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Sharjah[shArjA´] Pronunciation Key, sheikhdom (1995 pop. 400,339), c.1,000 sq mi (2,590 sq km), part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates, SE Arabia, on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The modernized town of Sharjah, on the Persian Gulf, is, after Abu Dhabi, the largest town in the federation. Oil has been produced in Sharjah since 1961. Formerly a British protectorate, Sharjah was the site of a British base until 1971, when the British withdrew from the Persian Gulf and Sharjah joined the United Arab Emirates. Its gulf port has long been important both strategically and commercially.
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