Bushehr

City in Bushehr province, Iran

"Bushir" redirects here. For the village in Hormozgan province, see Bushir, Hormozgan.

For the administrative divisions, see Bushehr province and Bushehr County.

City in Iran

Bushehr

Persian: بوشهر

City

Panoramic, Clock tower at night, Malek Palace, Amiriya Mansion, Saadat school

Bushehr

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Bushehr

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Bushehr

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Coordinates: 28°55′35″N 50°51′05″E﻿ / ﻿28.92639°N 50.85139°E﻿ / 28.92639; 50.85139[1][2]
Country| Iran
Province| Bushehr
County| Bushehr
District| Central
Government

• Mayor| Hossein Heydari
Elevation

| 18 m (59 ft)
Population

(2016)[3]

• City

| 223,504
• Metro

| 398,581
Time zone| UTC+3:30 (IRST)
Climate| BSh
Website| www.bushehrcity.ir/en
www.bushehrcity.ir

Bushehr (Persian: بوشهر; [buːˈʃe(h)ɾ] ⓘ)[a] is a port city in the Central District of Bushehr County, Bushehr province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county and the district.[5]

## Etymology

[edit]

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.[6][7] [1].

## History

[edit]

### Origins

[edit]

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.[6] 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.[7]

### Rise

[edit]

In 1734, Iranian military commander Nader Shah made Bushehr (then still a minor fishing village) the headquarters of the Persian Gulf fleet that he sought to create.[7][6] 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 and 1753, the Dutch East India Company operated a trading post in Bushehr.[6]

In 1763 the Arab ruler of Bushehr Sheikh Nasr Al-Madhkur granted the British East India Company the right to build a base and trading post there. It was used as a base by the British Royal Navy in the late 18th century. In the 19th century, Bushehr became an important commercial port. It was occupied by British forces in 1856, during the Anglo-Persian War 1856-1857. Bushehr surrendered to the British on 9 December 1856.

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.[6]

### The main commercial port of Iran

[edit]

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 (r. 1751–1779), who had established his authority in western Iran.[6][7]

Map of Bushehr and surrounding areas in 1923

## Demographics

[edit]

### Language

[edit]

Linguistic composition of the city.[8]

| Bushehr, Iran linguistic composition

language |  | percent
Mixed |

| 42.4%
Bushehri |

| 25%
Luri |

| 23.4%
Arabic |

| 2.23%
Koroshi Balochi |

| 0.05%

### Population

[edit]

Population historyYear| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1956 | 18,412| —
1966 | 23,547| +27.9%
1976 | 58,956| +150.4%
1986 | 120,787| +104.9%
1991 | 132,824| +10.0%
1996 | 143,641| +8.1%
2006 | 161,674[10]| +12.6%
2011 | 195,222[11]| +20.8%
2016 | 223,504[3]| +14.5%
Source: [9]

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 161,674 people in 25,158 households.[10] The census in 2011 counted 195,222 people in 52,204 households.[11] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 223,504 people in 63,820 households.[3]

## Climate

[edit]

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.

Climate data for Bushehr (1991–2020)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 30.0
(86.0)  | 32.0
(89.6)  | 38.0
(100.4)  | 42.5
(108.5)  | 47.0
(116.6)  | 48.6
(119.5)  | 50.0
(122.0)  | 47.0
(116.6)  | 46.0
(114.8)  | 41.0
(105.8)  | 35.4
(95.7)  | 32.0
(89.6)  | 50.0
(122.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 20.0
(68.0)  | 21.1
(70.0)  | 24.4
(75.9)  | 29.6
(85.3)  | 34.2
(93.6)  | 35.8
(96.4)  | 37.1
(98.8)  | 37.7
(99.9)  | 36.4
(97.5)  | 33.2
(91.8)  | 27.2
(81.0)  | 22.3
(72.1)  | 29.9
(85.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | 15.7
(60.3)  | 16.8
(62.2)  | 19.9
(67.8)  | 24.6
(76.3)  | 29.3
(84.7)  | 31.7
(89.1)  | 33.3
(91.9)  | 34.0
(93.2)  | 32.2
(90.0)  | 28.5
(83.3)  | 22.5
(72.5)  | 17.7
(63.9)  | 25.5
(77.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 12.2
(54.0)  | 13.4
(56.1)  | 16.3
(61.3)  | 21.1
(70.0)  | 25.9
(78.6)  | 28.6
(83.5)  | 30.4
(86.7)  | 30.7
(87.3)  | 28.1
(82.6)  | 24.1
(75.4)  | 18.4
(65.1)  | 14.0
(57.2)  | 21.9
(71.4)
Record low °C (°F)  | −1.0
(30.2)  | 2.5
(36.5)  | 5.0
(41.0)  | 8.0
(46.4)  | 14.0
(57.2)  | 18.0
(64.4)  | 21.0
(69.8)  | 22.0
(71.6)  | 17.0
(62.6)  | 12.0
(53.6)  | 5.0
(41.0)  | 2.0
(35.6)  | −1.0
(30.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 78.1
(3.07)  | 25.9
(1.02)  | 19.6
(0.77)  | 6.1
(0.24)  | 1.5
(0.06)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.5
(0.02)  | 0.4
(0.02)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 6.9
(0.27)  | 60.1
(2.37)  | 60.9
(2.40)  | 260.0
(10.24)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.3  | 3.2  | 2.8  | 1.7  | 0.4  | 0.0  | 0.1  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.6  | 3.7  | 4.3  | 22.1
Average relative humidity (%)  | 73.0  | 71.0  | 68.0  | 63.0  | 60.0  | 64.0  | 67.0  | 69.0  | 67.0  | 65.0  | 64.0  | 72.0  | 66.9
Average dew point °C (°F)  | 10.7
(51.3)  | 11.3
(52.3)  | 13.5
(56.3)  | 16.8
(62.2)  | 20.4
(68.7)  | 23.7
(74.7)  | 26.2
(79.2)  | 27.4
(81.3)  | 25.0
(77.0)  | 21.1
(70.0)  | 15.0
(59.0)  | 12.4
(54.3)  | 18.6
(65.5)
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 204  | 195  | 226  | 240  | 299  | 330  | 318  | 314  | 296  | 285  | 227  | 208  | 3,142
Source 1: NOAA[12]
Source 2: Iran Meteorological Organization (records)[13]

Climate data for Bushehr (1951–2010)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 30.0
(86.0)  | 32.0
(89.6)  | 38.0
(100.4)  | 42.5
(108.5)  | 47.0
(116.6)  | 48.6
(119.5)  | 50.0
(122.0)  | 47.0
(116.6)  | 46.0
(114.8)  | 41.0
(105.8)  | 34.5
(94.1)  | 32.0
(89.6)  | 50.0
(122.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 18.6
(65.5)  | 20.2
(68.4)  | 24.2
(75.6)  | 29.6
(85.3)  | 34.5
(94.1)  | 36.4
(97.5)  | 37.8
(100.0)  | 38.1
(100.6)  | 36.6
(97.9)  | 32.9
(91.2)  | 26.6
(79.9)  | 21.0
(69.8)  | 29.7
(85.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | 14.5
(58.1)  | 15.8
(60.4)  | 19.3
(66.7)  | 24.3
(75.7)  | 29.0
(84.2)  | 31.4
(88.5)  | 33.1
(91.6)  | 33.3
(91.9)  | 30.8
(87.4)  | 26.9
(80.4)  | 21.3
(70.3)  | 16.5
(61.7)  | 24.7
(76.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 10.3
(50.5)  | 11.4
(52.5)  | 14.4
(57.9)  | 18.9
(66.0)  | 23.6
(74.5)  | 26.3
(79.3)  | 28.4
(83.1)  | 28.4
(83.1)  | 25.1
(77.2)  | 20.9
(69.6)  | 16.0
(60.8)  | 12.0
(53.6)  | 19.6
(67.3)
Record low °C (°F)  | −1.0
(30.2)  | 2.5
(36.5)  | 5.0
(41.0)  | 8.0
(46.4)  | 14.0
(57.2)  | 18.0
(64.4)  | 21.0
(69.8)  | 22.0
(71.6)  | 17.0
(62.6)  | 12.0
(53.6)  | 5.0
(41.0)  | 2.0
(35.6)  | −1.0
(30.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 78.5
(3.09)  | 31.8
(1.25)  | 22.4
(0.88)  | 8.6
(0.34)  | 2.6
(0.10)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.3
(0.01)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 5.7
(0.22)  | 39.4
(1.55)  | 78.7
(3.10)  | 268.0
(10.55)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.9  | 3.4  | 3.1  | 1.7  | 0.4  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.5  | 2.7  | 5.3  | 22.0
Average relative humidity (%)  | 75  | 72  | 66  | 60  | 56  | 58  | 61  | 65  | 65  | 66  | 66  | 73  | 65
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 199.1  | 195.4  | 217.4  | 232.0  | 292.5  | 329.7  | 314.0  | 320.9  | 293.8  | 279.0  | 227.3  | 193.5  | 3,094.6
Source: Iran Meteorological Organization (records),[13] (temperatures),[14] (precipitation),[15] (humidity),[16] (days with precipitation),[17] (sunshine)[18]

## Nuclear development

[edit]

Main article: 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 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.[19]

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,[20] and was officially opened in a ceremony on 12 September 2011.[citation needed]

## See also

[edit]

Media related to Bushehr at Wikimedia Commons

Bushehr travel guide from Wikivoyage

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Also romanized as Būshehr; also known as Abu Shehr, Abuschehr, Bandar Abu Shehr, Bouchehr, Buschir, Busehr, and Bushire; also Bandar Bushehr and Bandar-e-Bushehr (بندر بوشهر), also romanized as Bandar Būshehr and Bandar-e Būshehr[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ OpenStreetMap contributors (25 August 2024). "Bushehr, Bakhsh-e-Markazi of Bushehr County, Bushehr County, Bushehr Province, Iran" (Map). OpenStreetMap (in Persian). Retrieved 25 August 2024.
2. ^ "WVG2+HH2 Bushehr, Bushehr Province, Iran" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
3. ^ a b c سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1395 : استان بوشهر [General Population and Housing Census 2016: Bushehr Province]. مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran] (in Persian). Archived from the original (Excel) on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2025.مرکز+آمار+ایرانCategory:Articles+containing+Persian-language+text+[Statistical+Centre+of+Iran]&rft.atitle=سرشماري+عمومي+نفوس+و+مسكن+1395+:+استان+بوشهر&rft_id=https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_18.xlsx&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bushehr" class="Z3988">
4. ^ Bushehr can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3057164" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
5. ^ Habibi, Hassan (12 September 1990) [تاریخ تصویب (Approval date) 1369/06/21 (Iranian Jalali calendar)]. ‌تصویب سازمان و سلسله تابعیت عناصر و واحدهای تقسیمات کشوری استان بوشهر به مرکزیت شهر بوشهر [‌Approval of the organization and the hierarchy of citizenship of the elements and units of the national divisions of Bushehr province with the city of Bushehr as its capital]. لام تا کام [Lam ta Kam] (in Persian). ‌وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior]. کمیسیون سیاسی دفاعی هیأت دولت [Political Defense Commission of the Government Board]. شناسه [ID] 51E6AB17-6790-42EF-804B-D38845E50FAD. شماره دوره [Course number] 69, شماره جلد [Volume number] 3. Archived from the original on 12 June 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2025.لام+تا+کامCategory:Articles+containing+Persian-language+text+[Lam+ta+Kam]&rft.atitle=‌تصویب+سازمان+و+سلسله+تابعیت+عناصر+و+واحدهای+تقسیمات+کشوری+استان+بوشهر+به+مرکزیت+شهر+بوشهر&rft.date=1990-09-12&rft.aulast=Habibi&rft.aufirst=Hassan&rft_id=https://lamtakam.com/law/council_of_ministers/116966&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bushehr" class="Z3988">
6. ^ a b c d e f Perry 2017.
7. ^ a b c d de Planhol 1990.
8. ^ "Language distribution: Bushehr Province". Iran Atlas. 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
9. ^ "Cities with a population of 100,000 and more (1956-2006 census)" (XLS). irandataportal.syr.edu. Iran data portal. p. 1. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
10. ^ a b سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1385 : استان بوشهر [General Population and Housing Census 2006: Bushehr Province]. مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran] (in Persian). Archived from the original (Excel) on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2025.مرکز+آمار+ایرانCategory:Articles+containing+Persian-language+text+[Statistical+Centre+of+Iran]&rft.atitle=سرشماري+عمومي+نفوس+و+مسكن+1385+:+استان+بوشهر&rft_id=http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/18.xls&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bushehr" class="Z3988">
11. ^ a b سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1390 : استان بوشهر [General Population and Housing Census 2011: Bushehr Province]. Iran Data Portal—Syracuse University (in Persian). مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran]. Archived from the original (Excel) on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
12. ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Bushehr (Coastal)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
13. ^ a b *"Highest record temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
* "Lowest record temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
14. ^ *"Average Maximum temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
* "Average Mean Daily temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
* "Average Minimum temperature in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
15. ^ "Monthly Total Precipitation in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
16. ^ "Average relative humidity in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
17. ^ "No. Of days with precipitation equal to or greater than 1 mm in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
18. ^ "Monthly total sunshine hours in Bushehr by Month 1951–2010". Iran Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
19. ^ Pike, John. "Bushehr - Iran Nuclear Reactor". www.globalsecurity.org.
20. ^ "Iranian nuclear power station 'begins generating electricity'". The Guardian. London. Reuters. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.

## Sources

[edit]

* Perry, John R. (2017). "Bushire". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (3rd ed.). Brill Online. ISSN 1873-9830.
* de Planhol, Xavier (1990). "Būšehr i. The City". Encyclopaedia Iranica.

## External links

[edit]

* Bushehr Travel Guide
* Bushehr, The Persian Gulf
* Bushehr's travel review
* https://www.citypopulation.de/mapinex.html

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

Geographic|

* Pleiades

Other|

* NARA
* Yale LUX

* v
* t
* e

Bushehr province, Iran

Capital|

* Bushehr

Counties and cities|

| Asaluyeh County|

* Asaluyeh
* Nakhl Taqi

|

Bushehr County|

* Bushehr
* Ali Shahr
* Choghadak
* Kharg

Dashtestan County|

* Borazjan
* Ab Pakhsh
* Dalaki
* Kalameh
* Sadabad
* Shabankareh
* Tang-e Eram
* Vahdatiyeh

Dashti County|

* Khormuj
* Kaki
* Shonbeh

Deylam County|

* Bandar Deylam
* Imam Hassan

Deyr County|

* Bandar Deyr
* Abdan
* Bardestan
* Bord Khun

Ganaveh County|

* Bandar Ganaveh
* Bandar Rig

Jam County|

* Jam
* Riz

Kangan County|

* Bandar Kangan
* Bandar Siraf
* Bank

Tangestan County|

* Ahram
* Delvar

Landmarks|

* Ghavam water tank (Ab Anbar of Ghavam)
* Khourmoj fire temple
* Boraazjan Castle
* Siraf
* Seensiz
* Rishahr
* Chehelkhaneh cave
* Bardak Siah Palace
* Saadat Mozaffari School
* Rais Ali Museum
* Bushehr anthropology Museum
* Gur-e-Dokhtar

populated places|

* List of cities, towns and villages in Bushehr Province

* v
* t
* e

Bushehr County

Capital|

* Bushehr

Districts|

| Central|

| Cities|

* Bushehr
* Choghadak

|

Rural Districts
and villages|

| Angali|

* Ahsham-e Hasan
* Askari
* Haft Jush
* Hamud
* Hasan Nezam
* Heydari
* Koreh Band
* Mohammad Shahi
* Mohrezi
* Nowkar-e Gazi
* Nowkar-e Mokhi
* Qaleh-ye Sukhteh
* Rostami
* Zardaki-ye Olya

|

Howmeh|

* Abtavil
* Ahmadi
* Ali Shahr
* Bandargah
* Bushehr Industrial Estate 2
* Chah Kutah
* Doveyreh
* Halileh
* Hoseynaki
* Jazireh-ye Shif
* Nuclear Power Plant, Bushehr
* Qaleh-ye Chah Kutah
* Sarmal
* Tol Siah
* Tol-e Ashki

Kharg|

| Cities|

* Kharg

|

Rural Districts
and villages|

* none

* v
* t
* e

Provincial capitals of Iran

* Ahvaz
* Arak
* Ardabil
* Bandar Abbas
* Birjand
* Bojnord
* Bushehr
* Gorgan
* Hamadan
* Ilam
* Isfahan
* Karaj
* Kerman
* Kermanshah
* Khorramabad
* Mashhad
* Qazvin
* Qom
* Rasht
* Sanandaj
* Sari
* Semnan
* Shahr-e Kord
* Shiraz
* Tabriz
* Tehran
* Urmia
* Yasuj
* Yazd
* Zahedan
* Zanjan

*[r.]: reigned
*[Pop.]: Population
*[±%]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template