Abu Musa
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2008-07-10T04:54:18Z
WikiPersianHistorian
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{{Infobox Islands
|name = Abu Musa Island
|image name = Strait of Hormuz.jpg
|image caption = Abu Musa Island in Persian Gulf
|image size = 200px
|locator map =
|native name =
|native name link =
|nickname =
|location = [[Persian Gulf]]
|coordinates =
|archipelago =
|total islands = 1
|major islands = Abu Musa
|area = 12 [[km²]]
|highest mount =
|elevation =
|country = Iran
|country admin divisions title = Province
|country admin divisions = [[Hormozgan]], [[Iran]]
|country admin divisions title 1 =
|country admin divisions 1 =
|country admin divisions title 2 =
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|country capital city =
|country largest city =
|country largest city population =
|country leader title =
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|population = 500
|population as of =
|density =
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|additional info =
}}
:''This is a geographical article. For the [[Palestinian]] leader, see [[Said al-Muragha]], for the [[Sahaba]], see [[Abu-Musa al-Asha'ari]].''
'''Abu Musa''' ({{PerB| ابوموسی}}, [[Arabic]]: '''أبو موسى''' - ''Abū Mūṣā'') is a 12-[[square kilometre|km²]] island in the eastern [[Persian Gulf]], part of a six-island archipelago near the entrance to the [[Strait of Hormuz]]<ref>[http://www.iranian.ws/cgi-bin/iran_news/exec/view.cgi/2/2358 Iranian Islands of Tunbs and Abu Musa]</ref>. The island is administered by [[Iran]] as part of the Iranian province of [[Hormozgan]], but is also claimed by the [[United Arab Emirates]] (UAE).
<ref name="am.edu">[http://www.american.edu/TED/abumusa.htm Article about Abu Musa in the Trade & Environment Database of the American University, Massachusetts]</ref>
<ref name="estimate">{{cite web| url=http://www.theestimate.com/public/072401.html |
title="Abu Musa and The Tumbs: The Dispute That Won't Go Away, Part Two," July 28, 2001 | accessdate=2008-01-06 }}</ref>
<ref name="iran">{{cite web| url=http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_23722.shtml |
title="Iran, its territorial integrity in the Persian gulf region," 20 December 2007 | accessdate=2008-01-06 }}</ref>
<ref name="wi">{{cite web| url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2691 | title="Unwanted Guest: The Gulf Summit and Iran," 7 December 2007 | accessdate=2008-01-06 }}</ref>
The island had been a part of [[Iran]] from antiquity until the early 20th century,<ref>[http://www.geocities.com/abu_musa_town/ Private website about Abu Musa]</ref> when [[United Kingdom|Britain]] annexed the island, administering it along with the other British-controlled islands in the Persian Gulf, including what is today the [[UAE]]. In the late 1960s, Britain transferred administration of the island to the British-appointed [[Sharjah (emirate)|Sharjah]], one of the seven sheikdoms that would later form the UAE. After Britain announced in 1968 that it would relinquish its hegemony in the Persian Gulf, [[Iran]] moved to reattach the island politically to the mainland. In November 1971, UAE and [[Iran]] agreed to give sovereignty to the former but allowed the latter to station troops on the island.<ref name="am.edu" />
In 1980, the UAE took its claim to the [[United Nations]].<ref name="am.edu" /> In same year, Saddam Hussein attempted to justify the Iraq-Iran war by claiming that one of the objectives was to "liberate" Abu Musa, [[Greater Tunb]], and [[Lesser Tunb]]. In 1992, [[Iran]] increased its control by expelling [[foreign worker]]s who operated the UAE-sponsored school, medical clinic, and power-generating station.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/abu-musa.htm GlobalSecurity.org about Abu Musa]</ref>
Abu Musa's roughly 500 inhabitants call it "Gap-sabzu" ({{PerB| گپسبزو}}), which means "the great green place." On old maps, the island is called ''Bumuf'' or ''Bum-i Musa'', Persian for "the land of [[Musa]]/[[Moses]]."
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.geocities.com/abu_musa_town/ History, description, map of Abu Musa and nearby islands]
*[http://www.thepersiangulf.org/abumusaandthetunbs.html History of Abu Musa and The Tunbs]
*[http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/iran/facility/abu-musa.htm Abu Musa's military garrison]
*[http://www.american.edu/ted/abumusa.htm Dispute between Iran and Sharjah]
*[http://www.parstimes.com/news/archive/2002/maritime_boundaries.html Maritime Boundaries in the Persian Gulf: the case of Tunb and Abu Musa Islands]
*[http://www.netnative.com/news/02/oct/1053.html Report of the International symposium on Modern Boundaries of Iran - Problems and practices of Iranian boundaries], Pirouz Mojtahed-Zadeh, 10/15/02
==Further reading==
*{{cite book| author=Schofield, Richard| title=Unfinished Business: Iran, the Uae, Abu Musa and the Tunbs| location=London| publisher=Royal Institute of International Affairs| year=2003| id=ISBN 0-905031-90-3}}
{{coor title dm|25|52|N|55|02|E|type:island}}
{{Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf}}
[[Category:Islands of Iran]]
[[Category:Persian Gulf]]
[[Category:Disputed territories in the Persian Gulf]]
[[Category:Sharjah]]
[[ar:أبو موسى (جزيرة)]]
[[ca:Abu Musa]]
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[[fa:جزیره ابوموسی]]
[[fr:Abu Moussa]]
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[[ja:アブムサ島]]
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