Hawar Islands
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The Hawar Islands (Arabic: جزر حوار; transliterated: Juzur Howar) are a group of islands situated off the west coast of Qatar in the Gulf of Bahrain of the Persian Gulf.
Despite their proximity to Qatar, the islands belong to Bahrain but were the subject of a dispute between Bahrain and Qatar (see Foreign relations of Qatar). A Hawari separatist movement exists in Europe but there is little evidence of support for their movement in the Hawar Islands. The islands were formerly part of the Juzur Hawar municipality and are now administered as part of the Southern Governorate of Bahrain. The area is 50.6 km². At the census of 2001, the population numbered 3,875.
In 2002, Bahrain applied to have the Hawar islands recognised as a World Heritage Site, due to its unique environment and habitat for endangered species. This site is home to many wildlife spiecies and a very interesting place for birdwatchers and divers. Hawar Islands used to be one of the settlements of the Bahraini branch of the Dawasir who settled there in the early 1800s and on the main island of Bahrain in 1845 in the areas of Zallaq and Budaiya.
[edit] List of Islands
By far the largest island is Hawar. Following in size are Suwād al Janūbīyah, Suwād ash Shamālīyah, Rubud Al Sharqiyah, Rubud Al Gharbiyah and Muhazwarah (Umm Hazwarah).
| Name | Arabic | Area km² | Coordinates | Max Height (meters) | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawar | جَزِيرَة حَوَار | 39 | 22.0 | Continuous beach ridge complex west coast, sloping bedrock rising west to east. Complex bay and cliff formations east coast fronted in places by subqa, Jebel and terminals of east lower headlands aeolian formations calcified reef structures and algal mats. | |
| Rubud Al Gharbiyah | رَبَض اَلْغَرْبِيَّة | 0.7 | 1.0 | Sand and shingle accumulations, subqa and encrusted flats, storm beach north and west, mudflats, shoals and shallow lagoons south and east. Islands off exposed beach rocks & vegetated islets. | |
| Rubud Al Sharqiyah | رَبَض اَلشَّرْقِيَّة | 1.7 | 0.8 | Sand and shingle accumulations, subqa and salt encrusted flats, storm beach north and northeast, mudflats, shoals and shallow lagoons south and east large areas of beach rock and reef. Islands off exposed beach rocks & vegetated islets. | |
| Ajirah | جَزِيرَة عَجِيرَة | 0.02 | 7.0 | Rock (exposed strata), undercut cliffs and areas of beach rock and reefs. Single terraced with sand spit southwest sand and shingle accumulations behind. | |
| Al Hajiyat (group) | . | 7.5 | Rock (exposed strata), undercut cliffs terraced, small sand or shingle beaches, reefs. | ||
| Muhazwarah | 0.4 | 12.5 | Rock (exposed strata), undercut cliffs, small sand or shingle beaches, raised terraces with sand spit southern aspect sand accumulations behind. Centre open wadi with rim rocks. | ||
| Umm Jinni | . | 0.5 | Sand and shingle accumulations with areas of beach rock shoals and shallow lagoons surrounding. | ||
| Bū Sadād (group) | جُزُر بُو سَدَاد | . | 2.0 | Sand and shingle accumulations with areas of beach rock, shoals and shallow lagoons surrounding. Storm beaches northern aspects. Islands off ‑ various with mud sand and exposed rocky vegetated islets. | |
| al Wukūr (group) | جُزُراَلْوُكُور | . | 10.0 | Isolated sea stacks with shingle beaches with surrounding shallow lagoon. | |
| Suwād ash Shamālīyah | سُوَاد اَلشَّمَالِيَّة | 3 | 3.0 | Sand and shingle accumulations, subqa and salt encrusted flats, areas of beach rock to north, shoals and shallow to south and southeast, wind blown sand, beaches. | |
| Suwād al Janūbīyah | سُوَاد اَلْجَنُوبِيَّة | 5 | 4.0 | Sand and shingle accumulations, subqa and salt encrusted flats with areas of exposed surface rock, beach rock to the north. Mud, shoals and shallow to south, blown sand beaches. | |
| Bu Tammur (group) | . | 1.5 | Isolated undercut heavily fossiled rock platforms. |
[edit] External links
- WHS application
- International Court of Justice decision on the Hawar dispute (2001)
- Hawar-Islands.com
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