the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman. The
landmass occupied by these states collectively is
1.8 million square miles, or half the landmass of
the United States. The individual Persian Gulf
countries range in size from the smallest, Bahrain
(the size of Washington, D.C.) and Qatar (the size
of Connecticut), to the largest, Iran (the size of
Alaska) and Saudi Arabia (one-third the size of the
United States). The total population of the region
is about 130 million, or slightly less than half
that of the United States. Iran, with 65.8 million
people (2008 estimate), has the largest population
by far of all the Gulf countries, followed by Iraq
(28.2 million) and Saudi Arabia (28.1 million,
including 5.6 million nonnationals).
This is a very diverse region with respect to
religion, culture, politics, and economics. It has
been home to several civilizations plus a major
crossroads for others, linking Asia with the Middle
East and Europe and the Indian Ocean with the
Mediterranean. It is populated by city dwellers,
nomads, farmers, and, in modern times, immi-
grants from many parts of the world. The immi-
grants come especially from South Asia, attracted
by employment opportunities in the
oil
industry
that developed there in the latter part of the 20th
century or by jobs in the commercial sector. Pre-
viously best known for its
agricUltUre
, spices,
pearl fisheries, cities of commerce, and pilgrimage
networks, the Gulf region today is the center of
the petroleum industry. It has more than half the
world’s proven oil reserves, and it produces about
a third of the world’s oil. The native population
is mainly Persian speaking on the eastern side of
the Gulf and Arabic speaking on the western side.
The majority belongs to the Twelve-Imam branch
of Shii Islam, especially in Iran, Iraq, and Bahrain,
but there is also a significant Sunni Muslim pres-
ence. The i
badiyya
, an off-shoot of the k
haWariJ
,
the earliest Muslim sect, are a majority in Oman.
All the major Islamic legal schools are present in
the Gulf region, led by the Jaafari Legal School
among the Shia and the h
anbali
l
egal
s
chool
among the Sunnis, as well as a significant number
of Hanafis and Malikis. W
ahhabism
, a particularly
puritanical branch of the Hanbali tradition based
in Saudi Arabia, is very influential among Sunni
populations in the Gulf region. The Gulf is home
to several of Islam’s most treasured holy cities—
m
ecca
and m
edina
in Saudi Arabia, Najaf and
k
arbala
in Iraq, and Mashhad in Iran. Non-Mus-
lim religious communities are also found there,
including Christians, Hindus, Bahais, Buddhists,
Sikhs, Zoroastrians, and Jews.
The modern Gulf states all arose during the
20th century. Prior to that time, the most impor-
tant countries with a long history of state control
were Iran and Iraq, which were ruled by Mus-
lim dynasties such as the Umayyads, Abbasids,
Seljuks, Ottomans, and Safavids. An Indian Ocean
empire based on trade was commanded by the rul-
ers of Oman during the 19th century. Yet much of
the Arabian Peninsula, and even significant parts
of Iran and Iraq, have been controlled by differ-
ent tribal groups and confederations. Today the
major regional powers are the Islamic Republic
of Iran, the Republic of Iraq, and the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia (treated elsewhere in this volume).
The smaller Arab Gulf states are the Kingdom
of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of
Oman, the State of Qatar, and the UAE. All of
these states took present form after a period of
British hegemony during the 19th century, when
local tribal
shaykhs
became British clients pro-
tected by the Royal Navy. Britain essentially ran
the foreign affairs and defense of these countries
until it acceded to their independence after World
War II. Even with their formal independence,
however, the smaller Gulf States have continued
to rely on alliances with greater powers, such
as the U
nited
s
tates
, for their survival. Oil has
given them a great deal of economic security, but
it has also made them vulnerable to international
political forces and regional insurgencies. Since
1981, one major revolution and three major wars
have been fought in the Gulf region. Therefore, to
improve their strategic security, affirm their com-
mon interests, and coordinate their relations, the
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