Bushehr Province

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Bushehr Province استان بوشهر
Location

Statistics
Capital: • Coordinates:	Bushehr • 28.9184° N 50.8382° E
Area :	22,743 km²
Population(2005): • Density :	816,115 • 35.9/km²
Sub-provinces (Shahrestan):	9
Time zone:	UTC+3:30
Main language(s):	Persian Luri

Bushehr is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It is in the south of the country, with a long coastline onto the Persian Gulf. Its center is Bandar-e-Bushehr, the provincial capital. The province has seven districts: Bushehr, Dashti, Daylam, Kangan, Genaveh and Tangestan. In 2005, the province had a population of approximately 816,115 people.

1 History
2 Bushehr today
3 Colleges and universities
4 Some attractions of Bushehr
5 External links

[edit] History

The Greeks knew of Bushehr by Mezambria during the battles of Nearchus. A French excavating team however in 1913 determined the origin of Bushehr to date back to the Elamite Empire. A city there, known as Lyan, contained a templethat was designed to protect the compound from naval attacks. Its remains can still be seen today 10 kilometers south of the present city of Bushehr.

A key turning point in the history of Bor event of significance is known to have taken place in this region until the arrival of the European colonialists in the 16th century.

The Portuguese, invaded the city of Bushehr in 1506 and remained there until Shah Abbas Safavi successfully defeated and liberated the Persian Gulf region of their presence. By 1734, Bushehr had once again risen to prominence due to Nadir Shah of the Afsharid dynasty, and his military policies in The Persian Gulf.

Bushehr was selected by Nadir to be the central base of Nadir's Naval fleet in the Persian Gulf. He thus changed the name of the city to Bandar e Nadiriyeh (Nadir's Port). He hired an Englishman by the name of John Elton to help build his fleet. Dutch accounts report his naval fleet to have amounted to 8000-10000 personnel as well as several ship construction installations.

After Nadir's death, the Dutch continued to have good commercial relations in Bushehr, until the British made their debut in Bushehr in 1763 by a contract they signed with Karim Khan of the Zand dynasty. By then, the city of Bushehr had become Iran's major port city in the Persian Gulf. By the Qajar era, Britain, Norway, Russia, Italy, France, Germany, and the Ottomans had diplomatic and commercial offices there, with Britain steadily gaining a foothold in the area. Close to 100 British ships are reported to have docked at the port city every year during the Qajar era.

[edit] Bushehr today

Aside from the revived port city of Bushehr, which is the second main naval port of Iran after Bandar Abbas, Bushehr also has come back recently in the spotlight for three main reasons:

[edit] Kharg Island (Khark Island)

During the Iran-Iraq war, Iran's major petroleum But even Kharg was not immune from Iraqi air raids.

[edit] Bushehr Nuclear Reactor

Main article.

The Bushehr Light water PWR Nuclear Reactor, designed by Siemens AG, built by the Russians, is Iran's first Nuclear Reactor.

[edit] The industrial corridor of Assalouyeh

As many as 70,000 foreign engineers and technicians are currently working in this industrial zone 270 kilometers south of the provincial capital. This zone is where the nearby famous South Pars Gas field is located, where Iran has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure. The South Pars Gas field is the world's largest natural gas field.

The Assalouyeh industrial zone is deemed so lucrative that even American companies such as American Allied International Corp and Haliburton have bypassed American sanctions to become somehow involved in the zone.[1]

[edit] Colleges and universities

Bushehr University of Medical Sciences
Islamic Azad University of Bushehr
Islamic Azad University of Khark
Iran Nuclear Energy College
Persian Gulf University

[edit] Some attractions of Bushehr

Despite its unique potentials, Bushehr remains to be developed for absorbing tourists and seriously lacks the necessary investment for tourism. The city of Bushehr has 3-star hotels, an airport, and modern amenities. The Cultural heritage Organization of Iran lists up to 45 sites of historical and cultural significance in the province. Some are listed below: