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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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Travel Tips in Dubai United Arab Emirates!
