Ras al-Khaimah
Ra's al -Khaimah (Arabic رأس الخيمة, DMG Ra ʾ s al - Haima, top of the tent ', often after the English transcription Ras Al Khaimah abbreviated to RAK or RAK) is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE ) exist.
The emirate, which consists of two territories, has a size of 1,684 km ², thus making 2.17% of the territory of the UAE. There live there according to an estimate by the end of 2008, approximately 231,000 inhabitants, an increase of about 5 % per year corresponds to the general growth in the UAE. The two sub- territories lie to the north and the center of the six Eastern Emirates. The emirate joined in 1972 as the seventh and last in the UAE. Ra's al -Khaimah now lives mainly from tourism, trade and agriculture. In the coastal plain are extensive, fertile orange and date plantations that are irrigated by spring water from the nearby mountains.
There are in Ra's al -Khaimah archaeological excavations, some of which date back to the ancient city of Julfar.
- 4.1 Mina Al Arab
- 4.2 Al Marjan Iceland
- 4.3 Al Hamra Village
History
The emirate was established by the tribe of the Qawasim and named after the port town, which is also the capital today. Since the end of the 18th century the port was used by the piratical living Qawasin as an important base. At the height of their power they controlled large parts of the Persian coast. Since the piracy, however, increasingly threatened the British shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean and particularly bothered trade in Oman, it came to military conflict with Britain. 1819 Ra's al -Khaimah was attacked and occupied by a British naval force.
After this defeat the Qawasim had under their Sultan ibn Saqr ( reign 1803-1866, with interruptions ) in 1820 to agree to a maritime peace with Great Britain, who assured the British protectorate over the southern Gulf Coast (of this contract is derived the name Trucial States from ). After the renewal of the contract (1853 ), the emirate Ras al -Khaimah came under British rule. After the death of Sultan ibn Saqr his territory was divided in 1869 into the two independent Emirates Sharjah and Ras al -Khaimah. From September 1900 to July 7, 1921 both Emirates were reunited; the last governor was then appointed as the new Emir of Ras al -Khaimah.
Under the ruling since 1948, Sheikh Saqr bin Muhammad al- Qasimi, the reigning longest head of state in the region, Ras al -Khaimah joined on 11 February 1972 as the seventh and final emirate of the former Trucial States to December 2 in 1971 after gaining independence of Great Britain incurred in the United Arab Emirates. In 1999, Khalid ibn Saqr took over al - Qasimi, the then crown prince and eldest son of Sheikh Saqr, the management of public affairs by his father, who gave health reasons this.
In 2003, instead of Sheikh Khalid was the fourth eldest son of Sheikh Saqr, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and appointed since been pursuing the affairs of state. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi was officially confirmed after his father's death on 27 October 2010 as a ruler.
Geography
The emirate is characterized by a more abundant relative to the other Emirates vegetation, which is made possible by the more frequent precipitation in the Al Hajar Mountains, which occupies large parts of the hinterland, and thus a higher water table. This allows for some intense and pronounced agriculture, mainly along the many rivers and dry in the coastal dry savannah, which is characteristic of the north. While in the south desert sand prevails with some big dunes which branch of the Rub al Khali are.
Protected lagoons along the coast provide a wide-ranging and diverse flora and fauna, which could, away from the strong sea currents, establish. These lagoons are often formed the basis for the establishment of a permanent settlement, because they were a safe haven for trade and fishing. For local birdlife and marine fauna they provide important refuge and recreation areas represents the vegetation of these lagoons is dominated by some quite large mangrove forests, which represent the most important ecosystem, further can be found in and around the preferably shallow waters salt marshes, tidal flats and low vegetation. These lagoons are at the same time but also a very endangered ecosystem as they are increasingly being filled up by the growing cities and settlements in order to gain new land. See, for example Mina Al Arab.
List of wadis
The following table shows the largest wadi in Ra's al -Khaimah.
List of lagoons
Along Ra's al - Khaimah coast there are several lagoons. These are in Arabic as Khor / خور / Haur ( English transliteration Khor or Khaur, paraphrase Creek ). In the following the four largest lagoons are enumerated:
Climate
Traffic
On international flights, the emirate is connected via the airport Ra's al -Khaimah. The housed there until its cessation on 31 December 2013 airline RAK Airways entertained flights to Europe, the Near East and the Indian subcontinent. The Inspectorate Department of Civil Aviation of the emirate Ras al -Khaimah has appointed founded in the Emirate of Sharjah parastatal airline Air Arabia to the new national airline on 2 February 2014.
By road is Ra's al -Khaimah Sheikh Mohammed bin about the Zayed Road connected to the other Emirates. The journey to Dubai is approximately 1-1.5 hours.
Construction projects
Are currently being implemented in Ra's al -Khaimah some construction projects Similar to the other emirates of the UAE or are in the planning phase, mainly near the coast. The state-owned developer of Ra's al -Khaimah is called RAK Properties, other major companies in the development of new construction projects are for example Rakeen or Al Hamra Real Estate. Characteristic of almost all projects the situation is where, like in Dubai, tries oceanfront here to extend the natural coastline by lagoon fittings, duct sections and embankments to achieve for real estate on the beach higher prices, despite sometimes questionable quality of the objects.
Mina Al Arab
At Mina Al Arab ( German: Port of Arabia) is a mixed area since 2007 under construction southwest of Ra's al -Khaimah City in the lagoon Khor Al- Jazeera. The developer RAK Properties is planning to build several resorts and public facilities in order to boost tourism in the emirate. Furthermore, the complex includes a port, a souk and several residential areas. The project is one of the smaller projects in the Emirate of 2.8 km ².
Al Marjan Iceland
Al Marjan Iceland ( German: Coral Island) is one of the most advanced projects in Ra's al -Khaimah. It is located about 27 km from Ra's al -Khaimah City away in the direction of the border with Umm al - Qaiwain and includes a complex of four artificially created islands and a peninsula. At 2.7 km ², it is indeed slightly larger than Mina Al Arab significantly less than other construction projects are currently being realized in the emirate. The building has partially begun after the earthworks were completed in January 2008. The developer Rakeen example, has completed the construction work at the company's mixed project Bab Al Bahr, the pile foundation of all buildings. The mixed-use development is characteristic of the development of the Island in general are apartments, villas, resorts, hotels, shopping centers and some office buildings arise. The declared aim here is also to boost tourism.
Al Hamra Village
The settlement Al Hamra Village is the most advanced project in Ras al -Khaimah. The location is near the island group Al Marjan on a former lagoon area. The total area is 5 square kilometers, the project is thus the second largest in the emirate to Al Dana Iceland. Is realized, the complex from numerous villas, two hotels, a shopping center, golf course and marina from the state-owned enterprises Al Hamra Real Estate. The project is divided into five phases, of which the first three are under construction or completed. Phase four and five will be sold probably delayed due to the current economic situation and demoted to their volume. The under construction Al Hamra Palace Hotel is the third tallest building in the Emirate and will simultaneously have the greatest capacity. Together with the existing Al Hamra Fort Hotel & Beach Resort one would wish to accommodate the expected increase amount of tourists. This should get the feeling of being housed in a ancient Arab settlement.
Ra's al -Khaimah City
Analogous to Dubai and Sharjah, the emirate of the same name for each main cities develop so rapidly and the other associated desert land often ahead of haste that you have to devote a separate representation. In Ra's al -Khaimah City are home to about 80 per cent of the emirate 's population, or in 2008 about 200,000 people. The city has developed initially unplanned from the small fishing port and pirate stronghold in the years since 1972 by the peninsula of the bay ( Creek ) and the port around. Since about 1990, the urban expansion is tackled carefully planned, infrastructure and roads are often prepared to avoid the traditional free settlement in the middle of the desert. Thus, the urban area extends already over 20 km from west to east ( with Ar Rams ) and up to 10 km in the southern sand hill areas into it. A certain natural boundary is the 10 km from the coast beginning rugged mountains. The settlement patterns, unlike in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, loosened rather low and interspersed with many trees. Only at the nascent " Corniches " at the creek banks, some high-rise buildings are placed, but they by no means define the more rural character of Ra's al -Khaimah City.
Industry / business
RAK Ceramics is a major producer of ceramic tiles and sanitary ware with an annual turnover of over 1 billion U.S. dollar company with operations in about a dozen countries, including in Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Australia, China, India and Saudi Arabia.
The management of Ra's al -Khaimah announced in 2006, an investment of 30 million U.S. dollars for the construction of the spaceport in Ras Al Khaimah spaceport in cooperation with the U.S. Space Adventures Ltd.. The substantial container port and the airport expansion conceived in Ra's al -Khaimah 's ( IATA airport code RKT ) are also important hubs for Iran to circumvent the UN sanctions.
Health service
Ras al Khaimah has three public hospitals: Saqr Hospital, Saif bin Ghobash Hospital and Al Zarawi Hospital.
In November 2007, the private RAK Hospital was opened. It is operated by Arabian Healthcare LLC, a joint venture between the Government of Ras al -Khaimah and the Dubai-based ETA Star Group. For the management of RAK Hospital is the Sonnenhof Swiss Health Ltd.. responsible from Bern, a Swiss private hospital group.
Sports
Since 2007, held once a year under the auspices of the Emir Saud ibn Saqr al Qasimi of the RAK Half Marathon instead.