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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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