Global Advanced Research Journal of Educational Research and Reviews (GARJERR) ISSN: 2315-5132

August 2017, 6(3): pp. 039-046

Copyright © 2017 Global Advanced Research Journals

Review

Maritime Political Geography: Border Conflicts and Settlements in the Persian Gulf

Pirouz Mojtahed-Zadeh and Bahador Zarei

(Oxford University) Professor of Political Geography and Geopolitics Islamic Azad University of Tehran - South

(Tehran University) Professor of Political Geography? Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran

Corresponding Author Email: pirouz_mojtahedzadeh@hotmail.com  

Accepted 01 August, 2017

Abstract

The region of the Persian Gulf can be seen as a geopolitical arena in which Arab-Iranian relations are shaped. As one of world’s primary and most significant source of fossil-energy exports, the Persian Gulf cobbles together Iran and the seven Arab countries of the region in a geopolitical cradle in which they enjoy similarities in economic and strategic life, as well as security concerns. As well, the challenges of maritime political geography seem to be quite dependent on an established set of standards and agreements in order to remain on solid grounds. Currently, these challenges manifest themselves in four major categories, with substantial geopolitical consequences between the Iranians and the Arabs of the region, and the complexity of their relationships. These include: Religious Controversies, which concern the sectarian geopolitics, propagated under Jordan-Israeli concoction of “Shiite Crescent”, Territorial Contentions; with its major controversy over the naming of the Persian Gulf. This article examines the process of territorial conflicts, proceedings and eventually the settlements over the maritime areas of the Persian Gulf in the past five decades. The arrangement of the maritime political geography in the Persian Gulf is a fitting example of former disputes over the border and boundaries within the maritime regions of the world. 

Keywords: Persian Gulf, International Law, Maritime Political Geography, Strait of Hormuz