نشریه مطالعات خلیج فارس
سال سوم شماره 3 (پیاپی 11، زمستان 1396)

Borderlines and the related changes are among the most important problems in the field of political geography. The concept of international border in the modern sense dates back to the time of the Peace Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. In the second half of the 20th century, globalization, as a multifaceted phenomenon, created several noteworthy changes in the world. In essence, globalization is an economic, cultural, political, social, and technological phenomenon which has changed almost all societies in the third millennium or prepared them for change. In this process, many concepts and variables such as government, ruling system, power, authority, balance of power, collective security, and political and social independence undergo a number of significant conceptual and objective transformations and, as a result, tighter and more profound relationships are created among different nations. Such relationships go beyond the borderlines of time and place and connect people, thoughts, data, and sources with each other in very different geographical locations. As one of the distinctive phenomena of the recent decade, globalization has affected borderlines in diverse forms and led to the development of various and contradictory viewpoints among the authorities in the realm of social sciences and the related disciplines. Accordingly, the present paper investigates the impact of globalization on the various functions of borderlines from the viewpoint of politicalgeography following an analytic-descriptive approach. Finally, the writers discuss the effects of globalization on the different relationships among the countriesin the Persian Gulf region.

From a geopolitical point of view, the Persian Gulf has undoubtedly been one of the most important and critical regions of the worldduring the last century. Given the major changes and evolutions in the realm of international relationships at the outset of the 21st century, the Persian Gulf has turned into a most important center of attention and has been named the Heartland in the geopolitical sense of the word. A study and recognition of the natural, cultural, and historical potentials of the Persian Gulf and its Iranian islands is necessary for the realization of sustainable development in the field of tourism at three global, regional, and national levels. Moreover, some bold strategies, other than what are already in use, should be introduced for the planning and future development of tourism. Considering the geopolitical and geo-economic nature of the Persian Gulf, the flourishing of vast economic and commercial competitions in this region, and the relative success of the southern neighbors of Iran in the field of tourism, the present paper is intended to explore and analyze the problem of coastal tourism following a comparative method and through resorting to available studies and related experiences. It also aims to discuss the factors that affect the development of coastal tourism in the attractive and ripe regions of the Persian Gulf by presenting a strategic conceptual model. The findings of this study indicate that it is necessary to benefit from all useful strategies, from making the environment more beautiful and appealing to tourists to employing new technological tools, in order to promote the present status of coastal tourism in Iran. It is noted that such strategies should be examined based on research-oriented and scientific activities.

In the writings of classical historiographers, such as Quintus Curtis Rufus, Pliny the Elder, and Diodorus Siculus, there are some useful information about the events of Alexander's Period in Iran. However, the best sources on the historical and geographical conditions of southern Iran at that timeare, undoubtedly, the books of Indicaand Anabasisby Lucius Flavius Arrianus or the same Arrian of Nicomedia (86-160 AD). Generally speaking, Anabasisdeals with different aspects of the voyage of Nearchus (a navarch in the army of Alexander the Great) from the Indus River to the Persian Gulf. This paper examines the voyage of Nearchus from its origin to its destination, Indus River to Shush, with an emphasis on Arrian’s books and the writings of other classical historiographers in detail. In spite of the several changes which have taken place in different historical periods since Alexander's time, the writer has tried to match the itinerary of Nearchus’ voyage with present geographical locations. This study was conducted following the descriptive-comparative method and through benefitting from library resources.

The Colonial policies of the British Empire which began in the early 17th century, when it dominated the Indian Subcontinent, led to one of the greatest tragedies of human history that caused numerous problems for Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East for about 350 years. Western colonization began in Iran and, particularly, on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf during the Qajar period. The confrontations of Iranians with British colonists date back to two centuries ago. Port of Bushehr, which shares the longest sea borders with the Persian Gulf, attracted the attention of English statesmen in 1763 during the Zand period. It was attacked four times by English forces, who facedbrave resistance from the people of this region each time. The present paper examines the process of the presence of British colonists on the northern coastlines of the Persian Gulf and Bushehr, the separation of Herat from Iran, the second attack of the British military forces to the Persian Gulf and Bushehr, and the resistance of the people of these regions against the occupants.                                 

One of the greatest and most evident outcomes of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran was the disintegration of one of the powerful allies of the United States of America in the Middle East. By losing Iran, America adopted some new policies in the region in order to fill in the gap that had been created. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate such policies in the Persian Gulf region with an emphasis on the downfall of the last Pahlavi King and the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. After an introduction, the writer discusses the Iranian Islamic Revolution from the viewpoint of arrogant powers and the Zionist regime. Moreover, through an analysis of the failure of Nixon-Kissinger doctrine, it explores Iran's withdrawal from the military treaty of CENTO, the freezing of diplomatic relations between Iran and the US, and its regional consequences. The development of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the related organizations as an important incident in the Persian Gulf region constitutes the focus of another section of this paper. Finally, the writers conclude that the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution in Iran resulted in certaincritical changes in the political and economic relations in the region which have forced America to change its policies in order to confront the existing situation.

Due to its particular political, geographical, and strategic features, the Persian Gulf has always been the cradle of several events and incidents in the course of history. This important local-national factor has not escaped the eyes of the poets of Hormozgan Province and has had a vast and distinctive reflection in their poems focusing on a variety of themes including patriotism, glory of the Persian Gulf, defending one's land and its borderlines, national pride in protecting one's homeland and fighting against oppression and colonialism, objection and criticism, references to historical places and characters, holy defense, love, and social affairs. The purpose of the author in this paper is to explore the reflection of the Persian Gulf, as a part of the national heritage of our dear homeland, Iran, in the works of Hormozgani poets.