Keshm ( Persian قشم ) is the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz and in the eastern part of the Persian Gulf . The island has a humid tropical climate . Area 1445 km². The island stretches along the coast of the mainland for 136 km. It is separated from the mainland by the narrow Strait of Clarence (minimum width - 1800 m). Nearby are the islands of Hengam , Larek and Hormuz .
| Qeshm | |
|---|---|
| Persian. قشم | |
| Specifications | |
| Square | |
| Population | |
| Location | |
| A country |
|
| Ostan | Hormozgan |
| Shahrestan | Qeshm |
The territory of the island is occupied by the Keshm shahrastan , which is part of the Khormozgan of the Islamic Republic of Iran . The population of 2012 is estimated at 119,035. [2] The administrative center and the largest settlement is the city of Keshm located in the extreme east of the island (population 17 thousand people). The island has a free economic zone .
Content
History
The first settlements on the island appeared before our era, in particular, they were reported by Claudius Ptolemy .
For a long time the island was under the control of Portugal .
In 1988, a civilian plane was shot down by an American rocket several kilometers south of the island.
Economics
Fisheries are the leading occupation of the island's locals. The island has large and private ports that allow goods to exit through the Persian Gulf . Salt is mined on the southeast coast. Keshm is famous for its wide variety of eco-tourist attractions such as the Hara mangroves. According to environmentalists, about 1.5% of the world's birds and 25% of Iran’s local birds migrate annually to forests, which are the first national geopark . The ancient Portuguese fort, historical mosques , mangroves, salt caves, Chah Kuh Valley and Valley of the Stars are some of the tourist attractions on the island, which is located in the azure waters of the Persian Gulf. The protected area in the village of Shibderaz, where you can see the biss turtles, the islands of Naz and numerous ports and marinas are some of the tourist attractions of the island. Oysters, corals , colorful fish and seabirds on the Naz Islands attract many tourists. You can reach these islands on soft and wet sand at low tide.
Transport
Passenger transport links with the outside world are maintained through Qeshm International Airport (flights to Tehran and the United Arab Emirates ), Zakery Sea Port (flights to Bandar Abbas ) and a number of marinas. A bridge to the continent is currently under construction. A power line connects the island to the continental grid.
Attractions
- Mangrove Forest Hara
- Valley of Stars
- Namakdan geological massif (Salt Cave, known as the longest in the world)
- Chah-Kuh Gorge
- Harboz Caves
- Portuguese fortresses on Hormuz island and Qeshm
- Gulf dolphins
- Sea turtle biss or real carriage
- Naz Islands, at low tide you can walk to them
Notes
- ↑ QESHM ISLAND - Encyclopaedia Iranica - 2004.
- ↑ World Gazetteer (inaccessible link) . Archived on February 9, 2013.