Persian Gulf

The coastal states are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Oman sits mainly beyond the Strait of Hormuz, but the Musandam Peninsula gives it a coast at the gulf's entrance.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow maritime outlet connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Large volumes of oil and liquefied natural gas exported by Gulf producers pass through it, making disruption there internationally significant.

No. It is a shallow marginal sea with an average depth of roughly 50 meters, although depths increase near its eastern entrance. Its shallow, warm, highly saline water creates difficult conditions for marine life, especially during extreme summer temperatures.

"Persian Gulf" is the long-established name used by the United Nations and major international cartographic authorities. "Arabian Gulf" is preferred by several Arab governments and institutions, so the choice of name can carry modern political significance.