ES 2 - GEOGRAPHY.pdf

ES2- Geography of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates - Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUiJQvUC P00 Questions to Consider 1. “Geography is the mother of politics.” Explain. 2. Why does the geography of a country determine its fate? 3. What basic features should be taken into a...

ES2- Geography of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates - Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUiJQvUC P00 Questions to Consider 1. “Geography is the mother of politics.” Explain. 2. Why does the geography of a country determine its fate? 3. What basic features should be taken into account when studying the geography of any country? 4. What are the natural geographical features of the UAE? How did they determine its fate?How did they affect it politically,economically and socially? 5. How did the UAE geography contribute to the success of unification? What does Geography have to do with politics? Political geography looks at how governments and countries are affected by their location. The relationship between politics and places If you’ve got a map of the world, it probably comes labeled with the borders of countries. Unlike rivers and mountains, these aren’t a part of the landscape, but they are a huge part of the way we look at the world - and that means they are important to geographers. Is geography related to politics? Political geography is the study of how humans have divided up the Earth's surface for management and control purposes. Political geography looks at a huge number of different elements in the relationship between politics and places. Examples include: How boundaries between countries, states, or counties are made Whether the size of a country affects how powerful it is How the way natural resources are distributed around the world affects trade and war And it’s not just theoretical: political geography has practical applications in things like the design of constituencies for elections. Geographical Features of the UAE Location: The UAE is situated in the Arabian Gulf. Borders: It is bordered by the Gulf from the north and northwest, by Qatar from the west & KSA from the West and South,the Sultanate of Oman and the Gulf of Oman from the East. UAE’s coastline is 644 km stretching from the Qatar Peninsula in the west, to Ras Musandam in the east. It comprises the of the 7 Emirates of Abu Dhabi (86.77%) of the total area, Dubai ( 5%) Sharjah( 3.3%), Ajman (.77% ) ,Umm al- Quwain (1%), Ras Al Khaimah (2.2%) & Fujairah (1.5%) with a 90 km coastline along the Gulf of Oman. Geographical Features of the UAE Area:The total area of the UAE is 77,700 square kms,and the total area of the State including the islands amounts to 83,600 sq.km. It is the third largest in area among the GCC countries after KSA & Oman. Features: a) Internal Desert :Most of the country is desert land, particularly the internal Eastern areas. b) The Oases:There are some well known oases such as Al- Ain and surrounding areas. The underground water is formed because of Jabal Hafeet (1220 ft).Its water is distributed Geographical Features of the UAE Through an irrigation network called aflaj which reaches the slopes of the northern area in RAK. c) Mountain Series: Another mountain series known as Jabal Hafeet and Jabal al-Hajar which reaches 80 km. crossing Oman and dividing Musandam Peninsula d) Coastal Areas:. Most of the coastal areas are sandy, with the exception of the mountainous Musandam Peninsula. The Gulf regional water is generally shallow, with an average depth of 35 m. apart from the Hormuz Straits where the depth is 145 m, the deepest in the area. Geographical Features of the UAE The water in the Gulf is the hottest in the world, it could reach 45 degrees. In spite of the water’s high salinity, it is rich with fish. Coral reefs,which are rich in shells of pearls, are found in the Gulf but sometimes form a hindrance to navigation The UAE comprises hundreds of islands spread along the Gulf, 200 of which belong to Abu Dhabi, the most important are Das, Delma & Um al-Nar.Another important island lie near RAK like Tonb Assogra & Tonb al Kubra. Geographical Features of the UAE The UAE climate lies within the dry tropical area extending across Asia and North Africa. It has excessive heat and increased humidity in summer but has varied temperatures in coastal & hilly areas. Rainfall is little, but the amount of evaporation is 20 times the amount of rainfall due to excessive heat. Rain increases in the hilly and mountainous areas. According to monthly average rainfall, the Emirates climate has two seasons: o The Rainy season (Winter) (October to March ) o Summer season (April to September) The Emirates of the State 1. Abu Dhabi Its area is 67340 sq. km, equal to (86.77%) of the State’s total area, excluding the islands. It is the capital & an island with an area of 60 sq. km. 70% of its land is desert land. The capital of the eastern side is Al Ain. 200 islands belong to the Emirates, the most famous is Bani Yas which is converted to a natural reservation.  The most attractive places in Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Louvre Abu Dhabi Emirates Palace Corniche Beach 2. Dubai Dubai is fringed by the Gulf coast from the West, stretching along for 72 km. It is bordered by the Gulf from the West, Sharjah from the North and East, and Abu Dhabi from the South. Its area is about 3885 sq. km.(about 5% of the total area of the UAE.) The bay divides the city into 2 parts: Bur Dubai and Deira, linked together by Al Maktoom Bridge, Al Garhoud Bridge and Shandaga Tunnel. The most attractive places in Dubai Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain The Dubai Mall Palm Jumeirah Dubai Marina 3. Sharjah is situated in a central location. Its coastal border with the Gulf extends for 16 km. and stretches deep for 80 km. Kelba, Khor Fakkan and Dibba lie on the Gulf of Oman and belong to Sharjah. Sharjah’s area is 2590 sq. kms. and represents 3.3% of the state, excluding the islands. The most attractive places in Sharjah Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization Al Noor Island Sharjah Arts Museum Sharjah Aquarium 4. Ajman Ajman is the smallest emirate. Its area is just 620 square kilometres. It is located on the Arabian Gulf. It controls 2 small inland enclaves Manama and Masfut. Both are primarily agricultural. The most attractive places in Ajman Ajman Museum Ajman Corniche Al Zorah Natural Reserve Ajman Beach 5. Umm al-Quwain Lies on the Arabian Gulf extending 24 km between the West of Sharjah & the East of Ras al-Khaimah. Its total area is 777 square kms as (1%) of the total area of the UAE, excluding the islands. Its land extends 32 kilometres inside the desert. Filj al-Mualla is an agricultural area  The most attractive places in 5. Umm al-Quwain Dreamland Aqua Park UAQ Marine Club UAQ Fort and Museum Al Sinniyah Island ‫جزيرة السينية‬ 6. Ras Al- Khaimah Lies between 25 and 26 latitude north and 55 and 60 degrees longitude East. Its total area is 1684 sq.km. equal to (2.2%)of the total area of the UAE. It is situated on the farthest end of the Eastern part of the Arab World. It is 64 km long on the Arabian Gulf. It has a long border with Oman in the South and North East. A number of islands in the Gulf belong to it. The most attractive places in 6. RasAl-Khaimah Jebel Jais (highest peak in UAE) Al Marjan Island National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah  7. Fujairah Lies on the Eastern Coast, and extends 90 km on the Gulf of Oman bordering Ras al-Khaimah and the Sultanate of Oman. Its total area is 1165 sq.kms about (1.5%) of the total area of the UAE. It comprises of rough mountains lying between the Gulf of Oman and the Batnah Plain which is considered the most fertile area in the State. It contains several valleys of which Siji Valley & Ham Valley are the most famous.  The most attractive places in Fujairah Al Bidya Mosque (oldest mosque in the UAE) Fujairah Fort Fujairah Museum Snoopy Island for snorkeling How did the mineral wealth of the UAE affect the economy of the country? UAE is a country that is located in the middle east of the world and is bordered by the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. The country has a total land area of 83,600 km sq. Has a coastline of 1,318 km. Most of the cost consists of the salt pans that extend far inland. North of emerges consists of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is part of the Gulf of Oman that is a desert and semi-desert ecoregion. South of Abu Dhabi has vast rolling sand dunes and the climate is very hot and sunny. The month of July and august have temperatures that reach above 50° C. Due to which water resources are rare as compared to the oil and natural gas resources. 95% of the UAE's economy is based on exports. Apart from that tourism is also one of the biggest sectors that contributes to the economy. Exercise Imagine you are a geographer tasked with creating a sustainable development plan for a rapidly growing city in the UAE. What geographical factors would you consider in your plan, and how would you address potential challenges?