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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. |
