Bandar-e 'Abbas city in southern Iran, capital of Hormuzagan province, located on the northern shore of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), Bandar-e 'Abbas was developed as the country's major commercial port to replace Khorramshahr, which lies at the northen end of the Persian Gulf and which had been captured and occupied by Iraqi forces. By the 1990s, about 75 percent of Iranian imports through the Persian Gulf were off-loaded at Bandar-e 'Abbas. Next to the berths for international cargo ships are docks for local fishing craft, a large shipyard for repairing and building ships, and naval facilities. Bandar-e 'Abbas's major industries include cotton textile manufacturing, fish processing, refining, aluminum smelting, and steel milling. Outside the city, chromium, red oxide, salt, and sulfur are mined for export. A major natural gas field surrounds the offshore island of Hengam. Another nearby island, Qeshm, has been developed as a free trade zone. As the provincial capital, Bandar-e 'Abbas is also a local administrative center for several central government agencies and offices. The city is connected to Tehran and the rest of the country by air, rail, and road routes. Bandar-e 'Abbas is a modern city with few public tourist sites, although its bazaar is a popular attraction for shoppers. The island of Qeshm, across from Bandar-e 'Abbas in the Strait of Hormuz, has several old mosques, shrines, and cemeteries.
Bandar-e 'Abbas was founded by Shah Abbas I in 1623 as a port to compete with the Portuguese, who had established a trade center on the nearby island of Hormoz. From 1793 to 1868, Iran leased Bandar-e 'Abbas to Oman. Bandar-e 'Abbas was a small fishing port of about 17,000 people in 1955, prior to initial plans to develop it as a major harbor. By 1996, it had grown into a major city. Population (1996) 273,578.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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