Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brookyln, New York on February 17, 1963. He was the fourth of five children born to James and Deloris. James Jordan was a mechanic and Deloris Jordan was a bank teller. Soon after Michael's birth, James and Deloris felt that the streets of Brooklyn were unsafe to raise a family, so they moved the family to Wilmington, North Carolina.

As a youngster, Michael immediately became interested in sports. However, it was baseball not basketball that was his first love. He would play catch in the yard with his father, who loved baseball. He soon started to play basketball to try and follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Larry, whom he idolized growing up.

At Laney High School, as a sophomore, he decided to try out for the varsity team but was cut because he was raw and undersized. The following summer, he grew four inches and practiced tirelessly. The hard work paid off as he averaged 25 points per game in his last two years and was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team as a senior.

Following high school, he earned a basketball scholarship from North Carolina University where he would play under legendary coach Dean Smith. In his first year, he was named ACC Freshman of the Year. He would help lead the Tarheels to the 1982 NCAA Championship, making the game-winning shot.

After winning the Naismith College Player of the Year award in 1984, Jordan decided to leave North Carolina to enter the NBA draft. Although he decided to leave college early, he would later return to the university in 1986 to complete his degree in geography.

In the 1984 NBA draft, he was selected with the third overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. As a rookie for the Bulls, he made an immediate impact, averaging an amazing 28.2 points a game, including six games where he scored 40+ points. He was selected to the NBA All-Star Game and named Rookie of the Year. This would just be the beginning of a career filled with awards and accolades. In the upcoming years, he would go on to win five regular season MVP awards, six NBA championships, six NBA finals MVP awards, three All-Star game MVP awards, and a defensive player of the year award.

In 1993, tragedy struck Jordan's seemingly perfect life. On July 23, 1993, his father, James, was murdered off Interstate 95 in North Carolina. Two locals had robbed him, shot him in the chest and threw his body in a swamp.

Three months later on October 6, 1993, following a run of three consecutive NBA championships, Jordan announced his retirement from basketball citing that "he no longer had the desire to play." Now "retired" at age 33, it was uncertain what Jordan would do next. Would he take a year off out of the public eye to grieve and then come back to the Bulls? Would he go out and look for a white collar job in the field of geography, his college major? Or would he take up a completely different hobby like golf?

In early 1994, Jordan decided to take up a new hobby alright. However, it wasn't golf. It was baseball. Despite not playing baseball since high school some 13 years ago, he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox in 1994. He played one unspectacular season for the Double-A Birmingham Barons.

On March 18, 1995, Jordan, a man of few words since his retirement, sent two important words to media sources everywhere: "I'm Back". He celebrated his return to the NBA by doing what he always did best: winning. Although the Bulls would lose in the playoffs to the Orlando Magic, it was obvious that Jordan was still the same superstar player. He would go on to lead the Bulls to three more consecutive NBA championships and etch his place in the history as the "NBA's greatest player of all-time".

On January 13, 1999, Jordan re-announced his retirement, saying that "he was 99.9 percent sure that he would never play again". Soon after, Jordan became part owner of the Washington Wizards.

Near the start of the 2001-02 season, there were hints that Jordan may try another comeback to the NBA. On September 25, 2001, Jordan confirmed those rumors, announcing that he would once again return to the NBA as a member of the Wizards. His two seasons in Washington were mediocre at best. His statistics were solid and he showed some flashes of his old self but he could not lead the Wizards to the playoffs and missed several games due to injury. He retired for good following the 2002-03 season and was subsequently dismissed as president of the Washington Wizards.

In June 2006, he became part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. Later that year, he filed for divorce from Juanita, his wife of 17 years. They have three children together.

Left: Pardis 1 (Flat Structure)
Right: Pardis 2
Kish Island
Persian Gulf, South of Iran

Kish Island has a unique situation in the strategic Persian Gulf region among tens of large and small islands. This island is so beautiful and attractive that it has become known as the Pearl of the Persian Gulf since ancient times.







Its calm coasts are covered with coral sands that shine in the sunlight, creating a unique and fascinating sight. The clear coastal waters allow one to view several meters deep into the sea and watch the beautiful movement of the fish. Diverse plants and native trees, as well as a pleasant climate seven months a year are among the outstanding characteristics of the island.



The island has attracted many tourists, travelers and writers throughout history due to these very characteristics. Among those who have written in praise of this island are Niarkhous, the Greek navy commander who traveled to Kish in 225 B.C., and wrote about its beautiful palm fields, Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta and Hamdullah Mostofi, as well as Ms. Fatemeh Al Ali the contemporary Kuwaiti writer who traveled to Kish in February 2002 and compared the island to a “gem on a king’s crown”.


Geography

Kish is lies between the 53 degrees and 53 minutes ,to 54 degrees and 4 minutes of the eastern longitude of the Greenwich Meridian, and 26 degrees and 29 minutes, and 26 degrees and 35 minutes of the northern latitude.



With an area of 90,547 square kilometers, the island is located only 18 km off the southern coast of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This beautiful oval-shaped island is 15 km long and seven km wide.



The map below shows the distance between Kish and a number of islands, ports, cities and the nearest country:



The distance from Kish to Tehran is 1052 km by air and 1600 km by land. Kish is at a distance of 1200 km from Isfahan, Iran’s historic and tourist destination city which attracts thousands of international visitors each year.


Topography

Kish is an almost flat island with an average altitude of 22 meters above the sea level. The highest region of the island (in the east) is 45 meters above the sea level. The island has shallow fissures formed as a result of erosion by heavy winter showers.

Climate

Temperature

Kish has a warm and humid climate with an average temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. The weather is temperate and pleasant in fall, winter and two months into the spring.


Humidity

The humidity is high in the majority of the months of the year. The humid season begins in mid April and continues for nine months.


Rain

Kish receives little and varying rainfall like in other parts of the Persian Gulf. The average annual rainfall in the island is 170 mm, 82 % of which falls in winter, 10 % in fall and the rest in spring and summer. The rain falls in the form of strong drizzle in spring and summer, and in small continuous drops in winter.


People

The native people of Kish are a combination of Iranians and Arab- Iranians of the country’s southern provinces, who had migrated to the island during its ancient times of prosperity. Thus they speak Farsi and Arabic. The complexion of the native people is dark and their physical characteristics are similar to those of the natives of the southern Iran. The majority of people are Sunni or Shiite Muslims who have established a strong link with each other throughout history.



Based on the census carried out in 2001, Kish has a population of 16501 comprising 4454 households. The increase in population is the result of the migration of Iranians from all parts of the country who come to work or invest in Kish. This has created considerable job opportunities and encouraged more migration to the island.



According to the programs envisaged for the Comprehensive Development Plan of Kish, in terms of urban infrastructure, public facilities and local resources, the island will be capable of providing for an estimated population of 200,000.



The island has a youthful population. Around 49.7% of the population is in the 25-64 age group, economically classified as active. The current population structure is a reflection of the inflow of job-seekers. With the ongoing development projects coming to fruition, the population structure is expected to normalize, approaching the patterns in other regions of the country.