Bushehr#Nuclear development

The roots of the name "Bushehr" are uncertain. It is unlikely that it is derived from Abū Šahr ("father of the city"), a theory which remains popular. It may be an abbreviation of Bokht-Ardashir ("Ardashir has given"), though this is not backed by conclusive evidence.{{sfn|Perry|2017}}{{sfn|de Planhol|1990}} [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008730547].

A number of alleged premodern references to Bushehr, including the first made by an Arab geographer in 1225, have been disputed as perhaps alluding to the modern city of Reishahr, a harbor 10 km to the south, where archaeological evidence points to the presence of a much older settlement.{{sfn|Perry|2017}} Reishahr is also most likely equivalent to the town of Mesambria, a place the Greeks knew since the campaign of Nearchus (died 300 BC), and which also has been occasionally identified with Bushehr.{{sfn|de Planhol|1990}}

In 1734, the Iranian military commander Nader made Bushehr (then still a minor fishing village) the headquarters of the Persian Gulf fleet that he sought to create.{{sfn|de Planhol|1990}}{{sfn|Perry|2017}} This marked the start of Bushehr's rising importance. In order to build a massive warship, Nader even brought heavy wood from Mazandaran's forests, which was 1,000 km away from Bushehr. The shell of this ship drew notice from European travelers for the next 50 years. The naval aspirations of Nader ended when he was murdered in 1747, but Bushehr continued to serve as a prominent port for at least the following 150 years. Between 1737–1753, the Dutch East India Company ran a trading facility there.{{sfn|Perry|2017}}

Aside from Bushehr's strategic significance—being situated 300 km from Shiraz and 600 km from that of Ottoman-ruled Basra—the place offered few benefits and numerous drawbacks. The town and its surrounding area were somewhat shielded by the interior's hilly terrain and narrow gorges, but were still vulnerable to pirate intrusion. In the 19th century, European ships had to dock around four kilometers offshore and transfer freight and passengers through small boats due to the shallow path to both the shoreline and the bay. Despite the numerous windcatchers on top of the houses, the water in the wells was salty, and the summer heat and humidity were unbearable.{{sfn|Perry|2017}}

Bushehr soon replaced Bandar Abbas as the country's most important commercial port. This was because of Iran's political and economic centre being moved to Shiraz under the Zand ruler Karim Khan Zand ({{reign|1751|1779}}), who had established his authority in western Iran.{{sfn|Perry|2017}}{{sfn|de Planhol|1990}}

File:BUSHIRE.jpg

Linguistic composition of the city.{{Cite web|date=2015|title=Language distribution: Bushehr Province|url=http://iranatlas.net/index.html?module=module.language-distribution.bushehr#eyJ0IjoieCIsImkiOiI5MTIyOTFmNDM3Yjg4NzkxNThkOTQ2ZTNhNjE5NGU3OSIsInMiOjE2NzUxNjc3MDcyMjR9|access-date=31 January 2023|website=Iran Atlas}}{{bar box|title=Bushehr, Iran linguistic composition|titlebar=#ddd|left1=language|right1=percent|float=|bars=

{{bar percent|Mixed|red|42.4}}

{{bar percent|Bushehri|orange|25}}

{{bar percent|Lory|yellow|23.4}}

{{bar percent|Arabic|blue|2.23}}

{{bar percent|Koroshi Balochi|brown|0.05}}

}}

{{Historical populations

|title = Population history

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|source = {{cite web |title=Cities with a population of 100,000 and more (1956-2006 census) |url=https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/13-cities-with-a-population-of-100-000-and-more-1335-1385-1956-2006-census-1.xlsx |website=irandataportal.syr.edu |publisher=Iran data portal |access-date=1 June 2025 |page=1 |format=XLS}}

|graph-pos =

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|1956 |18,412

|1966 |23,547

|1976 |58,956

|1986 |120,787

|1991 |132,824

|1996 |143,641

|2006 |161,674

|2011 |195,222

|2016 |223,504

}}

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 161,674 people in 25,158 households. {{cite web |script-title=fa:سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1385 : استان بوشهر |trans-title=General Population and Housing Census 2006: Bushehr Province |language=fa |website={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|مرکز آمار ایران}} [Statistical Centre of Iran] |url=http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/18.xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920093422/http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/18.xls |archive-date=20 September 2011 |format=Excel |access-date=17 June 2025}} The census in 2011 counted 195,222 people in 52,204 households. {{cite web |script-title=fa:سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1390 : استان بوشهر |trans-title=General Population and Housing Census 2011: Bushehr Province |language=fa |website=Iran Data Portal—Syracuse University |url=https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/Bushehr.xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403085236/https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/Bushehr.xls |archive-date=3 April 2023 |agency={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|مرکز آمار ایران}} [Statistical Centre of Iran] |format=Excel |access-date=17 June 2025}} The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 223,504 people in 63,820 households. {{cite web |script-title=fa:سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1395 : استان بوشهر |trans-title=General Population and Housing Census 2016: Bushehr Province |language=fa |website={{lang|fa|rtl=yes|مرکز آمار ایران}} [Statistical Centre of Iran] |url=https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_18.xlsx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803212745/https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_18.xlsx |archive-date=3 August 2017 |format=Excel |access-date=17 June 2025}}

Bushehr has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) with a precipitation pattern resembling a Mediterranean climate, albeit it is both too hot and dry for too long to qualify as such, by a wide margin, due to the threshold for hot climates being much higher in terms of required rainfall.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| location = Bushehr (1991–2020)

|Jan record high C = 30.0

|Feb record high C = 32.0

|Mar record high C = 38.0

|Apr record high C = 42.5

|May record high C = 47.0

|Jun record high C = 48.6

|Jul record high C = 50.0

|Aug record high C = 47.0

|Sep record high C = 46.0

|Oct record high C = 41.0

|Nov record high C = 35.4

|Dec record high C = 32.0

|year record high C = 50.0

| Jan high C = 20.0

| Feb high C = 21.1

| Mar high C = 24.4

| Apr high C = 29.6

| May high C = 34.2

| Jun high C = 35.8

| Jul high C = 37.1

| Aug high C = 37.7

| Sep high C = 36.4

| Oct high C = 33.2

| Nov high C = 27.2

| Dec high C = 22.3

| year high C = 29.9

| Jan mean C = 15.7

| Feb mean C = 16.8

| Mar mean C = 19.9

| Apr mean C = 24.6

| May mean C = 29.3

| Jun mean C = 31.7

| Jul mean C = 33.3

| Aug mean C = 34.0

| Sep mean C = 32.2

| Oct mean C = 28.5

| Nov mean C = 22.5

| Dec mean C = 17.7

| year mean C = 25.5

| Jan low C = 12.2

| Feb low C = 13.4

| Mar low C = 16.3

| Apr low C = 21.1

| May low C = 25.9

| Jun low C = 28.6

| Jul low C = 30.4

| Aug low C = 30.7

| Sep low C = 28.1

| Oct low C = 24.1

| Nov low C = 18.4

| Dec low C = 14.0

| year low C = 21.9

|Jan record low C = -1.0

|Feb record low C = 2.5

|Mar record low C = 5.0

|Apr record low C = 8.0

|May record low C = 14.0

|Jun record low C = 18.0

|Jul record low C = 21.0

|Aug record low C = 22.0

|Sep record low C = 17.0

|Oct record low C = 12.0

|Nov record low C = 5.0

|Dec record low C = 2.0

|year record low C = -1.0

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 78.1

| Feb precipitation mm = 25.9

| Mar precipitation mm = 19.6

| Apr precipitation mm = 6.1

| May precipitation mm = 1.5

| Jun precipitation mm = 0.0

| Jul precipitation mm = 0.5

| Aug precipitation mm = 0.4

| Sep precipitation mm = 0.0

| Oct precipitation mm = 6.9

| Nov precipitation mm = 60.1

| Dec precipitation mm = 60.9

| year precipitation mm = 260.0

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 5.3

| Feb precipitation days = 3.2

| Mar precipitation days = 2.8

| Apr precipitation days = 1.7

| May precipitation days = 0.4

| Jun precipitation days = 0.0

| Jul precipitation days = 0.1

| Aug precipitation days = 0.0

| Sep precipitation days = 0.0

| Oct precipitation days = 0.6

| Nov precipitation days = 3.7

| Dec precipitation days = 4.3

| year precipitation days = 22.1

| Jan humidity = 73.0

| Feb humidity = 71.0

| Mar humidity = 68.0

| Apr humidity = 63.0

| May humidity = 60.0

| Jun humidity = 64.0

| Jul humidity = 67.0

| Aug humidity = 69.0

| Sep humidity = 67.0

| Oct humidity = 65.0

| Nov humidity = 64.0

| Dec humidity = 72.0

| year humidity = 66.9

| Jan dew point C = 10.7

| Feb dew point C = 11.3

| Mar dew point C = 13.5

| Apr dew point C = 16.8

| May dew point C = 20.4

| Jun dew point C = 23.7

| Jul dew point C = 26.2

| Aug dew point C = 27.4

| Sep dew point C = 25.0

| Oct dew point C = 21.1

| Nov dew point C = 15.0

| Dec dew point C = 12.4

| year dew point C = 18.6

| Jan sun = 204

| Feb sun = 195

| Mar sun = 226

| Apr sun = 240

| May sun = 299

| Jun sun = 330

| Jul sun = 318

| Aug sun = 314

| Sep sun = 296

| Oct sun = 285

| Nov sun = 227

| Dec sun = 208

| year sun = 3142

| source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Iran/CSV/BushehrCoastal_40857.csv

|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Bushehr (Coastal)

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = December 31, 2023}}

| source 2 = Iran Meteorological Organization (records)*{{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/7.asp |title= Highest record temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |archive-date= October 5, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181005185553/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/7.asp |url-status= dead }}

• {{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/6.asp |title= Lowest record temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |archive-date= October 5, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181005185540/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/6.asp |url-status= dead }}

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Bushehr (1951–2010)

|collapsed = Y

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan record high C = 30.0

|Feb record high C = 32.0

|Mar record high C = 38.0

|Apr record high C = 42.5

|May record high C = 47.0

|Jun record high C = 48.6

|Jul record high C = 50.0

|Aug record high C = 47.0

|Sep record high C = 46.0

|Oct record high C = 41.0

|Nov record high C = 34.5

|Dec record high C = 32.0

|year record high C = 50.0

|Jan high C = 18.6

|Feb high C = 20.2

|Mar high C = 24.2

|Apr high C = 29.6

|May high C = 34.5

|Jun high C = 36.4

|Jul high C = 37.8

|Aug high C = 38.1

|Sep high C = 36.6

|Oct high C = 32.9

|Nov high C = 26.6

|Dec high C = 21.0

|year high C = 29.7

|Jan mean C = 14.5

|Feb mean C = 15.8

|Mar mean C = 19.3

|Apr mean C = 24.3

|May mean C = 29.0

|Jun mean C = 31.4

|Jul mean C = 33.1

|Aug mean C = 33.3

|Sep mean C = 30.8

|Oct mean C = 26.9

|Nov mean C = 21.3

|Dec mean C = 16.5

|year mean C = 24.7

|Jan low C = 10.3

|Feb low C = 11.4

|Mar low C = 14.4

|Apr low C = 18.9

|May low C = 23.6

|Jun low C = 26.3

|Jul low C = 28.4

|Aug low C = 28.4

|Sep low C = 25.1

|Oct low C = 20.9

|Nov low C = 16.0

|Dec low C = 12.0

|year low C = 19.6

|Jan record low C = -1.0

|Feb record low C = 2.5

|Mar record low C = 5.0

|Apr record low C = 8.0

|May record low C = 14.0

|Jun record low C = 18.0

|Jul record low C = 21.0

|Aug record low C = 22.0

|Sep record low C = 17.0

|Oct record low C = 12.0

|Nov record low C = 5.0

|Dec record low C = 2.0

|year record low C = -1.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 78.5

|Feb precipitation mm = 31.8

|Mar precipitation mm = 22.4

|Apr precipitation mm = 8.6

|May precipitation mm = 2.6

|Jun precipitation mm = 0.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 0.3

|Sep precipitation mm = 0.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 5.7

|Nov precipitation mm = 39.4

|Dec precipitation mm = 78.7

|year precipitation mm = 268.0

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 5.9

|Feb precipitation days = 3.4

|Mar precipitation days = 3.1

|Apr precipitation days = 1.7

|May precipitation days = 0.4

|Jun precipitation days = 0.0

|Jul precipitation days = 0.0

|Aug precipitation days = 0.0

|Sep precipitation days = 0.0

|Oct precipitation days = 0.5

|Nov precipitation days = 2.7

|Dec precipitation days = 5.3

|year precipitation days = 22.0

|Jan humidity = 75

|Feb humidity = 72

|Mar humidity = 66

|Apr humidity = 60

|May humidity = 56

|Jun humidity = 58

|Jul humidity = 61

|Aug humidity = 65

|Sep humidity = 65

|Oct humidity = 66

|Nov humidity = 66

|Dec humidity = 73

|year humidity = 65

|Jan sun = 199.1

|Feb sun = 195.4

|Mar sun = 217.4

|Apr sun = 232.0

|May sun = 292.5

|Jun sun = 329.7

|Jul sun = 314.0

|Aug sun = 320.9

|Sep sun = 293.8

|Oct sun = 279.0

|Nov sun = 227.3

|Dec sun = 193.5

|year sun = 3094.6

|source 1 = Iran Meteorological Organization (records),*{{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/7.asp |title= Highest record temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |archive-date= October 5, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181005185553/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/7.asp |url-status= dead }}

• {{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/6.asp |title= Lowest record temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |archive-date= October 5, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181005185540/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/6.asp |url-status= dead }} (temperatures),*{{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/3.asp |title= Average Maximum temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160306115031/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/3.asp |archive-date= March 6, 2016 }}
• {{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/5.asp |title= Average Mean Daily temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |archive-date= April 27, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180427003040/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/5.asp |url-status= dead }}
• {{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/2.asp |title= Average Minimum temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160306113824/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/2.asp |archive-date= March 6, 2016 }} (precipitation),{{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/25.asp |title= Monthly Total Precipitation in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |archive-date= May 16, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180516225623/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/25.asp |url-status= dead }} (humidity),

{{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/14.asp |title= Average relative humidity in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |url-status = dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160306122133/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/14.asp |archive-date= March 6, 2016 }} (days with precipitation),

{{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/29.asp |title= No. Of days with precipitation equal to or greater than 1 mm in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |url-status = dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160306115503/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/29.asp |archive-date= March 6, 2016 }} (sunshine)

{{cite web |url= http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/42.asp |title= Monthly total sunshine hours in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010 |publisher= Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date= April 8, 2015 |url-status = dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160306115248/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/bos/BUSHEHR/42.asp |archive-date= March 6, 2016 }}

|date=March 2016

}}

{{main|Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant}}

Bushehr is twelve kilometres from the site of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant being built in cooperation with Russia. The work was begun by the Bonn firm {{ill|Kraftwerk Union|de}} A.G., a unit of Siemens AG, which contracted to build two nuclear reactors based on a contract worth $4 to $6 billion, signed in 1975.

Work stopped in January 1979, and Kraftwerk Union fully withdrew from the project in July 1979, with one reactor 50% complete, and the other reactor 85% complete. They said they based their action on Iran's non-payment of $450 million in overdue payments. The company had received $2.5 billion of the total contract. Their cancellation came following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Iran subsequently requested that Siemens finish construction, but Siemens declined. Shortly afterward Iraq invaded Iran and the nuclear programme was stopped until the end of the war. The reactors were damaged by multiple Iraqi airstrikes between March 1984 and 1988.{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/bushehr-intro.htm|title=Bushehr - Iran Nuclear Reactor|first=John|last=Pike|website=www.globalsecurity.org}}

In 1995, Russia signed a contract to supply a light water reactor for the plant (the contract is believed to be valued between $700 million and $1.2 billion USD). The agreement calls for the spent fuel rods to be sent back to Russia for reprocessing. The plant started adding electricity to the national grid on 3 September 2011,{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/04/iran-nuclear-power-bushehr-plant |title=Iranian nuclear power station 'begins generating electricity' |agency=Reuters |work=The Guardian |date=4 September 2011 |access-date=4 September 2011 |location=London}} and was officially opened in a ceremony on 12 September 2011.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

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{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{EI3|last=Perry|first=John R.|year=2017|title=Bushire|url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/bushire-COM_24027}}
• {{cite encyclopedia | title = Būšehr i. The City | last = de Planhol | first = Xavier | url = https://iranicaonline.org/articles/bushehr-01-city | editor-last = | editor-first = | editor-link = | encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia Iranica | pages = | location = | publisher = | year = 1990 | isbn = }}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100328095911/http://www.lovelyiran.com/bushehr/ Bushehr Travel Guide]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051225025649/http://www.thepersiangulf.org/cities/bushehr.html Bushehr, The Persian Gulf]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081002204932/http://digitalspirit.blogspot.com/2007/11/history-of-bushehr-bushehr-is-port.html Bushehr's travel review]
• https://www.citypopulation.de/mapinex.html

{{Authority control}}

{{Bushehr Province|state=collapsed}}

{{Bushehr County|state=collapsed}}

{{Provincial capitals of Iran}}

Category:Cities in Bushehr province

Category:Populated places in Bushehr County

Category:Iranian provincial capitals

Category:Port cities and towns in Iran

Category:Port cities and towns of the Persian Gulf

Category:Seleucid colonies