Strait of Hormuz

About Strait of Hormuz:

 

• Strait of Hormuz, also called Strait of Ormuz is a channel linking the Persian Gulf (west) with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
• The strait is 35 to 60 miles (55 to 95 km) wide and separates Iran (north) from the Arabian Peninsula (south).
• It contains the islands of Qeshm (Qishm), Hormuz, and Hengām (Henjām).
• The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important oil chokepoint because of the large volumes of oil that flow through the strait. 

 

Key facts about Gulf of Oman:

• The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman, also known as the Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran, forms the only entrance to the Persian Gulf from the Indian Ocean.
• It connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then empties into the Persian Gulf.
• Bordering Countries: It is bordered by Pakistan and Iran in the north, by the United Arab Emirates in the west and by Oman in the south.
• The gulf is relatively shallow because of its origin as a fissure in the mountain spine now divided between Iran and Oman. 
• The Gulf of Oman is about 320 km wide at its widest point between Cape al-Hadd in Oman and Gwadar Bay on the Iran-Pakistan border. It narrows to 35 miles (56 km) at the Strait of Hormuz.

 

---

Q1) What is the Persian Gulf?

The Persian Gulf is located in Southwest Asia. It is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Countries with a coastline on the Persian Gulf are (clockwise, from the north): Iran, Oman (exclave of Musandam), United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar on a peninsula off the Saudi coast, Bahrain on an island, Kuwait, and Iraq in the northwest.

Source: Iran attempts to seize oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz, prompts US Navy response