Farasan Islands

Farasan Islands
Waters	Red Sea
Geographical location	16 ° 46 ′  N , 41 ° 58 ′  E Coordinates: 16 ° 46 ′  N , 41 ° 58 ′  E
Number of islands	around 90
Main island	Farasān al-Kabīr
Total land area	805 km²
Residents	17,999 (2010-04-28)

The Farasan Islands ( Arabic جزر فرسان Ǧuzur Farasān , English spelling Juzur Farasān ) are a coralline group of islands in the Red Sea . Most of them are in Saudi Arabia , but some southern islands are in Yemen .

geography

The Farasan Islands are about 40 km from the provincial capital Jazan , i.e. 40 km from the coast of the Arabian Peninsula . They thus represent the extreme southwest of Saudi Arabia . The largest island in the archipelago is Farasān al-Kabīr . According to the PNAS island database, 32 islands are larger than one square kilometer. The total area of ​​these 32 islands is 793.38 km². The Saudi Arabian part of the archipelago forms one of the governorates of the Jazan Province . The population of this administrative unit was 17,999 as of the April 28, 2010 census cutoff date.

Geology and wildlife

The Farasan Islands are platform reefs that are typically made of limestone . The archipelago was formed after the end of the last ice age in the course of rising sea levels. The islands are a protected area and serve as winter quarters for migratory birds from Europe.

history

Since the discovery of two Latin building inscriptions from the 2nd century on Farasan, the main island of the archipelago, it has been known that the islands were a permanent military outpost of the Roman Empire with the rank of prefecture ; Combating piracy in the southern Red Sea is presumed to be the prefect's task and a connection with trade to southern Arabia and India is derived.

From 1900 to 1902 the German Navy operated a coal station to supply their ships on this group of islands. At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 Italy had laid claim to the islands disputed between Asir and Yemen , but Great Britain handed them over to the Idrisids of Asir , and in 1934 most of the islands with Asir fell to Saudi Arabia.

economy

In 1919 the French discovered oil on the islands. The Red Sea Oilfields Company operated a refinery on them for 75 years . The islands have been the base of a small fishing industry since 1920 .

Main islands

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap

Surname	DMG	Arabic	Area km²	Country	Coordinates
Farasan al-Kabir	Farasān al-Kabīr	فرسان الكبير	398.59	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 43 ′ 47 "N, 42 ° 0 ′ 43" E
Jazirat Sajid	Ǧazīrat Saǧīd	جزيرة سجيد	157.07		16 ° 51 ′ 48 "N, 41 ° 55 ′ 4" E
Jazirat Disan	Ǧazīrat Dīsān	جزيرة ديسان	36.34		16 ° 55 ′ 39 "N, 41 ° 41 ′ 11" E
Jazirat Dha al-Fayf	Ǧazīrat Ḏā al-Faif	جزيرة ذا الفيف	32.50		16 ° 42 ′ 46 "N, 41 ° 46 ′ 29" E
Jazirat Sirshasu	Ǧazīrat Siršāsū	جزيرة سرشاسو	20.17		16 ° 50 ′ 50 "N, 41 ° 35 ′ 31" E
Jazirat Sumayr	Ǧazīrat Sumair	جزيرة سمير	16.93	Yemen	16 ° 17 ′ 50 "N, 42 ° 19 ′ 29" E
Qummah	Qummāḥ	قماح	16.61	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 38 ′ 2 "N, 42 ° 1 ′ 15" E
Raʾs Rasib	Raʾs Rāsib	رأس راسب	14.24		16 ° 58 ′ 51 ″ N, 41 ° 54 ′ 42 ″ E
Jazirat Duqaylah	Ǧazīrat Duqaila	جزيرة دقيلة	12.42	Yemen	16 ° 17 ′ 0 ″ N, 42 ° 28 ′ 36 ″ E
Jazirat Dumsuq	Ǧazīrat Dumsuq	جزيرة دمسق	12.38	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 32 ′ 45 "N, 42 ° 3 ′ 12" E
Jazirat Fasht	Ǧazīrat Fašt	جزيرة فشت	8.80	Yemen	16 ° 11 ′ 53 "N, 42 ° 22 ′ 24" E
Minzar Abu Shawk	Minẓār Abū Šauk	منظار أبو شوك	7.66	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 58 ′ 10 ″ N, 41 ° 48 ′ 7 ″ E
Jazirat Rafi	Jazirat Rafi '	...	6.80	Yemen	16 ° 18 ′ 1 ″ N, 42 ° 12 ′ 2 ″ E
Jabal Muhammad	...	...	5.18	Saudi Arabia	17 ° 3 '22 "N, 41 ° 45' 14" E
Kaira	...	...	4.86		16 ° 47 ′ 45 "N, 41 ° 44 ′ 37" E
Humr	Ḩumr	...	4.24		16 ° 46 ′ 58 "N, 42 ° 0 ′ 41" E
Mandhar	...	...	4.13		16 ° 50 '9 "N, 42 ° 1' 4" E
Dushuk	...	...	4.03		16 ° 39 '18 "N, 41 ° 51' 51" E
Jazirat Bari	...	...	3.57	Yemen	16 ° 18 ′ 31 ″ N, 42 ° 14 ′ 42 ″ E
Sindi Sarso	...	...	3.56	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 51 ′ 38 "N, 41 ° 36 ′ 10" E
Jazirat `Ardayn	...	...	3.48	Yemen	16 ° 16 ′ 11 "N, 42 ° 21 ′ 28" E
Dawharab	...	...	2.73		16 ° 18 ′ 30 ″ N, 41 ° 58 ′ 9 ″ E
Rumayn	...	...	2.59	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 25 ′ 30 "N, 42 ° 15 ′ 32" E
(unnamed)	...	...	2.35		16 ° 54 ′ 53 ″ N, 41 ° 43 ′ 21 ″ E
Akbayn	...	...	2.29		17 ° 4 ′ 59 "N, 41 ° 55 ′ 18" E
Akbar Uqayli	Akbar `Uqayli	...	1.90		16 ° 37 ′ 19 ″ N, 41 ° 55 ′ 2 ″ E
Salubah	...	...	1.64		16 ° 35 ′ 38 "N, 41 ° 58 ′ 56" E
Jazirat ad Dakhiliyah	...	...	1.47	Yemen	16 ° 15 ′ 35 "N, 42 ° 29 ′ 28" E
Jazirat Madjun	...	...	1.35		16 ° 6 '3 "N, 42 ° 24' 48" E
North Sulain	...	...	1.29	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 45 ′ 18 "N, 42 ° 12 ′ 53" E
Hibar	...	...	1.17		16 ° 53 ′ 3 ″ N, 42 ° 24 ′ 40 ″ E
Washika	...	...	1.17		17 ° 0 ′ 53 "N, 41 ° 39 ′ 9" E
Murayn	...	...	1.04	Yemen	16 ° 22 ′ 41 ″ N, 42 ° 17 ′ 39 ″ E
Marrakech	...	...	0.77	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 25 ′ 27 ″ N, 41 ° 54 ′ 24 ″ E
Yes`fari	...	...	0.82		16 ° 41 ′ 8 "N, 42 ° 33 ′ 11" E
Marrakech	...	...	0.77		16 ° 25 ′ 27 ″ N, 41 ° 54 ′ 24 ″ E
Shuma	...	...	0.7		16 ° 41 ′ 1 ″ N, 41 ° 35 ′ 20 ″ E
Nakal	...	...	0.65	Yemen	16 ° 21 ′ 0 ″ N, 42 ° 20 ′ 31 ″ E
Ghuzeh	...	...	0.51	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 34 '46 "N, 42 ° 21' 26" E
Kulam al Janubiyah	...	...	0.45		16 ° 35 ′ 28 "N, 42 ° 15 ′ 57" E
Kulam Island	...	...	0.44		16 ° 36 '49 "N, 42 ° 15' 25" E
Akbayn	...	...	0.39		17 ° 0 ′ 30 "N, 41 ° 47 ′ 37" E
Dhi Dahaya	...	...	0.37		16 ° 53 ′ 21 ″ N, 41 ° 27 ′ 47 ″ E
Ruk Island	...	...	0.35		16 ° 43 ′ 4 "N, 42 ° 12 ′ 19" E
Umm al Kathib	...	...	0.28		16 ° 48 ′ 35 "N, 42 ° 27 ′ 41" E
Zahrat Durakah	...	...	0.25		16 ° 51 ′ 47 "N, 42 ° 19 ′ 9" E
Riak Kabir	...	...	0.24		16 ° 59 ′ 8 ″ N, 41 ° 53 ′ 21 ″ E
Sumayr	...	...	0.21		16 ° 30 ′ 48 "N, 42 ° 14 ′ 52" E
Safan	...	...	0.2		16 ° 58 ′ 27 "N, 41 ° 40 ′ 23" E
Safara	...	...	0.19		16 ° 57 ′ 45 "N, 41 ° 54 ′ 23" E
Musud	...	...	0.19		16 ° 49 ′ 4 ″ N, 41 ° 33 ′ 1 ″ E
Sayr Haggar	...	...	0.18		16 ° 39 ′ 39 ″ N, 41 ° 47 ′ 30 ″ E
Mazaghef	...	...	0.18		16 ° 35 ′ 54 "N, 42 ° 20 ′ 24" E
Mahama	...	...	0.17		16 ° 29 ′ 13 ″ N, 41 ° 56 ′ 45 ″ E
Rukada	...	...	0.16	Yemen	16 ° 20 ′ 56 "N, 42 ° 29 ′ 58" E
South Sulain	...	...	0.15	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 43 ′ 51 ″ N, 42 ° 11 ′ 22 ″ E
Zahrat Sumayr	...	...	0.15		16 ° 29 ′ 18 "N, 42 ° 17 ′ 56" E
Thiran	...	...	0.14		17 ° 10 ′ 40 "N, 42 ° 12 ′ 18" E
Kathriyah	...	...	0.13		16 ° 43 '19 "N, 42 ° 33' 51" E
Hindiyah	...	...	0.13		16 ° 34 ′ 47 "N, 42 ° 14 ′ 12" E
South Aminah	...	...	0.11		16 ° 46 ′ 12 "N, 42 ° 27 ′ 22" E
Riak Saghir	...	...	0.11		16 ° 58 ′ 46 "N, 41 ° 53 ′ 49" E
Zurt	...	...	0.11		16 ° 26 ′ 46 ″ N, 42 ° 26 ′ 17 ″ E
Coyte Island	...	...	0.1		16 ° 24 ′ 54 "N, 41 ° 54 ′ 3" E
Burl	...	...	0.1		16 ° 34 ′ 30 "N, 42 ° 19 ′ 46" E
Ghurab	...	...	0.09		17 ° 6 ′ 29 "N, 42 ° 3 ′ 58" E
Sayl as Siya	...	...	0.08		16 ° 24 ′ 50 "N, 42 ° 29 ′ 46" E
Umm al Kidf	...	...	0.08		16 ° 48 ′ 51 ″ N, 42 ° 27 ′ 13 ″ E
Flop Island	...	...	0.08		16 ° 53 ′ 27 "N, 42 ° 18 ′ 4" E
Qamari	...	...	0.07		16 ° 39 ′ 49 ″ N, 42 ° 11 ′ 8 ″ E
Shura`	...	...	0.07		17 ° 2 ′ 37 "N, 42 ° 18 ′ 12" E
Sayl Ruba	...	...	0.07	Yemen	16 ° 22 ′ 31 ″ N, 42 ° 21 ′ 28 ″ E
Kulam ash Shamaliyah	...	...	0.07	Saudi Arabia	16 ° 37 ′ 58 "N, 42 ° 15 ′ 11" E
Umm az Zahil	...	...	0.06		16 ° 27 ′ 55 "N, 41 ° 57 ′ 47" E
Umm al Qarib	...	...	0.06		16 ° 49 '30 "N, 42 ° 27' 16" E
Duff Island	...	...	0.05		16 ° 51 ′ 2 "N, 42 ° 0 ′ 26" E
Zahrat Matrahayn	...	...	0.05		17 ° 2 ′ 32 "N, 41 ° 32 ′ 43" E
Umm al `Asal	...	...	0.05		16 ° 49 ′ 25 "N, 42 ° 26 ′ 47" E
Sayir `Abd	...	...	0.05		17 ° 0 ′ 11 "N, 41 ° 58 ′ 44" E
Jazirat Minzar	...	...	0.05		16 ° 51 ′ 15 ″ N, 42 ° 0 ′ 24 ″ E
Abu Shawr	...	...	0.04		17 ° 0 ′ 9 "N, 41 ° 44 ′ 58" E

Individual evidence

1. ^ PNAS Islands Database
2. ↑ GeoHive: Saudi Arabia ( Memento of the original from August 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ Dreaming of Farasan ( Memento of the original from July 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English) 
4. ↑ Michael A. Speidel : Outside the Reich? About new Roman inscriptions from Saudi Arabia and the expansion of Roman rule on the Red Sea. In: Army and rule in the Roman Empire of the High Imperial Era. 2009, pp. 633–649 , accessed November 14, 2014 . 
5. ↑ Willi A. Boelcke: This is how the sea came to us - The Prussian-German Navy in Übersee 1822 to 1914. Ullstein, Frankfurt / Main, Berlin, Vienna 1981, ISBN 3-550-07951-6 , p. 207.
6. ^ GW Prothero: Arabia . HM Stationary Office, London 1920, p. 99.
7. ^ GW Prothero: Arabia . HM Stationary Office, London 1920, p. 18.

Web links

Commons : Farasan  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Saudi Aramco World: Dreaming of Farasan
• Farasan Island, a diver's paradise , Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes
• Tactical Pilotage Chart 1: 500,000 map sheet J-6D (main part of the archipelago)
• Tactical Pilotage Chart 1: 500,000 chart sheet J-6C (eastern part to the coast)