Jiri plain | |
|---|---|
  Jiri plain | |
| Coordinates:25°27′31″N56°0′56″E / 25.45861°N 56.01556°E /25.45861; 56.01556 | |
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Emirate | SharjahRas Al KhaimahFujairah |
TheJiri plain is an area of gravel plain extending across areas of SouthernRas Al Khaimah, EasternSharjah and WesternFujairah,United Arab Emirates (UAE).[1] The area, some 15 miles in length and 8 miles in breadth, is triangulated with the villages ofKhatt andHabhab to the North;Adhen to the East andDhaid to the South. To the West the plain is enclosed by sand dunes.[2]
The soil of the Jiri plain is darkened by debris brought down by seasonal waters from the mountains, which helps to define its rich, loamy character and high carbonate content (from the outwash ofCretaceous limestone).[3] The plan is thickly populated byacacia (Acacia tortilis) andghaf trees, as well astamarisk and other hardy varieties.[2] A number of deepaquifers run under the plain.[2]
The settled population of the area at the time ofLorimer's 1908Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf was some 1,000 strong, mostly members of the tribes of Awanat,Mazari,Naqbiyin,Sharqiyin (in the area of Wadi Ham)[4] and someZaab. The area was home toBedouin of the Ghafalah,Bani Qitab and theKhawatir section of theNa'im,[2] who had been pushed north by their rivals, theBani Kaab.[5]
The plain, together with that of Dhaid andMadam, contains some of the most fertile and productive land in the UAE.[6]
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