Liwa Oasis

Liwa Oasis

The Liwa Oasis (واحة ليوا in Arabic) is a large oasis area in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Geography

Liwa Oasis is about 100 km south of the Persian Gulf coast and 150 km SSW of the city of Abu Dhabi, on the northern edge of Rub al Khali desert. It is centered around coord|23|08|N|53|46|E and stretches about 100 km east-west, along an arch curved to the north. It consists of some 50 villages. The geographic and economic center of the oasis is Muzayri`, where the highway from Abu Dhabi enters the oasis and then divides to the east (65 km to the easternmost village, Mahdar Bin `Usayyan) and west (45 km to the westernmost village, `Aradah).

There are no statistical data available, but judging from satellite images, the population is estimated at 50,000 to 150,000 [http://lexicorient.com/e.o/liwa_o.htm] .

The villages of Liwa Oasis are the southernmost settlements of Abu Dhabi and of the United Arab Emirates. The southern border of Abu Dhabi with Saudi Arabia, which runs at a distance between 16 and 35 km to the Oasis, is a straight line in the Rub al Khali desert, which is largely uninhabited. Mahdar Bin `Usayyan is the southermost village of the Emirates, and also the easternmost of the oasis. 10 km south of the border, and 40 km south of the eastern part of the oasis is the Saudi oil town Shaybah. However, there is no street linking Liwa Oasis and Shaybah, and no border crossing.

A modern, multilane highway connects the oasis area to the capital, Abu Dhabi.

Economy

An important traditional branch of the economy is date farming. There is a widespread use of drip irrigation and greenhouses. The importance of tourism is on the rise. Liwa Hotel in Muzayri` boasts four stars. Liwa Rest House, in the same village and run by the government of Abu Dhabi, is the second establishment in the oasis. It is primarily aimed at minor officials and businessmen. Construction has begun on a third, 5 star, resourt (named [http://www.tdic.ae/content/Home.Projects.Qasr_Al_Sarab.aspx Qasr Al Sarab] ). The nearby Moreeb dune, with 300 meter height one of the largest dunes in the world, attracts every year during the [http://www.etisalat.ae/index.jsp?lang=en&type=content&currentid=6d88e15c0b56a010VgnVCM1000000a0a0a0a____&contentid=3fb3b061a9857110VgnVCM1000000c24a8c0RCRD&parentid=ed38800d1f52a010VgnVCM1000000a0a0a0a____ Liwa festival] a large number of international and local visitors coming to see the [http://www.uaedesertchallenge.com/index.php?id=53 offroad] and camel racing events.

History

The oasis is the place of birth of the ruling families of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In 1793, the ruling family "Al Nahyan" moved their residence from Liwa to the city of Abu Dhabi.

Traditionally, men from Liwa (Bani Yas tribe) were pearl divers on the coast during the summer months. Pearl diving offered an additional source of income.

Villages

The USGS Geographic Names Database [http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/namefiles.htm] lists 39 populated places in the area of the oasis, which are listed from west to east in the following table. Some of the more important villages are printed in bold.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Liwa — *Liwa (Arabic) Liwa means standard or banner in Arabic. *Liwa (company) *Liwa (music);geography *Chad **Liwa (sub prefecture) in Mamdi Department *Oman **Liwa, Oman **Liwa Province, Oman (wilayah) *United Arab Emirates **Liwa Oasis (Abu Dhabi)… …   Wikipedia

  • Liwa Hotel — (Muzayri‘,ОАЭ) Категория отеля: 3 звездочный отель Адрес: Western Region, Muzayri‘, ОАЭ …   Каталог отелей

  • Liwa-Oase — 23.13333333333353.783333333333 Koordinaten: 23° 8′ 0″ N, 53° 47′ 0″ O …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Oasis — For the English band, see Oasis (band). For other uses, see Oasis (disambiguation). An oasis in the Negev Desert of Israel created by trees planted by the Jewish National Fund. In geography, an oasis (plural: oases) or cienega ( …   Wikipedia

  • Abu Dhabi — This article is about the city. For the emirate, see Abu Dhabi (emirate). Abu Dhabi أبوظبي Abū Dhabi   City   City of Abu Dhabi …   Wikipedia

  • Moreeb Dune — at Liwa In the United Arab Emirates, Moreeb dunes …   Wikipedia

  • Géographie des Émirats arabes unis — Continent Asie Région Moyen Orient Coordonnées 24°00′N, 54°00′E Superficie 115e rang mondia …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Geography of the United Arab Emirates — Life in the UAE Cuisine Culture Communications Cinema Demography Education Geography Human rights Military Media …   Wikipedia

  • Dubai — This article is about the city and emirate. For other uses, see Dubai (disambiguation). Dubai إمارة دبيّ   Emirate   Emirate of Dubai …   Wikipedia

  • Abu Dhabi International Airport — مطار أبوظبي الدولي IATA: AUH – ICAO: OMAA …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”