From the timeless tranquility of the desert to the lively bustle of the
souk, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) offers a
kaleidoscope of attractions for visitors. In recent years, the country has rocketed to the forefront of the international tourism stakes.
Dubai has led the way with phenomenal investment in opulent hotels and infrastructure and is now firmly established as one of the world’s top short break and holiday destinations. But
Abu Dhabi is also developing fast, helped by its new airline,
Etihad, and several other emirates are following suit.
The space age image
of the UAE’s
modern cities is in marked contrast to its comparatively recent past prior to the advent of the oil industry, when these seven sheikdoms were a
sleepy backwater reliant on fishing and pearls.
Abu Dhabi City is a modern and sleek city, filled with
skyscrapers. The UAE’s capital, located on an island connected to the mainland by two bridges, is increasingly developing visitor attractions. And dazzling Dubai is a
tourism honeypot, with superb shopping and rich cultural life.
The UAE is a federation of seven states (emirates) - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain - formed in 1971 after independence from Britain.
GeographyThe Emirates are bordered to the north by the Gulf and the Musandam Peninsula, to the east by Oman, to the south and west by Saudi Arabia and to the northwest by Qatar. They comprise a federation of seven small former sheikhdoms. Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate, and the remainder (Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain) are known collectively as the Northern States. The land is mountainous and mostly desert.
Abu Dhabi is flat and sandy, and within its boundaries is the Buraimi Oasis. Dubai has a 16km (10-mile) deep-water creek, giving it the popular name of ‘Pearl of the Gulf’. Sharjah has a deep-water port on the Batinah coast at Khor Fakkan, facing the Indian Ocean. Ras al-Khaimah is the fourth emirate in size. Fujairah, one of the three smaller sheikhdoms on the Batinah coast, has agricultural potential, while Ajman and Umm al-Qaiwain were once small coastal fishing villages.
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