Larak
| Larak جزیره لارک |
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| Waters | Strait of Hormuz , Persian Gulf | |
| Geographical location | 26 ° 51 ′ N , 56 ° 21 ′ E | |
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| length | 10.5 km | |
| width | 6.5 km | |
| surface | 49 km² | |
| Highest elevation | 81 m | |
| main place | Larak Shahri | |
Larak , also Lark , is an island off the south coast of Iran .
geography
Geographical location
The island is located at the 38.7 km narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz , between Iran in the north and the island of Great Quoin (Salāma) in the south, which belongs to Oman . It belongs to the Larak Rural District of Qeschm County in Hormozgan Province .
nature
The waters around Larak are among the most diverse coral reef areas in the Persian Gulf: There are 37 species of hard corals in the area of the island.
history
From the early 16th century to the 17th century, the island was mostly part of the Portuguese Empire . The Portuguese built a fort here.
As part of Operation Praying Mantis, air and naval forces of the United States Navy sank near the island of Larak on April 19, 1988, the Iranian frigate IS Sahand , which had previously attempted an attack against the American armed forces, using AGM-84 harpoon and laser-guided bombs. 45 Iranian sailors died in the sinking.
Just four weeks later, on May 14, 1988, Iraqi warplanes bombed the Iranian oil loading port on the island during the First Gulf War . They sink the British super tanker Burmah Endeavor (231,629 GRT ) and set fire to the Liberian giant tanker Seawise Giant (260,941 GRT), at the time the largest tanker in the world. 16 sailors, 14 on the Seawise Giant and two on the Burmah Endeavor , were killed. The Seawise Giant was later lifted and put back into service under the name Happy Giant .
Attractions
At the northern tip ( ) of the island is the 40 meter high lighthouse “ Larak Nord ”, built in 2008 . Its beacon with the identifier "Fl (2) W 10s" shines 18 nautical miles (= 33 kilometers).
Web links
- Photo of the lighthouse
Individual evidence
- ↑ J. Vajed Samiei, K. Dab, P. Ghezellou and A. Shirvani: Some scleractinian corals (Scleractinia: Anthozoa) of Larak Island, Persian Gulf in Zootaxa; April 3, 2013
- ↑ Fernando Cristóvão (Ed.): Dicionário Temático da Lusofonia. Texto Editores, Lisbon / Luanda / Praia / Maputo 2006 ( ISBN 972-47-2935-4 ), p. 817