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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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