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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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