Emirate of Sharjah in the context of "Trucial States"

The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman (Arabic: خليج عمان khalīj ʿumān; Persian: دریای عمان daryâ-ye omân), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran (Arabic: خلیج مکران khalīj makrān; Persian: دریای مکران daryâ-ye makrān), is a gulf in the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It borders Iran and Pakistan on the north, Oman on the south, and the United Arab Emirates on the west.

Madha (Arabic: مَدْحَاء, romanized: madḥāʾ) is a wilayah in northern Oman, and is an exclave of the Musandam Governorate, enclaved by the United Arab Emirates (UAE); inside it, there is a second-order enclave: Nahwa, which is part of the UAE Emirate of Sharjah. Madha is located halfway between the Musandam Peninsula and the rest of Oman.

The exclave is on the Fujairah–Khor Fakkan road, which is mostly in the Emirate of Sharjah, and covers approximately 93.34 km (36.04 sq mi). There are two exits to Madha on the Fujairah–Khorfakkan road. This territory is the only territory between UAE and Oman which is not lined with any barrier and there is no border crossing between Madha, Nahwa, or the UAE.

Khor Fakkan (Arabic: خَوْر فَكَّان, romanized: Khawr Fakkān, lit. 'Creek of the Two Jaws') is a city and an exclave of the Emirate of Sharjah, located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), facing the Gulf of Oman, and geographically surrounded by the Emirate of Fujairah. The city, the second largest on the east coast after Fujairah City, is set on the bay of Khor Fakkan, which means "Creek of Two Jaws". It is the site of Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in the UAE. The Port of Khor Fakkan faces the Emirate of Sharjah’s eastern seaboard, extending connections with Asia and the Far East. This port is one of the Emirate’s three ports.

It is also a popular spot among domestic tourists due to its white sand beaches and coral reefs that attract many marine life enthusiasts. Khor Fakkan beach lies to the north of the center of the town. Khor Fakkan is located on the east coast of the UAE, between the Shumayliyah Mountains and the Arabian Sea, with an altitude of 1,023 meters (3,356 ft) at al Hilqah Mountain (Jebel al Hilqah). The bay of Khor Fakkan faces the northeast and is protected from prevailing winds by a jetty serving terminal for container ships. In the mountains of Khor Fakkan and off the Sharjah-Khor Fakkan highway lies the Rifaisa Dam that is considered to have been built over a village, and thus when the water is very quiet, the tops of the old houses are visible. The development of Al Rifaisa Dam spans an area of 10,684 square meters.

Sharjah (/ˈʃɑːrdʒə/; Arabic: ٱلشَّارقَة aš-Šāriqah, Gulf Arabic: aš-Šārja) is a major port city and the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. it is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. The emirate shares legal, political, military and economic functions with the other emirates of the UAE within a federal framework. Each emirate has jurisdiction over some functions such as civil law enforcement and provision and upkeep of local facilities. Sharjah has been ruled by the Al Qasimi dynasty since the 18th century.

The city is a center for culture and industry, and alone contributes 7.4% of the GDP of the United Arab Emirates. The city covers approximately 235 km and has a population of over 1,800,000 (2022–2023). Sharjah has been officially named as a WHO healthy city. The 2016 edition of QS Best Student Cities ranked Sharjah as the 68th best city in the world to be a university student. Sharjah is regarded as the cultural capital of the UAE, and was the Islamic culture capital of 2014 and Sharjah World Book Capital for 2019 by UNESCO.

Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi (Arabic: سلطان بن محمد القاسمي, romanized: Sulṭān bin Muḥammad al-Qāsimī; born 2 July 1939) is an Emirati politician, author, historian, and the current and 11th ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah and a member of the Federal Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates since January 1972. He is best known for his historical publications, support for education, and preservation of cultural landmarks. He restored the Al Hisn Fort in Sharjah in 1970 and served as the United Arab Emirates first Minister of Education in 1971. As an academic, he has authored multiple historical documents as well as memoirs, studies, novels, poetry and plays regarding the Middle East and North Africa.

Nahwa is a territory that forms part of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It is a counter-enclave (or second-order enclave) within the Omani territory of Madha, which is itself an exclave of Oman and an enclave within the United Arab Emirates.

Access to the village of Nahwa is through the northernmost road into the Madha enclave south of Khor Fakkan which leads to New Madha. From New Madha, there is a paved but winding road (about 5 km (3 mi)) leading to Nahwa.

The Al Qasimi (Arabic: القاسمي, spelled sometimes as Al Qassimi or Al Qassemi; plural: Al Qawasem Arabic: القواسم and, archaically, Joasmee) is an Arab dynasty and tribe that rules Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, today forming two of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. They are one of the longest reigning royal families in the Arabian peninsula. Historically, they also ruled over the town of Lengeh as sheikhs for a century until its annexation by Iran in 1887.

The Qawasem were a confederation of Sunni tribes in south eastern Gulf region surrounding the cities of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah; and faced strong rivalry with the Omani empire for naval domination along the Persian Gulf. Due to their allegiance to the Emirate of Dir'iyah, the British Empire branded them as "pirates" and fought two major military campaigns against them in 1809 and 1819.