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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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