Sharjah

Sharjah
Climate diagram
	Temperature in ° C , precipitation in mm
	Source: wetterkontor.de

الشارقة; Sharjah
Coordinates	25 ° 21 ' N , 55 ° 24' E Coordinates: 25 ° 21 ' N , 55 ° 24' E
Symbols
	flag
	flag
Basic data
Country	United Arab Emirates
emirate	Sharjah
ISO 3166-2	AE-SH
height	3 m
surface	235 km²
Residents	1,274,749 (2015-07-01)
density	5,424.5 Ew. / km²
Telephone code	(+971) 06
Website	www.sharjah.ae
	Sharjah, May 2007

Sharja City in the northwest of the emirate

Sharjah ( Arabic الشارقة, DMG aš-Šāriqa , high Arabic pronunciation asch-Schāriqa , locally asch-Schārdscha ; alternative spelling Shariqah , English Sharjah ) is the capital of the emirate of the same name Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Sharjah, located on the Persian Gulf in the largest sub-territory of the Emirate of Sharjah between the cities of Dubai and Ajman in a joint agglomeration, was, according to a resolution of the Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ISESCO), a sub-organization of the Islamic World League , “Capital of Islamic Culture 2014 ".

The city is growing steadily, at the beginning of 2009 with around 800,000 people, over 90% of the emirate's inhabitants lived here. In July 2015, 1,274,749 people lived in the city on an area of 235 km². Such growth rates can otherwise only be observed in underdeveloped and very poor regions. As a result, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, has slipped into third place, after Dubai and Sharjah. The city is thus facing gigantic infrastructure challenges, which will make it almost imperative to expand the city further in a south-westerly direction.

It houses the main administrative and commercial centers and also has a number of projects to preserve local traditions and culture, including several museums. In the area of the so-called Heritage Area, a relatively large number of buildings in the traditional style have been preserved. Architectural landmarks are the two covered souks in Arabic style. The city is also known for its many mosques , one of the most famous being the new an-Nur Mosque in the traditional Ottoman-Turkish style . There has also been a Russian Orthodox Church there since 2011 .

Glance into the souq

With the onset of vigorous urban growth around 1990, which is also a consequence of the extremely strong growth in Dubai, which is only 15 kilometers away, Sharjah undertook a radical redesign of the entire urban area. On the still largely uninhabited areas to the south-west, three contiguous artificial sea bays were created, on whose intermediate areas and small islands, but above all on whose approx. 13 km long new banks, the properties were significantly upgraded.

There is currently substantial investment in modern high-rise buildings. In the outskirts of the old city center and especially on the edge of the artificial sea bays, many new high-rises are growing or standing, e.g. B. the Al Ayaan Sharjah Gate Tower (224 m) or the Salam Tower (210 m).

traffic

The public transport system has long relied on private bus services without reliable timetables, and especially taxis. In order to cope with the increasing demand, the city administration is planning a new high-performance system of bus routes with a tight frequency.

The Sharjah International Airport (SHJ), 13 km east of the center, u. a. used by local low-cost airlines and the port of Bur Khalid connect the city with neighboring countries and the other emirates. The airport is quiet compared to the nearby Dubai International Airport . a. used by Lufthansa Cargo as a hub for the Near East, passenger flights only go to Western Europe very rarely. The airport is the main location of the state-owned low-cost airline Air Arabia , which flies to destinations throughout the Middle East, India and Southeast Europe.

Educational location

Sharjah has developed into an important educational location in the Gulf region through the establishment of two universities . The American University Sharjah (AUS) is located to the north on a green campus of approx. 6 km by 1 km, located southeast of the center, and the University of Sharjah (UOS), founded in 1997, is located to the south . Both universities are based on the American model: several colleges and institutes each for bachelor and / or master degrees . All buildings and facilities are built in a traditional Arabic style and equipped with the latest technology. In line with the huge demand for academics in the region, teaching is currently still in the foreground. In the long term, the expansion of research is also sought; there are ample reserves of space on the elongated site. In both universities, the proportion of women among students is already over 50%.

Economy, tourism

The people of Sharjah are still highly dependent on jobs in Dubai. It is estimated that around every second income of residents is generated in the neighboring emirate of Dubai, while living in Sharjah because of the lower rents. This tendency is likely to have reached its peak, because with the flattening boom in Dubai, Sharjah's quiet but steady growth is catching up. Hotels, office and commercial buildings, shopping centers and apartments are being built in the new urban development areas near the coast. Above all, jobs in the service sector and trade are created here.

The Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) is located south of the city center . Sharjah City is the seat of the natural gas company Dana Gas PJSC .

The tourism grows relatively unspectacular in the shadow of Dubai, one often undercuts the boom town priced at the same hotel services. The company's own range of special tourist destinations is still modest. As the first investment in tourist expansion, the "Sharjah Aquarium" opened on the historic Al Khan peninsula in autumn 2008. With 250 species, it provides a comparatively small but educational overview of the Marine fauna offers. The Sharjah Biennale has been held in Sharjah since 1993 .

Climate table

Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Sharjah

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C )	24.2	25.2	28.8	34.0	38.5	40.8	42.2	41.7	39.8	36.0	30.9	26.2	O	34.1
Min. Temperature (° C)	12.1	12.7	15.3	18.3	21.9	24.6	27.5	27.7	24.3	20.6	16.4	13.5	O	19.6

Precipitation ( mm )	10	35	33	8th	1	0	0	0	0	0	5	16	Σ	108

Hours of sunshine ( h / d )	7.9	8.1	8.3	9.8	11.3	11.6	10.7	10.5	10.2	9.7	9.2	7.9	O	9.6

Rainy days ( d )	3	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	Σ	9

Water temperature (° C)	22nd	21st	23	25th	27	30th	31	32	32	30th	27	25th	O	27.1

Humidity ( % )	69	68	64	56	51	56	54	57	62	64	64	69	O	61.1

Source: wetterkontor.de

Web links

Commons : Sharjah - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

[1] Dubai Times: Sharjah

[2] First Russian Orthodox Church on the Arabian Peninsula inaugurated