Chabahar

The name Chabahar is a shortened form of the Persian phrase {{Lang|fa-Latn|chahar bahar}} ({{langx|fa|چهاربهار}}), where {{Lang|fa-Latn|chahar}} means "four" and {{Lang|fa-Latn|bahar}} means "spring". Hence, Chabahar means a place where all four seasons of the year resemble spring time.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

There is a fishing village and former port named Tis in Chabahar's neighborhood, which dates from 2500 BC, known in Alexander the Great's conquests as Tiz, eventually renamed Tis. In addition, in his book Aqd al-Ala lel-Moghefe al Ahla, Afdhal al-Din abu Hamid Kermani wrote in 584 AH (1188 CE) about the port of Tiz and its commerce and trade.

According to the scholar and historian, Alberuni, author of an encyclopedic work on India called "Tarikh Al-Hind", the sea coast of India commences with Tiz or modern Chabahar.{{cite book | editor-last=Sachau | editor-first=Edward C. | title=Alberuni's India | volume=1 | publisher=Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co | year=1910 | orig-year=1888 | url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_5949073_001/pages/ldpd_5949073_001_00000264.html | page=208}}{{cite book | last=Wink | first=André | title=Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World | publisher=Brill | year=2002 | edition=3rd | orig-year=1990 | isbn=0-391-04173-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC&pg=PA132 | page=132}} Tis was formerly an active commercial port, and was destroyed by the Mongols.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} There are still some ruins in the village.

The Portuguese were the first colonial country to attack the Makran (Oman) Sea. The Portuguese forces under Afonso de Albuquerque gained control of Chabahar and Tis, staying there until 1031 AH (1621 CE). The British, and later the Portuguese in the 17th century (1616 CE or 1026 AH), entered this region.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

Modern Chabahar dates back to around 1970 CE, when it was declared a municipality and large port projects were started by order of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A modern naval and air base was established as part of the Shah's policy of making Iran into a dominant power in the Indian Ocean. At that time these and other development projects in and around Chabahar involved the extensive participation of foreign companies, especially from the United States. After the 1979 CE revolution the foreign companies left the projects and Iranian public companies linked to the Ministry of Jahad-e Sazandegi (or jihad for construction) took them over.

The Iran–Iraq War caused Chabahar to gain in logistical and strategic importance. War brought insecurity to the Strait of Hormuz and ships were unable to enter the Persian Gulf. Accordingly, Chabahar became a major port during the war. In the 1980s the Iranian government developed a new scheme named the Eastern Axis Development Scheme, which aimed to use Chabahar's geographical position as a regional development tool to stimulate economic growth in the eastern provinces. The establishment of the Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone in 1992 resulting from the EAD Scheme brought development and encouraged immigration from other parts of the country to Chabahar.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

On 25 February 2025, clashes between the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group have taken place in Chabahar. At least one civilian, a 5-year-old child, has died. Two more Jaish al-Adl combatants have also died. Days earlier, Jaish al-Adl bombed an Iranian government building.

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 71,070 in 13,837 households.{{cite report|title=Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006): Sistan and Baluchestan Province|language=fa|publisher=The Statistical Center of Iran|website=amar.org.ir|url=http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/11.xls|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920083538/http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/11.xls|format=Excel|archive-date=20 September 2011}} The following census in 2011 counted 85,633 people in 19,313 households.{{cite report|title=Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1390 (2011): Sistan and Baluchestan Province|language=fa|publisher=The Statistical Center of Iran|website=irandataportal.syr.edu|via=Iran Data Portal, Syracuse University|url=https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/Sistan-and-Baluchestan.xls|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125114706/https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/Sistan-and-Baluchestan.xls|archive-date=25 November 2022|access-date=19 December 2022|format=Excel}} The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 106,739 people in 25,896 households.{{cite report|title=Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1395 (2016): Sistan and Baluchestan Province|language=fa|publisher=The Statistical Center of Iran|website=amar.org.ir|url=https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_11.xlsx|access-date=19 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223104011/https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_11.xlsx|format=Excel|archive-date=23 December 2021}}

File:Chabahar Rally 05.jpg

File:Chabahar Beach 1.jpg

Chabahar is Iran's closest and best access point to the Indian Ocean. For this reason, Chabahar is the focal point of Iranian development of the east of the country through expansion and enhancement of transit routes among countries situated in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and Central Asia.{{cite news | url=http://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-55875920110325 | last=Miglani | first=Sanjeev | title=India, China's rivalry and a tale of two ports | work=Reuters | date=2011-03-25 | access-date=2011-05-12 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303100602/http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-55875920110325 | archive-date=2022-03-03}} The hope is that with the development of transit routes, and better security and transit services, the benefits will reach the local residents.{{whom|date=May 2021}}

Chabahar's economic sectors are fish industries and commercial sector, fishery sectors with the largest amount of country's fish catch, mainly located out of the Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone. Growing commercial sector located at free trade area with high potentiality to turn to a place that would connect business growth centers in south Asia (India) and Middle East (Dubai) to central Asian market. The government plans to link the Chabahar free trade area to Iran's main rail network, which is connected to Central Asia.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

The city is served by Refah Chain Stores Co., Iran Hyper Star, Isfahan City Center, Shahrvand Chain Stores Inc., Ofoq Kourosh chain store.

Chabahar is connected to multimodal transportation through air, sea and roads. Its Konarak Airport has twice daily flights to the capital Tehran, thrice weekly flights to Zahedan and twice weekly flights to Mashhad, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas. It has also a weekly international flight to Doha and Dubai and a biweekly flight to Muscat. Chabahar has two jetties that connect it to international waterways. Iranian contractors are developing both jetties to provide port facilities for handling of 6 million tons of goods a year; this is expected to be completed by 2011. Chabahar is connected to national road networks. Chabahar–Bandar Abbas, Chabahar–Iranshahr–Kerman, Chabahar–Iranshahr–Zahedan–Mashahd and Chabahar–Iranshahr–Zahedan–Milak are four main routes connecting Chabahar to national and international roads.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

In July 2016, India began shipping US$150 million worth of rail tracks to Chabahar{{cite news | author= | date=16 June 2016 | title=India to export USD 150 mn rails for Chabahar port next month | work=The Indian Express | agency=Press Trust of India | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/india-to-export-usd-150-mn-rails-for-chabahar-port-next-month-2857029/ | access-date=1 October 2024}} to build US$1.6 billion Chabahar–Zahedan railway by India's Ircon International, for which India pledged additional US$400 million and Iran has also allocated US$125 million in December 2016, thus taking the total allocation to US$575 million (out of US$1.6 billion needed) till the end of 2016.{{cite news | date=24 December 2016 | title=$125m for Chabahar-Zahedan Railroad | work=Financial Tribune | url=https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-domestic-economy/56102/125m-for-chabahar-zahedan-railroad | access-date=1 October 2024}}

File:990805-Chabahar-IMG 6094-2.jpg

{{Main|Port of Chabahar}}

File:chabahar port night veiw.jpeg

India is helping develop the Chabahar Port, which will give it access to the oil and gas resources in Iran and the Central Asian states. By doing so, India hopes to compete with the Chinese, who are building Gwadar Port on the other side of the border in Pakistan's Balochistan Province. In 2014, Indian government sanctioned an initial amount US$85 million for the development of Chabahar port. By 2016, as sanctions against Iran were being lifted after the nuclear deal, Indian investment plans had risen to US$500 million.{{cite news | url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/05/31/indias-500-million-bet-on-iran/ | title=India's $500 Million Bet on Iran | work=Foreign Policy | access-date=22 July 2016}}

In turn, Iran will get its first deepwater port, to allow it to conduct global trade with big cargo ships rather than the small ships its ports can currently handle, thus putting an end to its reliance on the United Arab Emirates as a shipping intermediary. On top of that, Chabahar shall be used for transshipment to Central Asia, while keeping the port of Bandar Abbas as a major hub mainly for trade with Russia and Europe.

India and Iran have entered into an agreement to provide preferential treatment and tariff reductions at Chabahar for Indian goods destined for Central Asia.

Interest in Chabahar port's project renewed once US-sponsored economic isolation of Iran was relieved, and benefits from the resurgent Indian economy. Along with Bandar Abbas, Chabahar is the Iranian entrepot on the north–south corridor. A strategic partnership between India, Iran and Russia is intended to establish a multi-modal transport link connecting Mumbai with St. Petersburg, providing Europe and the former Soviet republics of Central Asia access to Asia and vice versa.

India and Iran are discussing building a gas pipeline between the two countries along the bed of the Arabian Sea to bypass Pakistan, using the Chabahar port. Both the countries are pondering the delivery of natural gas produced in Turkmenistan with Indian assistance to north Iran while the Islamic Republic will send natural gas from its southern deposits to Indian consumers. This pipeline is conceived by India to replace the proposed Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline, the negotiations for which have dragged on due to the worsening of relations between India and Pakistan.{{cite news | url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=220189 | title=Iran, India discuss building underwater gas pipeline | work=Tehran Times | access-date=25 December 2010}}

The city is on the Makran Coast of the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, and is officially designated as a "Free Trade and Industrial Zone" by the Iranian government. Due to its free-trade zone status, the city has increased in significance in international trade.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

The county of Chabahar has hot, humid weather in the summer and warm weather in the winter, giving it a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). The western winds in the winter bring about scattered rainfalls in this region, and very occasionally winds from the Indian monsoon affect the region, as in July 1976 when {{convert|46.6|mm|in|1}} fell.{{cite web | url=http://www.chaharmahalmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/sis/CHABAHAR/25.asp | title=اداره کل هواشناسی استان چهارمحال و بختیاری | language=ar | website=chaharmahalmet.ir}} In most years around {{convert|100|mm|in|1}} will fall; however a positive Indian Ocean Dipole in 1997/1998 led to a record total of {{convert|470|mm|in|1}}; in contrast between July 2000 and June 2002 only {{convert|57.5|mm|in|1}} fell in two years. The summer monsoon winds from the Indian subcontinent make Chabahar the coolest southern port in the summer and the warmest port of Iran in the winter.{{cn|date=May 2021}} It has an average maximum temperature of 34 °C and an average minimum temperature of 21.5 °C. It has the same latitude as Miami in Florida, United States, and temperatures are very similar to those in Miami.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

{{Weather box

|location = Chabahar (1991–2020, extremes 1963–2020)

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|collapsed = Y

|Jan record high C = 33.2

|Feb record high C = 33.0

|Mar record high C = 38.0

|Apr record high C = 42.0

|May record high C = 46.0

|Jun record high C = 45.2

|Jul record high C = 47.0

|Aug record high C = 42.4

|Sep record high C = 42.0

|Oct record high C = 41.4

|Nov record high C = 37.0

|Dec record high C = 32.0

|Jan high C = 24.3

|Feb high C = 25.1

|Mar high C = 27.1

|Apr high C = 30.3

|May high C = 33.0

|Jun high C = 33.7

|Jul high C = 32.5

|Aug high C = 31.3

|Sep high C = 31.3

|Oct high C = 31.4

|Nov high C = 29.2

|Dec high C = 26.2

|Jan mean C = 20.7

|Feb mean C = 21.8

|Mar mean C = 23.9

|Apr mean C = 27.1

|May mean C = 30.1

|Jun mean C = 31.2

|Jul mean C = 30.3

|Aug mean C = 29.1

|Sep mean C = 28.7

|Oct mean C = 27.9

|Nov mean C = 25.2

|Dec mean C = 22.3

|Jan low C = 16.6

|Feb low C = 17.9

|Mar low C = 20.5

|Apr low C = 24.0

|May low C = 27.2

|Jun low C = 29.0

|Jul low C = 28.7

|Aug low C = 27.6

|Sep low C = 26.6

|Oct low C = 24.4

|Nov low C = 20.9

|Dec low C = 17.9

|Jan record low C = 7.0

|Feb record low C = 7.0

|Mar record low C = 9.6

|Apr record low C = 14.0

|May record low C = 16.0

|Jun record low C = 22.0

|Jul record low C = 21.0

|Aug record low C = 19.0

|Sep record low C = 19.0

|Oct record low C = 13.2

|Nov record low C = 9.0

|Dec record low C = 7.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 35.1

|Feb precipitation mm = 7.3

|Mar precipitation mm = 18.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 2.1

|May precipitation mm = 0.0

|Jun precipitation mm = 9.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 3.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 1.0

|Sep precipitation mm = 0.1

|Oct precipitation mm = 5.7

|Nov precipitation mm = 9.6

|Dec precipitation mm = 23.7

|Jan sun = 248

|Feb sun = 233

|Mar sun = 245

|Apr sun = 271

|May sun = 300

|Jun sun = 250

|Jul sun = 188

|Aug sun = 209

|Sep sun = 243

|Oct sun = 277

|Nov sun = 266

|Dec sun = 258

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 2.4

|Feb precipitation days = 1.0

|Mar precipitation days = 1.6

|Apr precipitation days = 0.3

|May precipitation days = 0.0

|Jun precipitation days = 0.2

|Jul precipitation days = 0.3

|Aug precipitation days = 0.2

|Sep precipitation days = 0.0

|Oct precipitation days = 0.2

|Nov precipitation days = 0.6

|Dec precipitation days = 1.4

|Jan humidity = 62

|Feb humidity = 68

|Mar humidity = 74

|Apr humidity = 76

|May humidity = 78

|Jun humidity = 81

|Jul humidity = 81

|Aug humidity = 82

|Sep humidity = 81

|Oct humidity = 77

|Nov humidity = 66

|Dec humidity = 61

|year humidity = 73.9

|source 1 =NOAA NCEI,{{cite web | title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020 | url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Iran/CSV/Chahbahar_40898.csv | website=ncei.noaa.gov | publisher=NOAA | access-date=17 March 2024 | format=CSV}} (extrems before 1991{{cite web | url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/IR/40898.TXT | title=Chahbahar Climate Normals 1963–1990 | publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101002224/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/IR/40898.TXT | archive-date=2020-11-01 | url-status=dead | access-date=December 29, 2012}})

|date=October 2014}}

File:Along the shore... در امتداد کرانه - panoramio.jpg

A $500 million resort is planned to be built in Chabahar.{{cite web | url=https://financialtribune.com/articles/people-travel/66185/500m-tourist-resort-planned-in-chabahar | title=$500m Tourist Resort Planned in Chabahar | date=11 June 2017 | website=Financial Tribune}}

File:000401-IMG E7394-2.jpg|Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:000401-IMG E7382-2.jpg|Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:000320-IMG 0095.jpg|Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:000320-IMG 0092-FerdowsHotel.jpg|Ferdows Hotel, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:000320-IMG 0088-CFZ.jpg|The statue of Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:000113-Beris-Pan1-2.jpg|Beris port, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:Porota making 20210602.jpg

File:000208-BeachWithArya-IMG E3625-2.jpg

File:Chabahar, Iran 2021.jpg|Elevated cliff beaches in suburbs of Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:Lipar Pink Wetland, Chabahar, Iran.jpg|The Lipar Pink Wetland, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:991102-Pozm-IMG E2962.jpg|Pozm Beach, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:991119-Phytoplankton-IMG 6606.jpg|Planktons, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:Luminescent beaches in Chabahar3.jpg|Planktons, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6071-2.jpg|Comb beach, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6057-2.jpg|Comb beach, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6050-2.jpg|Sany beaches of Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6039-2.jpg|Elevated cliff beaches of Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6020-2.jpg|Marine Chiton, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6034-2.jpg|Jelly fishes, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6019-2.jpg|Marine chitons, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6013-2.jpg|Rocky Beach, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 6006-2.jpg|Rocky Beach, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 5988-2.jpg|Darya Koochak, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:990804-Chabahar-IMG 5997-2.jpg|Rocky Beach, Chabahar Free Zone, Iran

File:Chabahar-Post-Office.jpg

File:Post-Office.jpg

• Free Trade Zones in Iran
• International University of Chabahar
• Makran
• Chabahar Space Base

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{{Reflist}}

• http://www.iranchamber.com/people/articles/cultural_anthropology_of_baluchis.php
• https://web.archive.org/web/20141215001158/http://www.freezones.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=263

{{Authority control}}

{{Sistan and Baluchestan Province|state=collapsed}}

{{Chabahar County|state=collapsed}}

Category:Cities in Sistan and Baluchestan province

Category:Economy of Iran

Category:Gulf of Oman

Category:Populated places in Chabahar County

Category:Port cities and towns in Iran