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History of the UAEThe UAE is about the same size as the American state of Maine
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In the 19th century, states along the Persian Gulf coastline agreed to the UK having power for their protection and affairs abroad. In 1971, six Arab states: Umm al-Quwain, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujirah, and Abu Dhabi merged to form the United Arab Emirates. In 1972, the emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah joined the UAE. The republic is an alliance of these seven emirates, all of which are located in the Arabian cape. The republic has long shorelines and seaports in and out of the Straits of Hormuz where the entry to the Persian Bay is located. The UAE is about the same size as the American state of Maine. The official language of the UAE is Arabic, and the officially recognized religion is Islam. Islam was brought to the UAE by those sent by the Prophet Muhammad in the year 630.
Within each emirate, a sheikh maintains control over natural resources, oil included, and also is in charge of regulating commerce with rules and policies. Because of the UAE's oil reserves being unequally distributed over the republic, oil revenues are also unevenly distributed, so the seven emirates vary in terms of economic development and prosperity. The biggest oil producer is Abu Dhabi, which is the most powerful and the wealthiest state. Next is Dubai, which is the UAE's business center and second in terms of oil resources.
History of the UAE relies on information about the lives of the people living there as well as their economic situation, lifestyle, cultural beliefs, and arts. The life of the ruling sheikh is also quite important. Contemporary history along with ancient history in the form of ancient documents and ruins help form the ongoing story of the UAE. There are also archaeological digs at Harrapa, Mohanjodaro in the Indus Valley, and civilations of Rakhal Das Banerjee, among others. In Egypt, the remains of history in the form of the great pyramids still hold plenty of secrets as they gradually give up information to history. In the western parts of India, Ajanta and Alora are structures that reveal creative arts of their era, though Alora's is difficult to assign a date. The arts and cultures associated with particular rulers remain alive, and those who visit are in for a great surprise wherever they go in the world. Travelers find out that sex was not always taboo, and the book "Kamasutra" written by Vatsayan was written during a time when it provided not just sex education, but moral teachings as well that people still read today.
In Babylonia, the civilization has many things to tell the people who discover artifacts. Some people think that learning history is boring, but in fact it can be extremely interesting and even enjoyable. Knowing what went on in the past gives a better grounding in the present, even if the cultures are significantly different. Besides, it is fascinating to learn about the lifestyles people lived in times we can only imagine. Reading and learning history are very interesting. Teachers of history must be careful that the students use many modes of learning to complement what they learn from books and lectures. That's why field trips can be so helpful. Wouldn't it be great to learn about the history of the Taj Mahal by visiting Agra?
The best way to learn about the Egyptian pyramids is to go see them first hand. Of course this is not possible for all students, but every region has its own history that local students can visit. At least a DVD or video tape should be available for students to view historic places, because some students learn easier visually than by reading textbooks. It would be nice if governments provided subsidies and made arrangements for students to go on a historical field trip at least one time per school year. That way the student has experience from traveling, and learns better.
In the UAE region, up through the end of the Second World War, pearling was a major trade in the UAE, but after the war, and after the Japanese began creating cultured pearls, the pearling industry withered away. It was not too many years, however, before oil became the UAE's biggest and most important export.
Before the export of oil in the regions that became the UAE, economic adventures included fishing, agriculture, pearl production, and herding. After oil prices rose significantly in 1973, however, the export of oil has been the dominant money maker for such states, accounting for most of its export earnings. The UAE has very large oil reserves, estimated at nearly 100 billion barrels in 2003, and gas reserves estimated to fill 212 trillion cubic feet. At maintained drilling levels, these resources could last for over 150 years.
| Tags: emirates history, history of uae, uae history, history, united arab emirates history
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