The Persian Gulf is an extension of the Gulf of Oman. It is located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. The Persian Gulf has ample fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pearl oysters.
The countries around the Persian Gulf are sometimes known as the Gulf States. They are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. Most of these countries have significant reserves of crude oil.
In 1991, the Persian Gulf was the background for what was called the Persian Gulf War (or "The Gulf War"), when Iraq invaded Kuwait and was subsequently expelled by American forces.