Kish Free Zone Organization

The Genesis of the Island and its Geological Structure

About 200 million years ago, following the movements of continental plates and their pressure together that was accompanied the folding and orogeny phenomenon, the Arabian Peninsula with the African continental plate moved towards the north, and as a result, (about 65 million years ago) was separated from Africa and were connected to Asia.
Pressure caused by the movement that entered the southwest to Iran, are causing massive folds in this part of the plateau in form of Zagros mountains and its mountain ranges arose perpendicular to the pressure, that is in the northwest - southeast. The maximum height of the Zagros Mountains, the result of this orogenic movement, is Dena peak with an altitude of 4409 meters in Kohgiluyeh Pierre Bou Ahmed. The height of Zagros Mountains of Mount Dena gradually reduced in the Persian Gulf, its remaining are hidden underwater in deep waters of the Persian Gulf to the folds. Kish Island and other islands of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf are part of the anticline this fold and are belong to the Zagros structures. Hendorabi and Lavan islands in the northwest and southeast are of other Zagros structural anticline close to it.
After the formation, Kish was submerged little deep of water with changing and rising water levels (sometimes it was very long) of Persian Gulf. The relative warmth of this period, little depth and plenty of light and other favorable environmental conditions, make the most appropriate platform for growth of corals, fish and reefs, shellfish and other aquatic animals ( on the island sinking in water). And over time, a compact layer of remains of their calcareous shell create limestone reef on the island.