Sharjah is the only Emirate to have land on both the
Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The
Emirate covers approximately 2,600 square kilometers.
In
addition to Sharjah City which is located on the three
mile deep subkhat (salt) strip along the coast, the
Emirate has three provinces on the Batinah (the East
Coast), Hisn Dibba, Khor Fakkan and Kalba, plus the
Islands of Abu Mousa and Sir Abu Nu'air.
The
Batinah consists of the spectacular, rugged Hajar mountains
rising in places to 2,500 feet, intersected by sheer
sided wadis, with gravel beds and rich soil.
Beautiful
sandy beaches and the clear blue Indian Ocean have made
this coast a haven for diving, fishing and relaxing.
The
towns of Dibba and Khor Fakkan have grown steadily with
modernization gently nudging out the traditional ways,
fortunately not completely.
Khor
Kalba, the southern most tip of the UAE's Indian Ocean
coastline ends in an extensive mangrove marsh which
has recently been designated as a Nature Reserve for
several endangered species.
The
hinterland is a red sand desert with impressive dunes,
becoming a gravel plain along the eastern border which
runs along the line of the foothills. This fertile,
well watered area, rich in gardens and natural shrub
is interspersed by innumerable wadis (steep sided dry
valleys) running East to West. There are many small
villages in this area where people still live in the
traditional manner.
An
excellent area for 'wadi bashing' but beware of flash
floods in times of heavy rainfall!
Al
Dhaid, the peaceful falaj based palm oasis in the center
of the Emirate is the third largest town and producer
of the renowned Al Dhaid strawberries, in addition to
many other fruits and vegetables.
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