Sharjah (ceety)

**Sharjah** () (; pronoonced  in Inglis) is the third lairgest an maist populous ceety in the Unitit Arab Emirates. It is locatit alang the soothren coast o the Persie Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.

Sharjah is the seat o govrenment o the emirate o Sharjah. Sharjah shares legal, poleetical, militar an economic functions wi the ither emirates athin a federal framewirk, awtho each emirate haes jurisdiction ower some functions sic as civic law enforcement an provision an upkeep o local facilities. Sharjah haes been ruled bi the Al Qasimi dynasty syne 1972.

The ceety is a centre for cultur an industry, an alane contributes tae 7.4% o the GDP o the Unitit Arab Emirates. The ceety covers an approximate aurie o 235&nbsp;km² an haes a population o ower 800,000 (2008).

## Etymology

Mony researchers hae supposed that the wird Sharqah, tae which Sharjah owes its oreegins, comes frae licht. The terrain is sae flat that the sun shines evenly on the land.

Sultan Al Omaimi, an Emirati poet an researcher in folk literature, says that some historians speculate that Sharjah wis the name o an idol worshipped in the pre-Islamic era which wis kent as Abed Al Shareq. It an aa haed a feminine form cried Al Shareqa. 
This idol, therefore, dates back tae antiquity, but haes been throughoot a strang presence in the region's tradeetions, says Obaid. Anither theory fynds that the wird Sharqah comes frae a fort in Andalusie as mentioned in the encyclopaedic beuk, "Kitab mu'jam al-buldan" written bi the Muslim scholar Yaqut Al Hamawi.

Ither researchers link the wird Sharqah tae the fact that the ceety is locatit tae the Sharq, or east, o Dubai an Abu Dhabi. Hence the Arabic classical form o Sharjah is Al Shareqah. It is the colloquial form that is Al Sharjah.

## History
Historically, Sharjah wis ane o the wealthiest touns in this region wi a dounset in existence for ower 5000 years. In the early 18t century, the Qawasim clan (Huwayla tribe) establisht itsel in Sharjah, c.1727 declarin Sharjah independent. On 8 Januar 1820, Sheikh Sultan I signed the General Maritime Treaty wi Breetain, acceptin a protectorate tae keep the Ottoman Turks oot. Lik fower o its neighbours, Ajman, Dubai, Ras al-Khaimah, an Umm al-Qaiwain, its poseetion on the route tae Indie made it important enough tae be recognised as a salute state (be it o the lawest class: 3 guns).  On 2 December 1971, Sheikh Khalid III joined the Unitit Arab Emirates.

Lik the ither umwhile Trucial States, Sharjah's name is kent bi mony stamp collectors acause o the lairge nummers o stamps that wur issued bi the Sharjah Post Office shortly afore the formation o the Unitit Arab Emirates. Mony o thir items featur subjects unrelatit tae the emirates whose names thay bear, an therefore mony popular catalogues dae no leet them.

## Owerview
Sharjah is the third lairgest ceety (efter Dubai an Abu Dhabi) in the Unitit Arab Emirates.  The palace o the ruler o the Emirate o Sharjah (Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi) is locatit aboot 20 kilometres (12&nbsp;mi) sootheast o the ceety.

The ceety o Sharjah owerleuks the Persie Gulf an haes a population o ower 800,000 (2008). It contains the main admeenistrative an commercial centers thegither wi an array o cultural an traditional projects, includin several museums coverin auries sic as airchaeology, naitural history, science, airts, heritage, Islamic airt an cultur. Distinctive laundmerks are the twa major covered *[[souk]]s*, reflectin Islamic design; a nummer o recreational auries an public pairks sic as Al Jazeirah Fun Pairk an Al Buheirah Corniche. The ceety is an aa notable for its numerous elegant mosques. The Emirate o Sharjah is an aa kent tae be the Cultural Caipital o the UAE wi its rich legacy o airts, heritage an cultur.

Sharjah is bordered bi the ceeties o Dubai an Ajmān an is aboot 170 kilometers away frae the caipital ceety Abu Dhabi.

## Economy
The heidquarters is in the Sharjah Freight Center, on the property o Sharjah Internaitional Airport.

## Education
Thare are several public an private schuils in addition tae varsities in Sharjah, includin the University o Sharjah, the American University o Sharjah, Troy University - ITS Sharjah Campus, Skyline College Sharjah, Sharjah Men's College, an Sharjah Women's College some o those varsities are grouped in ane place cried the University Ceety.

## Sports
 
The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium haes hostit amaist 200 cricket One Day Internationals, maire than ony ither grund, an 4 Test matches. Fitbaa clubs include Al Sharjah an Al-Shaab in the First League, an Al Hemriah, Al The-aed , Al Khaleej an Dibba in the 2nt league.

Syne 2003, thare hae been nae major internaitional matches at Sharjah, awtho the stadium haes been the venue for certaint ither matches, sic as the 2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup. The uise o the venue haes declined as the new 20,000 seat Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi haes acome the preferred venue for cricket in the UAE.

## Twin touns - sister ceeties
*  Granada, Spain 

## See an aa
* Hamriyah Port
* Sharjah International Airport
* Sharjah (emirate)

## References

## Freemit airtins
* 
* Sharjah Teaching Hospital 
* Sharjah Municipality offeecial wabsteid
*Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority 
*Sharjah Police
*Sharjah Museums Department 
*WorldStatesmen