Bandar Abbas or Bandar-e ‘Abbās (Persian:  ‫( )بندرعباس‬Arabic: ‫ )بندر عباس‬is a port city and

capital of Hormozgān Province on the southern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf. The city
occupies a strategic position on the narrow Strait of Hormuz, and it is the location of the main
base of the Iranian Navy. Bandar Abbas is also the capital and largest city of Bandar Abbas
County. At the 2016 census, its population was 526,648.[2]

Contents

 1Etymology
 2History
o 2.1Pre-Islamic history
o 2.2Portuguese period
o 2.3Omani period
o 2.4Contemporary history
 3Geography
o 3.1Climate
 4Transportation
o 4.1Air
o 4.2Roads
o 4.3Rail
 5Language
 6Products
o 6.1Exports
 7Sports
 8Education
o 8.1University
 9See also
 10References & notes
 11Further reading
 12External links

Etymology[edit]
Bandar Abbas has always been a port, and as such its various names have all addressed this
function. The most common name over time (Gameroon) has traditionally been said to derive
from Persian gümrük, customhouse (from Late Greek kommerkion, from Latin commercium,
"commerce"), but is now speculated to be from Persian kamrūn, shrimp (which in Portuguese is
"camarão", similar to the former Portuguese name).[3] Its current name is derived from that
of Shah Abbas I [4] paired with 'port.'
Bandar Abbas has been romanized as Bandar ‘Abbās and Bandar ‘Abbāsī. It has also been
referred to as Jaroon to the Arabs and Cameron to the English. Bandar Abbas was formerly
known as Cambarão and Porto Comorão to Portuguese traders, as Gombroon to English
traders and as Gamrun or Gumrun to Dutch merchants.[5]

History[edit]
See also: Timeline of Bandar Abbas

Pre-Islamic history[edit]
The earliest record of Bandar Abbas is during the reign of Darius the Great (between 522 and
486 BCE). Darius's commander, Silacus, embarked from Bandar Abbas to India and the Red
Sea. During Alexander's conquest of the Persian Empire, Bandar Abbas was known under the
name of Hormirzad.
In the year 630 CE, Maharaja Derbar Raja of Gemeron was defeated in battle and escaped
to Ceylon, and he was later blown off course by a storm to the remote shores of Kuala Sungai
Qilah, Kedah (now Malaysia). The inhabitants of Kedah found him to be a valiant and intelligent
person, and they made him the king of Kedah. In the year 634 CE, a new kingdom was formed in
Kedah consisting of Persian royalty and native Malay of Hindu faith, the capital
was Langkasuka (see Kedah Sultanate and Early history of Kedah).

Local costumes from Ormus, 1670

Prospect of "Gamron", c. 1740

Portuguese period[edit]
By the 16th century, Bandar Abbas was known as Gamrūn to the Persians. In 1565, a European
navigator called it Bamdel Gombruc (that is, Bandar Gümrük, or "Customhouse Port"), citing
this as the Persian and Turkish name. Bandar Abbas was conquered by the Portuguese in 1514,
and was an important location to protect their commerce in the Persian Gulf and India.[6][7] They
named the city Comorão, due to the presence of lobsters and crabs on its shores.

English and Dutch trading posts in Bandar Abbas in 1704

"Gombroon, or Bender-Abbas", illustration from 1862

In 1614, Comorão was taken by ‘Abbās the Great from the Portuguese and renamed Bandar-e
‘Abbās ("Port of ‘Abbās"). Backed by the English navy, ‘Abbās developed the city (known to the
English-speaking world as Gombraun) into a major port. By 1622, the Portuguese and English
names had been officially combined to form Combrù or Combu, although the inhabitants still
called it Bandar-e ‘Abbās. Sir Thomas Herbert said the official English name was Gumbrown,
but pronounced [gŏmrōōn]. He wrote in 1630 that "some (but I commend them not) write
it Gamrou, others Gomrow, and othersome Cummeroon."[citation needed] By the 1670s, the city was
known as Gameroon.
In 1622 CE Shah Abbas defeated Portuguese troops with the help of British troops and Iranian
commander Imam Quli Khan. In honor of this victory Gumbroon was renamed Bandar Abbas
Port. In the current division of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province and one of the most
important strategic and commercial center is in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.

Omani period[edit]
Between 1794 and 1868, Bandar Abbas was under the control of the Sultanate of Oman and
Zanzibar through a lease agreement with Persia. The details of the original lease apparently
differed between the Arabic and Persian versions. The Omanis controlled the coastal stretch of
some 100 miles from Sadij to Khamir, and inland about 30 miles, as far as Shamil. They also
controlled the islands of Hormuz and Qeshm. In 1823, the Persians attempted to oust the
Omanis, but the sultan managed to keep his hold on Bandar through bribery and tribute of the
governor of Shiraz. In 1845–46, an army under the governor general of Fars menaced Bandar to
extort tribute, while another army under the governor of Kerman besieged Minab. The Omanis
threatened to blockade Persia, but the British resident at Bushir convinced them to back down.[8]
The Persians recovered the city in 1854, while the sultan was in Zanzibar. Under British pressure
following the Anglo-Persian War in 1856, Persia renewed Oman's lease on favourable terms. It
was clarified that the leased territory belonged to the province of Fars and that the Persian flag
would fly over Bandar Abbas. The rental rate was also increased. Under British pressure the
agreement was renewed in 1868, but at a higher rate of rent and for a shorter duration. Two
months after its renewal, the lease was cancelled by the Persian government, citing a clause
which permitted its termination if the sultan of Oman were overthrown.[8]

Contemporary history[edit]
An earthquake in July 1902 damaged parts of the city, including the governor's house and the
customs office, and nearby Kishm island.[9]
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi paid particular attention to Bandar Abbas as a strategic port and
during his time the government invested huge amounts of capital in the infrastructure.
Bandar Abbas serves as a major shipping point, mostly for imports, and has a long history of
trade with India, particularly the port of Surat. Thousands of tourists visit the city and nearby
islands including Qeshm and Hormuz every year.
Bandar Abbas was a small fishing port of about 17,000 people in 1955, prior to initial plans to
develop it as a major harbor. By 2001, it had grown into a major city. It has a population of
450,000 (2011 estimate).

Geography[edit]
Bandar Abbas is situated on flat ground with an average altitude of 9 metres (30 ft) above sea
level. The nearest elevated areas are Mt. Geno, 17 kilometres (11 mi) to the north, and Mt.
Pooladi, 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) to the northwest of the city. The closest river to Bandar Abbas is
the River Shoor, which rises on Mt. Geno and flows into the Persian Gulf, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)
east of the city. South of the city is the island of Qeshm.

Climate[edit]
Bandar Abbas has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). Maximum
temperature in summers can reach 49 °C (120 °F) while in winters the minimum temperature
may drop to 5 °C (41 °F). The annual rainfall is around 170 millimetres (6.7 in) and the
average relative humidity is 65%.
In the summer, Bandar Abbas sees some of the highest average dew points of any city in the
world, averaging 27 °C (81 °F) and frequently exceeding 30 °C (86 °F). As a result, heat
indices generally top 50 °C (122 °F) for most days during the summer.[10][11] This immense
humidity causes summer diurnal ranges to be lower than in most desert climates, and is a result
of air flow from the warm waters of the Persian Gulf.

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