
Some atlases and media outlets have taken to referring to "The Gulf" without any adjectival qualification. This usage is followed by the ] and '']''. Iran does not consider this an impartial usage and views it as an active contribution to abandonment of the historical name. In June 2006, Iran banned the sale of '']'' for the above reason, after a map in the magazine labeled the ] as "The Gulf".<ref>{{cite news |title=Louvre's 'Gulf' Move Draws Iranian Ire |url=http://www.huliq.com/387/louvres-gulf-move-draws-iranian-ire | publisher = ] |year=2006 |access-date=18 December 2008}}</ref> The magazine repeated this act in its 18 February 2010 article titled "Iraq, Iran and the Politics of Oil: Crude Diplomacy". It also used the name "Arabian Gulf" in the same article. | |||
Some atlases and media outlets have taken to referring to "The Gulf" without any adjectival qualification. This usage is followed by ''The ]''. | |||
] had previously put both Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf on its ]. After May 2012, it removed both names from the body of water stating that it does not name every place in the world and that it did not want to take a political stance. Iranians complained about the change and started a Twitter campaign asking "Where's the Persian Gulf?".<ref>Sebastian Usher (4 May 2012). . BBC. Retrieved 29 June 2012.</ref> Google Earth continues to show both names, unless viewed through a server from a Gulf Coast Arab country, in which case it labels it simply "Arabian Gulf." | |||
In June 15, 2006 ] banned the sale of '']'' for the above reason. A major map in an issue labled the ] as the 'Gulf' . | |||
===Sporting bodies=== | |||
A planned second ] in Iran, originally scheduled to take place in October 2009, and later rescheduled for April 2010, was canceled when the ] and Iran could not agree over the use of the term "Persian Gulf" in logos and medals for the Games.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jan/17/islamic-solidarity-games-cancelled|title= Islamic Solidarity Games Cancelled after Gulf Row Divides Nations|publisher= Associated Press (via ]) |access-date=18 January 2010 | date=17 January 2010 | first=Riyadh | last=Ap}}</ref><ref>Staff (18 January 2010). . ]. Retrieved 15 June 2012.</ref> | |||
In ], the top tier of the ] was named the ] in August 2006 to promote the Persian naming.<ref name="Friday1">{{cite book |last= Montague |first= James | title= When Friday Comes: Football in the War Zone |publisher= ] |year= 2008 |isbn=978-1-84596-369-9 |page=57}}</ref> The ] does not take part in the ] for national teams surrounding the waters.<ref name="Friday2">{{cite book |last= Montague |first= James | title= When Friday Comes: Football in the War Zone |publisher= ] |year= 2008 |isbn=978-1-84596-369-9 |page=113}}</ref> The ] was founded in 2016 for the competing nations of the Arabian Gulf Cup. | |||
The top football league in the ] (UAE) was founded in 1973 as the UAE Football League. In 2007, the name was changed to UAE Pro-League. Starting from the 2013–14 season the name was changed to ], as well as their ] and ] competitions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.proleague.ae/en/news/new-name.html|title=New League name announced by H.E. Mohammed Thani Murshed Al Romaithi |date=26 May 2013 |work=Pro League Committee |access-date=26 May 2013}}</ref> The name change has been viewed as a revival of the Persian Gulf naming dispute<ref>{{cite web|author=James M. Dorsey |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nid=51560 |title=MIDEAST — Gulf rivalry between Iran, UAE {{sic|trans|fered|expected=transferred||nolink=y}} to the football pitch |publisher=Hurriyetdailynews.com |date=13 September 2011 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> with Iran accusing the United Arab Emirates of racism,<ref>{{cite web |author=Category: Asia |url=http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-football/asia/12613-iran-accuses-uae-of-racism-in-renaming-pro-league-to-the-arabian-gulf-league |title=Iran accuses UAE of racism in renaming Pro League to the Arabian Gulf League |publisher=Inside World Football |date=29 May 2013 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927215226/http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-football/asia/12613-iran-accuses-uae-of-racism-in-renaming-pro-league-to-the-arabian-gulf-league |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=persiangulfstudies.com |url=http://persiangulfstudies.com/en/index.asp?P=NEWS2&Nu=85 |title=Persian Gulf Studies Center |publisher=Persiangulfstudies.com |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> and the ] barring the transfer of ] to a UAE club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-bars-captains-uae-transfer-over-gulf-name/ |title=Iran bars captain's UAE transfer over Gulf name |publisher=Fox News |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> | |||
==Gallery== | |||
{{Cleanup gallery|date=February 2024}} | |||
===Persian Gulf or equivalent=== | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:Mappa di Eratostene.jpg|19th Century reconstruction of 194 BC ]' map, Denoting Persian Gulf | |||
File:Karte Pomponius Mela rotated.jpg|An ] by ] 43 AD. ] named Arabian Sea and ] and ] named Persian Sea. | |||
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Arabian peninsula.jpg|Map VI from ]'s "]" showing ] and ], reconstruction from 1467 | |||
File:Istakhri map 2.jpg|Regional map showing the word ''Bahr Fars'', ("Persian Sea") in Arabic, from the 9th century text ''Al-aqalim'' by the Persian geographer ] | |||
File:PG 1548.jpg|]'s map circa 1548 is denoted by cartographic historian Gerald Tibbetts as the first "modern" map of the area, denoting Golpho de Persia | |||
File:Persia Sive Sophorum regnum Old map Persia Merian 1638.jpg|Persia Sive Sophorum regnum Old map Persia Merian 1638 | |||
File:Location of Persian gulf and Arabian gulf by Janssonius, Joannes- 1640-Amsterdam.jpg|Location of Persian gulf and Arabian gulf by Janssonius, Joannes- 1640-Amsterdam | |||
File:Ottoman Asia (partial, 1893).jpg|1893 Ottoman map calling it "] Al-]" | |||
File:Saudi map of Persian gulf 1952.jpg|A Saudi ] map from 1952 using the term "Persian Gulf" ({{lang|ar|الخليج الفارسي}}). | |||
</gallery> | |||
===Other names=== | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:Ottoman Empire 1600 by Jaillot.jpg|1600 map calling it "Gulf of ]" or "Sea of ]" | |||
File:John Speed. The Turkish Empire. Newly Augmented by John Speed. 1626.jpg|1626 map calling it "Sea of ]", or the Arabian Gulf. This map also names the Red Sea the Arabian Gulf | |||
File:PG Jansson.jpg|Jan Jansson's map, 17th century (''MARE ]'', formerly ''SINUS PERSICUS''). | |||
File:Cedid Atlas (Africa) 1803.jpg|The Ottoman ] of 1803 calling it the Gulf of Basra | |||
</gallery> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{portal|Geography|Bahrain|Iran|Iraq|Kuwait|Oman|Saudi Arabia|United Arab Emirates}} | |||
* ] section in the ] article | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | |||
{{clear}} | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist|30em}} | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{div col|colwidth=30em}} | |||
*, Iranian delegation working paper for the 23rd Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, April 2006 | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* (in Persian) | |||
] | |||
* | |||
* , Iranian delegation working paper for the 23rd Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, April 2006 | |||
] | |||
*{{cite web|url=http://www.iran-heritage.org/articles/conspiracy.htm|title=Conspiracy to change a heritage name "The Persian Gulf"|website=V|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109213325/http://www.iran-heritage.org/articles/conspiracy.htm |accessdate=December 16, 2022|archive-date=9 January 2011 }} | |||
] | |||
*. | |||
* (archived from on 2007-04-04), | |||
* {{cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/isg/persiangulffactsheet.pdf|title=Factsheet on the Legal and Historical Usage of the "Persian Gulf"|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110411031623/http://web.mit.edu/isg/persiangulffactsheet.pdf|archivedate=April 11, 2011|publisher=Iranian Studies Group at MIT}} | |||
* | |||
* {{cite news|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150191582529&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223062030/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150191582529&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull|archivedate=23 December 2011|title=Iran bans ''The Economist'' over map|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|date=June 14, 2006}} | |||
*{{cite news|url=http://www.payvand.com/news/06/dec/1270.html|title=Goods labelled with "Arabian Gulf" banned in Iran|newspaper=Iran News|date=December 25, 2006|access-date=26 December 2006|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194203/http://www.payvand.com/news/06/dec/1270.html|url-status=dead}} | |||
*{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/54272266@N06/6863021370/in/photostream/|title=Maps of the Persian Gulf|website=Flickr.com|accessdate=December 16, 2022}} | |||
* | |||
* What's in a name? the Persian Gulf The New York Times: | |||
* Persian Gulf: From rich history to security depth | |||
* | |||
{{div col end}} | |||
{{Articles Related to Persian Gulf}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Persian Gulf Naming Dispute}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 13:50, 24 December 2024
Geographic naming dispute
The Persian Gulf naming dispute concerns the gulf known historically and internationally as the Persian Gulf, after Persia (the Western exonym for Iran) is involved in an ongoing naming dispute. In connection with the emergence of pan-Arabism and Arab nationalism in the 1960s, the usage of the toponym "Arabian Gulf" (Arabic: الخليج العربي) as well as just "Gulf" increased.
History
This body of water was referred to as the Persian Gulf by Arab historians and geographers, including the Melkite Arabic-speaking historian Agapius, writing in the 10th century.
According to authors Philip L. Kohl, Mara Kozelsky, and Nachman Ben-Yehuda in their work Selective Remembrances, Sir Charles Belgrave (British adviser to the ruler of Bahrain) was "the first westerner to use and advocate the name 'Arabian gulf', first in the journal Soat al-Bahrain (Voice of Bahrain) in 1955." Mahan Abedin of The Jamestown Foundation agrees with this, noting that Arab countries used the term "Persian Gulf" until the 1960s. However, with the rise of Arab nationalism during that decade, some Arab countries, including the ones bordering the Gulf, adopted widespread use of the term الخليج العربي (al-Khalīj al-ʻArabī; Arab Gulf or Arabian Gulf) to refer to this waterway. Teymoor Nabili (a senior presenter for Al Jazeera English) said "ironically, among the major drivers of the movement for change were Arab perceptions that Iran, driven by Washington, had supported Israel during the Arab-Israeli war of 1973".
Gerard Mercator's map of 1595 showing Persian Gulf terminology (Mare di Mesendin formerly Persicus sinus), and Sinus Arabicus (Red Sea).Map by Abraham Ortelius, dated 1580 using the term "Persicus" (MAR MESENDIN (formerly Sinus Persicus)).The capture of Baghdad by the Ottoman Empire in 1534 gave Turkey access to the Indian Ocean via the port of Basra at the head of the Persian Gulf. This coincided with the early mapmaking efforts of Gerard Mercator, whose 1541 terrestrial globe attempts to give the most up-to-date information, naming the gulf Sinus Persicus, nunc Mare de Balsera ("Persian Gulf, now Sea of Basra"). However, on his world map of 1569, the name is changed to Mare di Mesendin (after the peninsula Ra's Musandam, in modern-day Oman), while his rival Abraham Ortelius, for the world atlas of 1570, opted for Mare El Catif, olim Sinus Persicus (after the Arabian port of Al Qatif), but labelled the entrance to the gulf – the present-day Strait of Hormuz – as Basora Fretum (Strait of Basra). Among all this confusion, the old name gradually reasserted itself in the 17th century, but Turkey still uses the name "Gulf of Basra" (Basra Körfezi) in Turkish today.
Following British attempts to establish control over the seaway in the late 1830s, the Times Journal, published in London in 1840, referred to the Persian Gulf as the "Britain Sea", but this name was never used in any other context.
Proposed alternatives
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The matter remains very contentious as the competing naming conventions are supported by certain governments in internal literature, but also in dealings with other states and international organizations. Some parties use terms like "The Gulf" or the "Arabo-Persian Gulf". Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 some people in Islamic groups suggested the use of "Islamic Gulf" or "Muslim Gulf". The originator of the term Islamic Gulf is not known, while some people suggest that prominent figures of the early years of the Islamic republic including Ruhollah Khomeini, Mehdi Bazargan, and Sadegh Khalkhali may have supported the idea. During his May 1979 visit to the UAE, Khalkhali suggested the term "Muslim Gulf". The idea was quickly abandoned after Iran was invaded by its predominantly Muslim neighbor, Iraq, in the Iran-Iraq War.
In Arab countries the terms "Gulf" and "Arabian Gulf" are preferred:
The "Gulf" refers to the body of water known as the Arabian Gulf in GCC countries, or the Persian Gulf as referred to in many other places.
— List of GCC countries, Gulf countries,
Iranian viewpoint
Iran only uses the term "Persian Gulf" and does not usually recognize the naming when it is referred to as "Arabian Gulf" or just the "Gulf" or by any other alternative.
In a 1974 interview by Mike Wallace in 60 Minutes, the last Shah of Iran himself preferred the term "Persian Gulf" while talking to Wallace. In February 2010 Iran threatened to ban from its airspace foreign airlines, especially those from the Gulf region, who did not use the term "Persian Gulf". In 2011, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a speech to the United Nations General Assembly during which he said that the only correct name of the sea between Iran and the Arabian peninsula was the Persian Gulf, and he dismissed the use of any other names as "illegitimate and void".
In 2012 the Iranian government threatened to sue Google over its decision not to label the gulf with any name, warning it would face "serious damages" if it does not denote the area as the Persian Gulf.
Iran officially designated 30 April as National Persian Gulf Day. The date coincides with the anniversary of Abbas I of Persia's successful military campaign when the Portuguese navy was driven out of the Strait of Hormuz in the Capture of Ormuz (1622). The decision was taken by the High Council of Cultural Revolution, presided over by former President Mohammad Khatami, noting that the campaign launched in 2009 by certain Arab states to rename the Persian Gulf was the driver behind the decision. The Iranian postal authority issued a series of stamps commemorating the day.
Arab viewpoints
This section may be unbalanced toward certain viewpoints. Please improve the article by adding information on neglected viewpoints, or discuss the issue on the talk page. (June 2022) |
Arabic:من المحیط الاطلسی الی الخلیج الفارسی
English:From the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Gulf Cooperation Council states prefer the use of the term "Arabian Gulf".
Abdel Khaleq al-Janabi, a Saudi Arabian historian, said "It's this name that has been retained by history books and Arab historians, like Ibn Khaldoun and Ibn al Athir. It's also in treaties signed between the governors of the gulf and the British who dominated the region from the beginning of the 20th century ... From a scientific and historical point of view, it has been called the Persian Gulf since Alexander the Great". He said that it was "without foundation" to claim the Romans named it "Arabian Gulf". "Things didn't change until Nasser came to power and the rise of Arab nationalism. The Arabs then began to use the name 'Arabian Gulf'", he added.
In an interview with Al Wasat, Bahraini writer Hussain al-Baharna said one of the reasons for the dispute over naming the "Arabian Gulf as the Persian Gulf" is that the Red Sea was referred to as at the time of negotiations over the ownership of Bahrain "Ann That Arabian Gulf", and it was not then possible to call what had since become the Arab Gulf region by the name "Arabian Gulf", it was called the "Persian Gulf" at that time. In recent decades, prominent scholars and political and religious leaders, including Professor Abdelhadi Tazi, Ahmad al-Saraf, Abdelilah Benkirane (Prime Minister of Morocco from 2011 to 2017), Abdul Monem Saeed, Abdul Khaliq al-Janabi, Qaradawi, and Gen. Majdi Omar, Former First Deputy of the Egyptian National Defense Council have supported the use of "Persian Gulf" and believe there is a lack of justification for changing the name.
- Shāri' al-Khalīj al-Fārsī (Arabic: شارع الخليج الفارسي), the Persian Gulf Street in Cairo, Egypt
- A historical map of the Persian Gulf in Saeed Al Maktoum House, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The word "Persian" is erased from the phrase "Persian Gulf".
International viewpoints
United Nations
The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names discussed the naming issue during its 23rd session, held in Vienna from 28 March to 4 April 2006.
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), an international body for provision of hydrographic information for worldwide marine navigation and other purposes, uses the name "Gulf of Iran (Persian Gulf)" for this body of water, in its standard S-23 (Limits of Oceans and Seas), section 41, published in 1953.
United States
The United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency GEOnet Names Server (GNS) is the "official repository of standard spellings of all foreign place names" sanctioned by the Board of Geographical Names (BGN). The GNS lists "Persian Gulf" as the Conventional name, along with 16 Variant names in different languages, such as "Gulf of Iran", "Gulf of Ajam", "Gulf of Basra", "Arabian Gulf", "Persian-Arabian Gulf", "Gulf of Fars", and "Farsi Gulf".
In Persian Gulf States Country Studies published in 1993 by the Federal Research Division of the U.S. Library of Congress, the authors follow the practise of the BGN by using "Persian Gulf" while acknowledging in the preface that the governments of Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain "officially reject the use of the term Persian Gulf—as do other Arab governments—and refer to that body of water as the Arabian Gulf".
Since about 1991, due to increased cooperation with Arab states of the Persian Gulf, various branches of the United States armed forces have issued directives to their members to use the "Arabian Gulf" when operating in the area to follow local conventions ("Persian Gulf" is still used in official publications and websites). The practice of the United States Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is to use "Arabian Gulf":
It is commonly understood to be a friendly gesture of solidarity and support for our host nation of Bahrain and our other Gulf Cooperation Council partners in the region to use the term they prefer
— Spokesman for the United States Fifth Fleet,
Atlases and other media
The National Geographic Society uses the name Persian Gulf to refer to this body of water. In 2004, the society published a new edition of its National Geographic Atlas of the World using the term "Arabian Gulf" as an alternative name (in smaller type and in parentheses) for "Persian Gulf". This resulted in heavy protests by many Iranians, especially the Internet user community and the Iranology Academy, which led to the Iranian government acting on the issue and banning the distribution of the society's publications in Iran. On 30 December 2004, the society reversed its decision and published an Atlas Update, removing the parenthetical reference and adding a note: "Historically and most commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is referred to by some as the Arabian Gulf." The June 2010 Nation Geographic Style Manual states: "The internationally accepted name is Persia Gulf, although Arab countries call the body of water the Arabian Gulf. Where scale permits, National Geographic maps include a map note about the Arabian Gulf. If Arabian Gulf is used in text, it should be explained."
The 2000 AP Stylebook elaborates: Persian Gulf is the "long-established name" and the best choice. "Some Arab nations call it the Arabian Gulf. Use Arabian Gulf only in direct quotations and explain in the text that the body of water is more commonly known as the Persian Gulf."
In 2004, the Persian Gulf-naming dispute was the subject of a Google bomb by an Iranian blogger named Pendar Yousefi. This was the combined efforts of hundreds of bloggers, webmasters and Persian forums who pointed links with the word Arabian Gulf to a spoof error page found at this link.
Some atlases and media outlets have taken to referring to "The Gulf" without any adjectival qualification. This usage is followed by the BBC and The Times Atlas of the World. Iran does not consider this an impartial usage and views it as an active contribution to abandonment of the historical name. In June 2006, Iran banned the sale of The Economist for the above reason, after a map in the magazine labeled the Persian Gulf as "The Gulf". The magazine repeated this act in its 18 February 2010 article titled "Iraq, Iran and the Politics of Oil: Crude Diplomacy". It also used the name "Arabian Gulf" in the same article.
Google had previously put both Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf on its Google Maps. After May 2012, it removed both names from the body of water stating that it does not name every place in the world and that it did not want to take a political stance. Iranians complained about the change and started a Twitter campaign asking "Where's the Persian Gulf?". Google Earth continues to show both names, unless viewed through a server from a Gulf Coast Arab country, in which case it labels it simply "Arabian Gulf."
Sporting bodies
A planned second Islamic Solidarity Games in Iran, originally scheduled to take place in October 2009, and later rescheduled for April 2010, was canceled when the Arab World and Iran could not agree over the use of the term "Persian Gulf" in logos and medals for the Games.
In association football, the top tier of the Iranian football league system was named the Persian Gulf Cup in August 2006 to promote the Persian naming. The Iran national football team does not take part in the Arabian Gulf Cup for national teams surrounding the waters. The Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation was founded in 2016 for the competing nations of the Arabian Gulf Cup.
The top football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was founded in 1973 as the UAE Football League. In 2007, the name was changed to UAE Pro-League. Starting from the 2013–14 season the name was changed to UAE Arabian Gulf League, as well as their League Cup and Super Cup competitions. The name change has been viewed as a revival of the Persian Gulf naming dispute with Iran accusing the United Arab Emirates of racism, and the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran barring the transfer of Javad Nekounam to a UAE club.
Gallery
This section contains an unencyclopedic or excessive gallery of images. Please help improve the section by removing excessive or indiscriminate images or by moving relevant images beside adjacent text, in accordance with the Manual of Style on use of images. (February 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Persian Gulf or equivalent
- 19th Century reconstruction of 194 BC Eratosthenes' map, Denoting Persian Gulf
- An Early world map by Pomponius Mela 43 AD. Red Sea named Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf and Oman Sea named Persian Sea.
- Map VI from Ptolemy's "Cosmographia" showing Sinus Persicus (Persian Gulf) and Sinus Arabicus (Red Sea), reconstruction from 1467
- Regional map showing the word Bahr Fars, ("Persian Sea") in Arabic, from the 9th century text Al-aqalim by the Persian geographer Istakhri
- Giacomo Gastaldi's map circa 1548 is denoted by cartographic historian Gerald Tibbetts as the first "modern" map of the area, denoting Golpho de Persia
- Persia Sive Sophorum regnum Old map Persia Merian 1638
- Location of Persian gulf and Arabian gulf by Janssonius, Joannes- 1640-Amsterdam
- 1893 Ottoman map calling it "Khaleej Al-Ajam"
- A Saudi ARAMCO map from 1952 using the term "Persian Gulf" (الخليج الفارسي).
Other names
- 1600 map calling it "Gulf of Basra" or "Sea of Qatif"
- 1626 map calling it "Sea of Qatif", or the Arabian Gulf. This map also names the Red Sea the Arabian Gulf
- Jan Jansson's map, 17th century (MARE ELCATIF, formerly SINUS PERSICUS).
- The Ottoman Cedid Atlas of 1803 calling it the Gulf of Basra
See also
- Terminology section in the Gulf War article
- Territorial disputes in the Persian Gulf
- Gulf Cooperation Council
- Macedonia naming dispute
- Sea of Japan naming dispute
- Achaemenid inscription in the Kharg Island
References
- "The Persian Gulf". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
Clouds of tan, blue, and green swirl fancifully along the shores of the Persian Gulf in this photo-like image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on November 28, 2007.
- "Persian Gulf: From rich history to security depth". Tehran Times. 29 April 2020.
- Bosworth, C. Edmund (1980). "The Nomenclature of the Persian Gulf". In Cottrell, Alvin J. (ed.). The Persian Gulf States: A General Survey. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. xvii–xxxvi.
Not until the early 1960s does a major new development occur with the adoption by the Arab states bordering on the Gulf of the expression al-Khalij al-Arabi as a weapon in the psychological war with Iran for political influence in the Gulf; but the story of these events belongs to a subsequent chapter on modern political and diplomatic history of the Gulf. (p. xxxiii.)
- Eilts, Hermann F. (Autumn 1980). "Security Considerations in the Persian Gulf". International Security. Vol. 5, No. 2. pp. 79–113.
- "Agapius on a Boat". roger-pearse.com. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
- Documents on the Persian Gulf's name Dr.Mohammad Ajam
- http://www.irdc.ir/fa/content/12485/print.aspx Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine IRDC
- Kohl, Philip L.; Mara Kozelsky; Nachman Ben-Yehuda (2007). Selective Remembrances: Archaeology in the Construction, Commemoration, and Consecration of National Pasts. University of Chicago Press. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-226-45059-9.
- Alai, Cyrus (7 February 2012) . "Geography iv. Cartography of Persia". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
After World War II, some circles decided to change the name of the Persian Gulf to Arabian Gulf. Although the government of Persia opposed the move vehemently, in some editions of a few maps and atlases the term Persian was omitted, leaving only 'The Gulf' (e.g., The Times Atlas, p. 39), while the historical term Persian Gulf mostly remained intact, as in the National Geographic Atlas. (p. 77; fig. 7.)
- Milani, Mohsen M. (30 March 2012) . "Iraq vi. Pahlavi Period, 1921–79". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
...Iraqi troops began to engage their Iranian counterparts in border skirmishes. Iraq once again called for 'liberation' of the Khuzestan province from 'Persian occupiers,' and began to use the term 'Arabian Gulf,' rather than Persian Gulf....
- "Picture of Gamal Abdel Nasser's Handwritten Letter, Using the Term Persian Gulf". Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Picture of 1952 Saudi Arabian ARAMCO map using the name Persian Gulf
- Teymoor Nabili (12 December 2010). "Persian Gulf or Arabian Gulf?". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- Mercator, Gerard. "Terrestrial Globe, Arabian Section" (1541) via Harvard University.
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External links
- "Historical, Geographical and Legal Validity of the name: Persian Gulf", Iranian delegation working paper for the 23rd Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, April 2006
- "Conspiracy to change a heritage name "The Persian Gulf"". V. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- Information regarding a book, Documents on the Persian Gulf’s name the eternal heritage of ancient time, by Dr.M.Ajam.
- PERSIAN GULF IN ANTIQUITY (archived from the original on 2007-04-04), Encyclopedia Iranica
- "Factsheet on the Legal and Historical Usage of the "Persian Gulf"" (PDF). Iranian Studies Group at MIT. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2011.
- A repository of Historical maps
- "Iran bans The Economist over map". The Jerusalem Post. 14 June 2006. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011.
- "Goods labelled with "Arabian Gulf" banned in Iran". Iran News. 25 December 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2006.
- "Maps of the Persian Gulf". Flickr.com. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- Occasional Paper of MEI The Persian Gulf: Validity of the Name Issue No. 22 -Monday, 29 November 2010
- What's in a name? the Persian Gulf The New York Times: Persian (or Arabian) Gulf Is Caught in the Middle of Regional Rivalries
- Persian Gulf: From rich history to security depth Persian Gulf: From rich history to security depth
- Statement On Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf