# Hormuz Island

> island in Bandar Abbas County, Iran

**Wikidata**: [Q695265](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q695265)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormuz_Island)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/hormuz-island

## Summary

Hormuz Island is a small Iranian island located in the Persian Gulf, situated approximately 5 kilometers off the coast of mainland Iran near the city of Bandar Abbas. The island is part of Hormuz District in Hormozgan Province and is known for its distinctive red-colored soil, strategic maritime location near the Strait of Hormuz, and historical significance as a trading post throughout centuries of Persian Gulf commerce.

## Key Facts

- **Official Name**: Hormuz Island (also spelled Ormuz or Hormuz)
- **Location**: Persian Gulf, part of Hormuz District, Hormozgan Province, Iran
- **Administrative Status**: Island in Bandar Abbas County
- **Population**: Approximately 3,000 residents
- **Geographic Coordinates**: Latitude 27.0675° N, Longitude 56.46° E
- **Aliases**: Ormuz, Ormuz Island
- **Classification**: Island — a piece of sub-continental land completely surrounded by water
- **Parent Entity**: Iran (country in Western Asia)
- **District**: Hormuz District
- **Province**: Hormozgan Province
- **Proximity to Strait of Hormuz**: Located near this strategically important maritime chokepoint
- **Wikipedia Coverage**: 52 sitelinks referencing the island
- **Terrain Feature**: Known for red-colored earth and soil

## FAQs

**Where is Hormuz Island located?**

Hormuz Island is situated in the Persian Gulf, about 5 kilometers off the southern coast of Iran near Bandar Abbas. It falls under Hormuz District in Hormozgan Province and lies in close proximity to the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz.

**What is the population of Hormuz Island?**

Hormuz Island has a population of approximately 3,000 people, making it a small island community within Iran.

**What is Hormuz Island known for?**

The island is notable for its distinctive red-colored soil, which gives the landscape a unique appearance. It has historical significance as a historic trading post in the Persian Gulf region and sits near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important maritime oil transportation routes.

**What district and province is Hormuz Island in?**

Hormuz Island is part of Hormuz District and is located within Hormozgan Province in southern Iran. It is administratively part of Bandar Abbas County.

**What are the aliases of Hormuz Island?**

The island is also known as Ormuz and Ormuz Island, reflecting various transliterations of its name in different languages and historical sources.

## Why It Matters

Hormuz Island holds significant strategic and historical importance despite its small size. Its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz — through which approximately 20% of the world's oil supply passes — gives it considerable geopolitical relevance in global energy security discussions. The island has served as a trading and commercial hub for centuries, connecting Persian Gulf commerce routes and facilitating merchant activity between Iran and other regional powers.

The island's distinctive red soil, caused by iron oxide deposits in the local earth, makes it visually distinctive among Persian Gulf islands and contributes to its unique geological character. This feature has made it a point of interest for geologists and tourists alike.

From an administrative perspective, Hormuz Island represents a small but integral part of Iran's maritime territory in the Persian Gulf. The island's position within Hormuz District and Hormozgan Province places it within one of Iran's most strategically important coastal regions, which includes major ports like Bandar Abbas and serves as a critical junction for Iran's naval and commercial maritime activities.

The island's population of approximately 3,000 residents maintains a community that has historical roots in the region's long maritime trading tradition, continuing patterns of settlement and economic activity that date back centuries in this commercially vital stretch of the Persian Gulf.

## Notable For

- **Strategic Maritime Location**: Situated near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transportation chokepoints
- **Distinctive Red Terrain**: Known for its red-colored soil caused by iron oxide deposits, creating a unique visual landscape among Persian Gulf islands
- **Historical Trading Heritage**: Has served as a commercial hub in Persian Gulf trade routes for centuries
- **Administrative Significance**: Serves as a district center within Hormozgan Province, representing local governance in Iran's island territories
- **Geographical Coordinates**: Precisely located at 27.0675° N latitude and 56.46° E longitude, documented in international geographical records

## Body

### Geography and Location

Hormuz Island is positioned in the Persian Gulf, approximately 5 kilometers off the southern coast of mainland Iran. The island lies near the city of Bandar Abbas, which serves as the administrative center of Hormozgan Province and one of Iran's most important ports on the Persian Gulf. The precise geographic coordinates of Hormuz Island are 27.0675° North latitude and 56.46° East longitude.

The island's terrain is characterized by its distinctive red-colored soil, a feature that sets it apart from many other islands in the region. This coloration results from iron oxide deposits in the local earth, creating a unique geological appearance that has become one of the island's identifying characteristics.

### Administrative Structure

Hormuz Island is part of Hormuz District, a subdivision within Iran. The island falls under the jurisdiction of Bandar Abbas County in Hormozgan Province. This administrative placement places the island within a region of significant strategic and commercial importance to Iran, as Hormozgan Province encompasses Iran's coastline along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

The district system in Iran represents a level of local governance below the province level, and Hormuz District serves as the administrative unit governing the island and its surrounding areas. This structure reflects Iran's system of territorial organization, which divides the country into provinces, counties (shahrestans), and districts (bakhsh).

### Demographics and Population

The island is home to a population of approximately 3,000 residents. This relatively small population maintains a community that has historical connections to the maritime traditions of the Persian Gulf region. The population figure represents the permanent residents of the island, though the island may experience fluctuations in temporary visitors, traders, and tourists.

The residents of Hormuz Island are part of Iran's diverse population, which includes numerous ethnic groups. As part of Hormozgan Province, the island's population would likely include Persians, as well as other ethnic groups native to the southern coastal regions of Iran, such as Bandari people who have historically been associated with maritime trade and fishing in the Persian Gulf.

### Historical Context

Hormuz Island has historical significance as part of the broader Persian Gulf trading network. The island's name, also rendered as Ormuz or Ormuz Island, reflects its long history in regional commerce. The Persian Gulf has been a vital waterway for trade for millennia, connecting ancient and medieval civilizations and facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures between Mesopotamia, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, and beyond.

The island's proximity to the Strait of Hormuz has contributed to its historical importance. The strait has been a critical maritime route for centuries, and islands in the region have often served as waypoints, trading posts, and defensive positions for various powers controlling the Persian Gulf.

### Strategic Importance

The island's location near the Strait of Hormuz cannot be overstated in terms of strategic significance. The strait is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, through which approximately 20% of the world's oil supply passes daily. This makes the waters around Hormuz Island part of one of the most geopolitically significant maritime corridors on the planet.

Iran, as the country controlling the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz, maintains significant naval and commercial infrastructure in the region. Hormuz Island, while small in population, represents part of Iran's territorial presence in these strategically vital waters. The island contributes to Iran's maritime domain awareness and presence in the Persian Gulf.

### Relationship to Iran

As an island within Iran, Hormuz Island is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a unitary presidential Islamic republic established on April 1, 1979, following the Iranian Revolution. Iran is a country in Western Asia with a rich history tracing back to ancient empires including the Achaemenid Empire, Parthian Empire, and Sasanian Empire.

The island exists within the modern Iranian political and administrative system, subject to the laws and governance structures of the Islamic Republic. Iran maintains a presidential system with a Supreme Leader as head of state, and the country's 31 provinces include Hormozgan Province, within which Hormuz Island is located.

### Physical Characteristics

As an island, Hormuz Island is defined as a piece of sub-continental land completely surrounded by water. This geographical classification distinguishes it from peninsulas or other landforms connected to larger landmasses. The island's complete isolation by water places it within a specific category of geographical features.

The island's red soil represents a notable physical characteristic. This coloration results from the mineral composition of the local earth, specifically iron oxide content, which gives the landscape a reddish appearance. This feature has geological implications related to the formation and composition of the island's terrain.

### Documentation and References

Hormuz Island has been documented in various geographical and encyclopedic sources. The island has 52 sitelinks referencing it across wikimedia projects, indicating substantial documentation in Wikipedia and related platforms. The Wikipedia entry for "Hormuz Island" provides coverage of the island's geography, history, and characteristics.

The Wikidata entry for the island includes its classification as an island in Bandar Abbas County, Iran, along with its coordinates, population figure, and aliases. This structured data facilitates integration with other knowledge bases and enables precise identification of the entity in digital knowledge systems.

### Regional Context

Hormuz Island exists within a region of considerable economic and strategic importance. Hormozgan Province, Iran's southernmost province along the Persian Gulf, contains major ports including Bandar Abbas, which serves as a primary hub for maritime trade and commercial shipping in the region. The province's coastline extends along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, giving Iran access to two major maritime corridors.

The broader Persian Gulf region contains numerous islands, both Iranian and belonging to other nations such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. This concentration of islands reflects the geological formation of the Persian Gulf, which is relatively shallow and contains many small islands and reef formations. Hormuz Island is among the islands under Iranian sovereignty in these waters.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Czech National Authority Database
4. GeoNames
5. Joint Operations Graphic
6. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File