@@ Happy Persian Gulf Day: Persian Gulf National Day Celebrated in Iran Today @@

Cultural Heritage News Agency (CHN)
30 April 2006

Persian Gulf National Day Widely Celebrated in Iran Today


http://heritage.chn.ir/en/manage/photo/PG%20Map.jpg
Some special Programs will be held today in different parts of Iran in commemoration
of Persian Gulf National Day.


Tehran -- The 30th of April has been announced as Persian Gulf National Day
(http://persiangulfday.blogspot.com/), on which some special programs will be held to
celebrate this occasion.

Persian Gulf, located in the Middle East, is an extension of the Gulf of Sistan
located between Iran (also known as Persia) and the Arabian Peninsula.

Ancient Iran, and several recently created (by the Western colonialists such as
Britain and U.S.) Arab sheikdoms of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain and Iraq share the southern coastline of the Persian Gulf.

The oil-rich countries (except for Iraq) that have a coastline on the Persian Gulf
are referred to as the Persian Gulf States. The Persian Gulf and its coastal areas
are the world?s largest single source of crude oil and related industries dominate
the region. The natural environment of the Persian Gulf is very rich with good
fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs and pearl oysters in abundance, but it is
increasingly under pressure due to heavy industrialization and in particular the
repeated major oil spillages associated with various recent wars fought in the
region.

Based on historical documents, Iranians were the first navigators of the Persian
Gulf. According to Herodotus, the Greek historian, it was Darius the Great, the
Achaemenid king, who issued the order for investigation of waterways from estuary of
Sind River to the Persian Gulf, and from this sea to Suez Canal and finally Africa.

Due to the strategic location of the Persian Gulf and since it has been surrounded in
the south by several recently created (by the Western colonialists such as Britain
and U.S.) Arab sheikdoms, there have been noises by Arab sheikdoms about the name of
the Persian Gulf, and Arabs sheikdoms would like to change the very historical
significant and ancient name of the Persian Gulf to a fake name "Arabian Gulf" or
just "Gulf".

However, based on several strong historical documents
(http://www.persiangulfonline.org/maps.htm), such as the Great Ferdowsi poems and
historical maps, Persian Gulf was named as such from the very beginning and no body
of water named ?Arabian Gulf? ever existed on earth!

Starting from the earliest maps, the body of water was called ?Persian Gulf? by
European sources. Among the first Atlases in the world is that of Jean Baptiste
Anville, 1751. This map of western Asia shows the body of water labeled as ?Golfe
Persique? meaning Persian Gulf.

Recently, a group of experts on geographical names was officially set up by the
secretary-general of the United Nations in pursuance of the economic and social
council resolution 715 A of 23 April 1959, and endorsed ?Persian Gulf? as the
official name of the body of water.

Although Arabian countries still use the fake term Arabian Gulf or Gulf, the United
Nations division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, uses only the term Persian
Gulf in its legal documents. A decision by the State Department?s Board of
Geographical Names in 1917 makes the ?Persian Gulf? the only acceptable label for
that body of water.

As mentioned above, due to its strategic position, Persian Gulf was always the target
of powers who wanted to take control over it during different periods of time.

After their arrival in the eastern seas and on route to India, Portuguese Empire,
sacked Muscat in 1507 and soon controlled the entire coast. Portuguese navy invaded
Iran through Persian Gulf in early 16th century and occupied the southern parts of
the country especially Hormuz. But at last Iranians managed to overcome the
Portuguese forces.

On 11th of July 2005, Iran?s Cultural Revolution Council chaired by Seyed Mohammad
Khatami, Iran?s former president, announced 30th of April as "Persian Gulf National
Day" in Iran, on the anniversary of Portuguese withdrawal from the Persian Gulf, to
put an emphasize on Iran?s historical and cultural background and in order to protect
their identity and possession over the Persian Gulf.

As the first year this occasion is being celebrated, some special programs will be
held in different parts of Iran including holding a bicycle race in Kish Island,
flying kites, etc.

According to the public relations office of the Intellectual Development of Children
and Young Adults (IDCYA), on this day children and young adults will fly kites on
which mottos defending the everlasting name of the Persian Gulf are written. The
participants are also busy making small boats. They will launch them in a pond
designed in the shape of the Persian Gulf at the Tehran branch of the institute. The
aim of the IDCYA is to evoke national emotions of Iranian children and young
generation with their national heritage.

This is only part of the programs of the ?Blue Heart? Festival which began in Tehran
on April 24 and will continue to May 1. The festival which is held annually has a
different theme each year. This year it concentrates on the issue of the Persian Gulf
through an exhibition of paintings, calligraphy works, literary writings, and
research works.

The First International Seminar of ?Persian Gulf Studies, Culture and Civilization?
will also be held with the cooperation of the Institute of Iranian culture and
civilization studies and the department of history of Tehran University during
October/November 2006 in Tehran. This seminar will provide an opportunity for the
experts of history, geography, social and political sciences who will participate in
this seminar from Asian, European, American, African and Pacific countries to discuss
the culture and civilization of the Persian Gulf region.

http://www.chn.ir/en/news/?section=2&id=6343


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