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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.
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