UAE Geography

Mountains, Oases, Desert Systems and Protected Reserves

25 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 25 questions

  1. Which mountain on the border between Ras Al Khaimah and Oman's Musandam Governorate, with a 1,934 m summit on the Omani side, is home to the world's longest zip-line?
  2. Which mountain on the border of the UAE and Oman, beside Al Ain, gave its name to the Hafit period of the early Bronze Age because of beehive tombs at its foothills?
  3. What mountain range, stretching from the Musandam Peninsula through the eastern UAE and into Oman, forms the rocky backbone of the eastern Emirates?
  4. Which oasis city in the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi, known as the 'Garden City', became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the UAE in 2011?
  5. Which belt of oases along the northern reaches of the Rub' al Khali dune fields, consisting of some 50 villages, lies in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi?
  6. What is the name of the dune, about 300 metres high near Liwa Oasis and one of the largest dunes in the world, that attracts visitors to the Liwa festival?
  7. What gravity-fed irrigation system, whose name means 'split into parts' in classical Arabic, divided water among the inhabitants of a settlement?
  8. Which wadi between Masafi, Khor Fakkan and Bidiyah in Fujairah was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance on 10 July 2010?
  9. Which vast sand desert, covering about 650,000 square kilometres across parts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE and Yemen, lies along the southern border of Abu Dhabi?
  10. In which type of UAE environment does the Avicennia marina article say the grey mangrove is found mainly?
  11. Which drought-tolerant tree is the national tree of the United Arab Emirates?
  12. Which wadi crossing, originating in Ras Al Khaimah, cuts through the Omani exclave at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula and re-enters the UAE at Dibba Al-Hisn in Fujairah?
  13. Which mountain on the border of the UAE and Oman has a tourist site at its base, Green Mubazzarah Park, with hot springs at around 40 degrees Celsius?
  14. Where is Green Mubazzarah, a park known for hot springs of around 40 degrees Celsius, situated?
  15. Which lakes in the Saih Al Salam desert of Dubai, within the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, include Love Lake shaped like two intertwined hearts?
  16. What type of climate does the United Arab Emirates have?
  17. What is the Arabic name of the northwesterly wind that blows over Iraq and the Persian Gulf states, mostly in summer?
  18. Which protected mangrove reserve in Kalba, Sharjah, works to protect the declining populations of white-collared kingfisher birds?
  19. Which off-road destination near Mleiha in Sharjah, known as 'Fossil Rock', lies about 20 km south of Dhaid?
  20. Which wetland reserve in Abu Dhabi, a Ramsar site since 2013, is home to the greater flamingo?
  21. Which marshland and mangrove swamp is enclosed by Siniyah Island off the coast of Umm Al Quwain?
  22. Which island off Umm Al Quwain is the site of an Eastern Christian monastery and the oldest pearl fishing town in the Persian Gulf, which some scholars link with ancient Tu'am?
  23. Which road, 36 km long and hairpinning most of the way up, was built to the Jebel Jais mountain in Ras Al Khaimah?
  24. Which seasonal watercourse in the Hajar Mountains of Ras Al Khaimah has a dam originally constructed in 2001 on the orders of Sheikh Zayed and a recreation area with pools?
  25. What is the average annual rainfall in the coastal area of the UAE?

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