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.

For detailed information on the various Sharjah towns, please visit the East Coast page.