Abu Musa

Abu Musa Island is a 12.8 square kilometer (4.9 sq mi) island in the eastern Persian Gulf near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. Due to the depth of sea, oil tankers and big ships have to pass between Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs; this makes these islands some of the most strategic points in the Persian Gulf. The island is administered by Iran as part of its province of Hormozgan, but is also claimed by the United Arab Emirates as a territory of the emirate of Sharjah.NameIranian Abu Musa's inhabitants call it "Gap-sabzu", which in Persian means "the great green place." On old maps, the island is called: "Boum-Ouw" or "Boum-Ouf" which in Persian means "Waterland"."Boum-Souz" or "Boum-Sou"/"Boum-Souw" or "Gap-Sabzou" which in Persian means "Green Land". However, in recent centuries it has also been called Bum Musa, Persian for "the land of Musa/Moses," instead of "Boum-Sou".Arabs claim that the name "Abu Musa" comes from Abu Musa Ashaari, a companion of Prophet Muhammad, who stayed on the Island in 643 A.D before battling the Persians.