Qeshm (, ) is an arrow-shaped Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, separated from the mainland by the Clarence Strait/Khuran in the Persian Gulf (). It is the largest island in Iran, and the largest in the Persian Gulf. Geography Qeshm Island is located a few kilometers off the southern Iran (Persian Gulf), opposite the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir. The island, which hosts a free zone jurisdiction, is 135 km long and lies strategically in the Strait of Hormuz, just from the Omani port of Khasab and about from the UAE Port Rashid. At its widest point near the center, the island spans . Similarly, at its narrowest point, the island spans . The island has a surface area of and is almost twice the size of Bahrain. The city of Qeshm, located at the easternmost point of the island, is from Bandar Abbas, while the closest point of the island is but from the mainland. The average temperature on the island is approximately . The warmest months are June through August, and the coldest from October to January. The average rainfall is . The island comprises 59 towns and villages and the population was 117,774 at the 2011 Census. The local population is involved in fishing, dhow construction, trade and services. An additional 30,000 are administrative or industrial workers or students. Plans have also been made to build a bridge to connect Qeshm with the rest of Iran. Qeshm Island has multiple attractions to attract more domestic and foreign tourists. Namakdan Salt Cave At 6.58km long, Namakdan Salt Cave is the longest known salt cave in the world. Both salt and sulphur were mined here traditionally ('namak' is a Farsi word for salt) and it now forms the key geosite within the Qeshm Island UNESCO Global Geopark. The cave is formed within a large salt diapir formed of a succession of strata which dates from the late Proterozoic. It is also a candidate site for inscription on the list of World Heritage Sites. The locality was included within a list of the 'First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites' published in October 2022 on account of its significance to our understanding of tectonics and active geological processes. History The earliest evidence of human presence at Qeshm dates back to the Paleolithic Period. Paleolithic stone tools have been found at Bam-e Qeshm. Historical records concerning the