Title: Persian Gulf - Economic aspects | Britannica
Headings: Economic aspects
Economic aspects
Biological and mineral resources
Discover the extraction of natural gas from the North Field Bravo, off the coast of Qatar
Transportation
Study and exploration
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Content: Persian Gulf - Economic aspects | Britannica
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Economic aspects
Biological and mineral resources
The waters of the area support many plants and animals, but the high temperatures and salinities lead to a diminution in the variety of flora and fauna typical of the Indian Ocean. Until the discovery of oil in Iran in 1908, the Persian Gulf area was important mainly for fishing, pearling, the building of dhows (lateen-rigged boats common in the region), sailcloth making, camel breeding, the making of reed mats, date growing, and the production of other minor products, such as red ochre from the islands in the south. The arid lands surrounding the gulf produced little else and, except for the rich alluvial lands of the Mesopotamian plain, supported only a small population of those engaged in fishing, date growing, and nomadic herding. Fishing has become highly commercialized. The traditional pearl-fishing industry has declined since the advent of Japanese cultivated pearls on world markets in the 1930s. Large fishing industries have been set up in Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, and some countries have become exporters of fish. Yields in the northwest have been affected, however, by the construction of large dams on the rivers, which restrict the supply of nutrients into the gulf. Oil refinery on the island of Hālūl in the Persian Gulf, Qatar. © Peter Sanders
Discover the extraction of natural gas from the North Field Bravo, off the coast of Qatar
Drilling for natural gas off the coast of Qatar in the Persian Gulf. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz See all videos for this article
Since World War II the Persian Gulf and the surrounding countries have come to account for a significant proportion of the world’s oil production.