Abu Musa Island or Bomousi is an island in the south of the Persian Gulf. This island is located in Hormozgan province of Iran. The distance between the island and the Tonb Islands is the only navigable route for large tankers due to its good water depth. Abu Musa is the southernmost Iranian island in the Persian Gulf and the closest to the equator.

Abu Musa’s climate is very hot and humid, and it does not experience much variety during the year. Abu Musa has an airport and a pier. There are regular passenger flights from Bandar Abbas to Abu Musa Airport and also passenger boats travel from Bandar Lengeh to this island two to three times a week. In addition to Iranian ships, ships belonging to the UAE transport the Emirati citizens of the island to Sharjah.

Abu Musa Island as part of Hormozgan province is owned and controlled by Iran, however the UAE claims ownership of it and considers it part of the Emirate of Sharjah. Iran has always asserted its unquestionable sovereignty over the island. Currently, the majority of Abu Musa’s population is Iranian and a minority of Emirati people live there. Iran has a military presence on Abu Musa Island through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian army. The Sharjah local police have had a checkpoint on the island since the 1971 agreement.

Etymology of the name

In historical documents and maps, this island is called BoumOuw, which means “place” + “Aouw”, which means water (meaning “Bumf”), which means the place of water, and which is called “Gap Sabzoo” (meaning green place). And BoumSou is registered. (Boom means place and “Su” has several meanings. Su Souw, if we know the abbreviation of Souwz, is the name of a type of vegetable and the name of a type of thorny green plant (Suu, thorn and astragalus) and in general, Suwz souwz means in ancient Persian. Gives green and in general it can be called the meaning of green place).

The name Abu Musa is a new name and its history dates back to more than a hundred years ago when a resident named Abu Musa popularized the name instead of BoumSou.

Some have shortened the burn to mean hot, which is not true. Because Suz and Sabzu still mean green in the local dialect, and this island is a green island compared to the Arabian desert; And even its heat is far less than the desert; And has the mildest climate in the Persian Gulf.

Abu Musa‘s name appears in maps, history books, and old and new countries. For example, in a map published by the former Soviet government in 1967, the Iranian name Bomusi was used for the island. The name Bomusi is derived from the name of one of the commanders of Karim Khan, who named himself after his presence on the island. After infiltrating the Persian Gulf, the British used the fake title Abu Musa for the island in order to exclude Iranian elements from the island.

Geography

The coordinates of Abu Musa Island, according to the National Mapping Organization, are 52 ° 25’N, 55° 01’E. This island is located in Abu Musa city in Hormozgan province. Abu Musa is the southernmost island of Iran in the Persian Gulf, 222 km from Bandar Abbas, 75 km from Bandar Lengeh and 60 km north of Sharjah. Abu Musa Island is 160 km away from the Strait of Hormuz. The island has an average altitude of 46 meters above sea level and its highest point is Mount Halva with a height of 110 meters.

Abu Musa Island, together with the islands of Big Tonb, Small Tonb, Siri, Great Farroor and Small Farrow, forms the city of Abu Musa.

Climate

Very hot, humid and sultry aerial species is the most prevalent aerial species on Abu Musa Island. The island does not experience a variety of climates throughout the year and is relatively stable. The rainfall is limited to the colder months of the year, during which time the weather tends to be relatively dry. In general, summer aerial species on this island prevail over winter aerial species.

Residence

Iranians live in the north of Abu Musa Island and Emirati people live in the south of the island. Most of the island is owned by Iran and the city of Abu Musa is located in the northwestern part of the island in the Iranian part. Among the residential towns of Iranians are the town of “Governorate” and the town of “Fishermen”. The Emirati part consists of a small town called “Abu Musa Town“, which is connected to the UAE territory by sea vessels.

UAE citizens do not have the right to travel to the Iranian part of the island and Iranian citizens do not have the right to travel to the UAE part of the island, and such travel is possible only in emergencies. Emirati residents of the island if more than six months off If they have left, they have no right to return to it. They also need a permit from the Iranian Fisheries Department to fish in the waters around Abu Musa Island.

Mehdi Gholami.