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https://kids.kiddle.co/Lima

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Lima is the capital of the South American country of Peru. It is the largest city in Peru by far. It is also Peru's center of culture, business, and manufacturing.

One of Lima's nicknames is The Octopus. This is because the greater city area spreads out very far, like the arms of an octopus. Within this area is Callao, a port on the Pacific Ocean. It is Peru's busiest port.

Lima is the most important economic center in Peru. It has Peru's largest number of government and business offices, banks, and industries. Factories in Lima process oil and make electronics, medicines, food products, plastics, clothes, and other goods.

People have lived in the Lima area for thousands of years. Some 1,500 years ago it was a center of worship for a local god named Pachacamac. The Inca took over the area in the 1400s.

The Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded Lima in 1535. Nearby Callao soon became Spain's main port in the region. For about 200 years Lima was the capital of nearly all of Spain's colonies in South America.

A powerful earthquake nearly destroyed Lima in 1746. The city was later rebuilt.

In 1821 Peru became an independent country with Lima as its capital. Lima grew greatly in the 1900s. Population (2011 estimate), urban area, 9,130,000.

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Lima is the capital of the South American country of Peru. It is the largest city in Peru by far. It is also Peru's center of culture, business, and manufacturing. One of...

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https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Dubayy/571617

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Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai.

Although stone tools have been found at many archaeological sites, little is known about the UAE's early inhabitants as only a few settlements have been found. Many ancient towns in the area were trading centres between the Eastern and Western worlds. The remnants of an ancient mangrove swamp, dated at 7000 BC, were discovered during the construction of sewer lines near Dubai Internet City. The area was covered with sand about 5,000 years ago as the coast retreated inland, becoming part of the city's present coastline. Pre-Islamic ceramics have been found from the 3rd and 4th centuries. Prior to the introduction of Islam to the area, the people in this region worshiped Bajir (or Bajar). After the spread of Islam in the region, the Umayyad Caliph of the eastern Islamic world invaded south-east Arabia and drove out the Sassanians. Excavations by the Dubai Museum in the region of Al-Jumayra (Jumeirah) found several artefacts from the Umayyad period.

The earliest recorded mention of Dubai is in 1095 in the Book of Geography by the Andalusian-Arab geographer Abu Abdullah al-Bakri. The Venetian pearl merchant Gasparo Balbi visited the area in 1580 and mentioned Dubai ( Dibei) for its pearling industry.

Dubai is thought to have been established as a fishing village in the early 18th century and was, by 1822, a town of some 7-800 members of the Baniyas tribe and subject to the rule of Sheikh Tahnoon of Abu Dhabi.

In 1833, following tribal feuding, members of the Al Bu Falasa tribe seceded from Abu Dhabi and established themselves in Dubai. The exodus from Abu Dhabi was led by Ubaid bin Saeed and Maktum bin Butti who became joint leaders of Dubai until Ubaid died in 1836, leaving Maktum to establish the Maktoum dynasty.

Two catastrophes struck the town during the 1800s. First, in 1841, a smallpox epidemic broke out in the Bur Dubai locality, forcing residents to relocate east to Deira. Then, in 1894, fire swept through Deira, burning down most homes. However, the town's geographical location continued to attract traders and merchants from around the region. The emir of Dubai was keen to attract foreign traders and lowered trade tax brackets, which lured traders away from Sharjah and Bandar Lengeh, the region's main trade hubs at the time. Persian merchants naturally looked across to the Arab shore of the Persian Gulf finally making their homes in Dubai. They continued to trade with Lingah, however, as do many of the dhows in Dubai Creek today, and they named their district Bastakiya, after the Bastak region in southern Persia.

Pre-oil Dubai

Dubai's geographical proximity to Iran made it an important trade location. The town of Dubai was an important port of call for foreign tradesmen, chiefly those from Iran, many of whom eventually settled in the town. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was an important port.

Dubai was known for its pearl exports until the 1930s; the pearl trade was damaged irreparably by the Great Depression in the 1930s and the innovation of cultured pearls. With the collapse of the pearling industry, Dubai fell into a deep depression and many residents starved or migrated to other parts of the Persian Gulf.

In the early days since its inception, Dubai was constantly at odds with Abu Dhabi. In 1947, a border dispute between Dubai and Abu Dhabi on the northern sector of their mutual border escalated into war. Arbitration by the British and the creation of a buffer frontier running south eastwards from the coast at Ras Hasian resulted in a temporary cessation of hostilities.

Despite a lack of oil, Dubai's ruler from 1958, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, used revenue from trading activities to build infrastructure. Private companies were established to build and operate infrastructure, including electricity, telephone services and both the ports and airport operators. An airport of sorts (a runway built on salt flats) was established in Dubai in the 1950s and, in 1959, the emirate's first hotel, the Airlines Hotel, was constructed. This was followed by the Ambassador and Carlton Hotels in 1968.

In 1962 the British Political Agent noted that "Many new houses and blocks of offices and flats are being built... the Ruler is determined, against advice [from the British] to press on with the construction of a jet airport... More and more European and Arab firms are opening up and the future looks bright."

In 1962, with expenditure on infrastructure projects already approaching levels some thought imprudent, Sheikh Rashid approached his brother in law, the Ruler of Qatar, for a loan to build the first bridge crossing Dubai's creek. This crossing was finished in May 1963 and was paid for by a toll levied on the crossing from the Dubai side of the creek to the Deira side.

BOAC was originally reluctant to start regular flights between Bombay and Dubai, fearing a lack of demand for seats. However, by the time the asphalt runway of Dubai Airport was constructed in 1965, opening Dubai to both regional and long haul traffic, a number of foreign airlines were competing for landing rights. In 1970 a new airport terminal building was constructed which included Dubai's first duty-free shops.

After years of exploration following large finds in neighbouring Abu Dhabi, oil was eventually discovered in territorial waters off Dubai in 1966, albeit in far smaller quantities. The first field was named 'Fateh' or 'good fortune'. This led the emirate to grant concessions to international oil companies, thus leading to a massive influx of foreign workers, mainly Asians and Middle easterners. Between 1968 and 1975 the city's population grew by over 300%.

As part of the infrastructure for pumping and transporting oil from the Fateh field, located offshore of the Jebel Ali area of Dubai, a number of 50,000 gallon storage tanks were built, known locally as 'Kazzans', by welding them together on the beach and then digging them out and floating them to drop onto the seabed at the Fateh field. These were constructed by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, which gave the beach its local name (Chicago Beach) until the Chicago Beach Hotel was demolished and replaced by the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in the late 1990s.

Dubai had already embarked on a period of infrastructural development and expansion. Oil revenue, flowing from 1969 onwards supported a period of growth with Sheikh Rashid embarking on a policy of building infrastructure and a diversified trading economy before the emirate's limited reserves were depleted. Oil accounted for 24% of GDP in 1990, but had reduced to 7% of GDP by 2004.

Critically, one of the first major projects Sheikh Rashid embarked upon when oil revenue started to flow was the construction of Port Rashid, a deep water free port constructed by British company Halcrow. Originally intended to be a four-berth port, it was extended to sixteen berths as construction was ongoing. The project was an outstanding success, with shipping queuing to access the new facilities. The port was inaugurated on 5 October 1972, although its berths were each pressed into use as soon as they had been built. Port Rashid was to be further expanded in 1975 to add a further 35 berths before the larger port of Jebel Ali was constructed.

Port Rashid was the first of a swathe of projects designed to create a modern trading infrastructure, including roads, bridges, schools and hospitals.

Reaching the UAE's Act of Union

Dubai and the other 'trucial states' had long been a British protectorate where the British took care of foreign policy and defence, as well as arbitrating between the rulers of the Eastern Gulf. This was to change with PM Harold Wilson's announcement, on 16 January 1968, that all British troops were to be withdrawn from 'East of Aden'. The decision was to pitch the coastal emirates, together with Qatar and Bahrain, into fevered negotiations to fill the political vacuum that the British withdrawal would leave behind.

The principle of union was first agreed between the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Rashid of Dubai on 18 February 1968 meeting in an encampment at Argoub Al Sedirah, near Al Semeih, a desert stop between the two emirates. The two agreed to work towards bringing the other emirates, including Qatar and Bahrain, into the union. Over the next two years, negotiations and meetings of the rulers followed -often stormy- as a form of union was thrashed out. The nine-state union was never to recover from the October 1969 meeting where heavy-handed British intervention resulted in a walk-out by Qatar and Ras Al Khaimah. Bahrain and Qatar were to drop out of talks, leaving six emirates to agree on union on 18 July 1971.

On 2 December 1971, Dubai, together with Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain and Fujairah joined in the Act of Union to form the United Arab Emirates. The seventh emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, joined the UAE on 10 February 1972, following Iran's annexation of the RAK-owned Tunbs islands.

In 1973, Dubai joined the other emirates to adopt a uniform currency: the UAE dirham. In that same year, the prior monetary union with Qatar was dissolved and the UAE Dirham was introduced throughout the Emirates.

Modern Dubai

During the 1970s, Dubai continued to grow from revenues generated from oil and trade, even as the city saw an influx of immigrants fleeing the Lebanese civil war. Border disputes between the emirates continued even after the formation of the UAE; it was only in 1979 that a formal compromise was reached that ended disagreements. The Jebel Ali port was established in 1979. JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone) was built around the port in 1985 to provide foreign companies unrestricted import of labour and export capital. Dubai airport and the aviation industry also continued to grow.

Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates and is roughly at sea level (16 m or 52 ft above). The emirate of Dubai shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjah in the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman in the southeast. Hatta, a minor exclave of the emirate, is surrounded on three sides by Oman and by the emirates of Ajman (in the west) and Ras Al Khaimah (in the north). The Persian Gulf borders the western coast of the emirate. Dubai is positioned at and covers an area of 1,588 sq mi (4,110 km ²), which represents a significant expansion beyond its initial 1,500 sq mi (3,900 km ²) designation due to land reclamation from the sea.

Dubai lies directly within the Arabian Desert. However, the topography of Dubai is significantly different from that of the southern portion of the UAE in that much of Dubai's landscape is highlighted by sandy desert patterns, while gravel deserts dominate much of the southern region of the country. The sand consists mostly of crushed shell and coral and is fine, clean and white. East of the city, the salt-crusted coastal plains, known as sabkha, give way to a north-south running line of dunes. Farther east, the dunes grow larger and are tinged red with iron oxide.

The sandy desert surrounding the city supports wild grasses and occasional date palms. Desert hyacinths grow in the sabkha plains east of the city, while acacia and ghaf trees grow in the flat plains within the proximity of the Western Al Hajar mountains. Several indigenous trees such as the date palm and neem as well as imported trees such as the eucalypts grow in Dubai's natural parks. The houbara bustard, striped hyena, caracal, desert fox, falcon and Arabian oryx are common in Dubai's desert. Dubai is on the migration path between Europe, Asia and Africa, and more than 320 migratory bird species pass through the emirate in spring and autumn. The waters of Dubai are home to more than 300 species of fish, including the hammour. The typical marine life off the Dubai coast includes tropical fish, jellyfish, coral, dugong, dolphins, whales and sharks. Various types of turtles can also be found in the area including the hawksbill turtle and green turtle, which are listed as endangered species.

Dubai Creek runs northeast-southwest through the city. The eastern section of the city forms the locality of Deira and is flanked by the emirate of Sharjah in the east and the town of Al Aweer in the south. The Dubai International Airport is located south of Deira, while the Palm Deira is located north of Deira in the Persian Gulf. Much of Dubai's real-estate boom is concentrated to the west of Dubai Creek, on the Jumeirah coastal belt. Port Rashid, Jebel Ali, Burj Al Arab, the Palm Jumeirah and theme-based free-zone clusters such as Business Bay are all located in this section.

Dubai has a hot desert climate. Summers in Dubai are extremely hot, windy, and humid, with an average high around 41 °C (106 °F) and overnight lows around 30 °C (86 °F) in the hottest month, August. Most days are sunny throughout the year. Winters are warm with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and overnight lows of 14 °C (57 °F) in January, the coldest month. Precipitation, however, has been increasing in the last few decades, with accumulated rain reaching 94.3 mm (3.71 in) per year. Dubai summers are also known for the moderate to high humidity level, which can make it uncomfortable for many. The highest recorded temperature in the UAE is 52.1 °C (126 °F), reached in July 2002.

Governance and politics

Ethnicity and languages

According to the census conducted by the Statistics Centre of Dubai, the population of the emirate was 1,771,000 as of 2009, which included 1,370,000 males and 401,000 females. As of June 2017, the population is 2,789,000. The region covers 1,287.5 square kilometres (497.1 sq mi). The population density is 408.18/km ² - more than eight times that of the entire country. Dubai is the second most expensive city in the region and 20th most expensive city in the world.

As of 2013 only about 15% of the population of the emirate was made up of UAE nationals, with the rest comprising expatriates, many of whom either have been in the country for generations or were born in the UAE. Approximately 85% of the expatriate population (and 71% of the emirate's total population) was Asian, chiefly Indian (51%) and Pakistani (16%); other significant Asian groups include Bangladeshis (9%) and Filipinos (3%). There is a sizable community of Somalis numbering around 30,000, as well as other communities of various nationalities. A quarter of the population (local and foreign) reportedly traces their origins to Iran. In addition, 16% of the population (or 288,000 persons) living in collective labour accommodation were not identified by ethnicity or nationality, but were thought to be primarily Asian. There are over 100,000 British expatriates in Dubai, by far the largest group of Western expatriates in the city. The median age in the emirate was about 27 years. In 2014, there were estimated to be 15.54 births and 1.99 deaths per 1,000 people. There are other Arab nationals, including GCC nationals.

Arabic is the national and official language of the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf dialect of Arabic is spoken natively by the Emirati people. English is used as a second language. Other major languages spoken in Dubai due to immigration are Malayalam, Hindi- Urdu (or Hindustani), Gujarati, Persian, Sindhi, Tamil, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Balochi, Tulu, Kannada, Sinhala, Marathi, Telugu, Tagalog and Chinese, in addition to many other languages.

Minorities

One of the world's fastest growing economies, Dubai's gross domestic product is projected at US$107.1 billion, with a growth rate of 6.1% in 2014. Although a number of core elements of Dubai's trading infrastructure were built on the back of the oil industry, revenues from oil and natural gas account for less than 5% of the emirate's revenues. It is estimated that Dubai produces 50,000 to 70,000 barrels (7,900 to 11,100 m ³) of oil a day and substantial quantities of gas from offshore fields. The emirate's share in the UAE's total gas revenues is about 2%. Dubai's oil reserves have diminished significantly and are expected to be exhausted in 20 years. Real estate and construction (22.6%), trade (16%), (15%) and financial services (11%) are the largest contributors to Dubai's economy.

Dubai's non-oil foreign trade stood at $362 billion in 2014. Of the overall trade volumes, imports had the biggest share with a value of $230 billion while exports and re-exports to the emirate stood at $31 billion and $101 billion respectively.

By 2014, China had emerged as Dubai's largest international trading partner, with a total of $47.7 billion in trade flows, up 29% from 2013. India was second among Dubai's key trading partners with a trade of $29.7 billion, followed by the United States at $22.62 billion. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was Dubai's fourth trading partner globally and first in the GCC and Arab world with a total trade value of $14.2 billion. Trade with Germany in 2014 totalled $12.3, Switzerland and Japan both at $11.72 billion and UK trade totalled $10.9 billion.

Historically, Dubai and its twin across Dubai Creek, Deira (independent of Dubai City at that time), were important ports of call for Western manufacturers. Most of the new city's banking and financial centres were headquartered in the port area. Dubai maintained its importance as a trade route through the 1970s and 1980s. Dubai has a free trade in gold and, until the 1990s, was the hub of a "brisk smuggling trade" of gold ingots to India, where gold import was restricted. Dubai's Jebel Ali port, constructed in the 1970s, has the largest man-made harbour in the world and was ranked seventh globally for the volume of container traffic it supports. Dubai is also a hub for service industries such as information technology and finance, with industry-specific free zones throughout the city. Dubai Internet City, combined with Dubai Media City as part of TECOM (Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority), is one such enclave, whose members include IT firms such as Hewlett-Packard, EMC Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft, Dell and IBM, and media organisations such as MBC, CNN, BBC, Reuters, Sky News and AP.

Tourism and retail

Tourism is an important part of the Dubai government's strategy to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirate. Dubai's lure for tourists is based mainly on shopping, but also on its possession of other ancient and modern attractions. As of 2013, Dubai was the 7th most visited city of the world based on air traffic and the fastest growing, increasing by a 10.7% rate. Dubai hosted 14.9 million overnight visitors in 2016, and is expected to read 20 million tourists by 2020.

Dubai Creek Park in Dubai Creek also plays a vital role in Dubai tourism as it showcase some of the most famous tourist attractions in Dubai such as Dolphinarium, Cable Car, Camel Ride, Horse Carriage and Exotic Birds Shows.

Dubai has a wide range of parks like Safa park, Mushrif park, Hamriya park etc. Each park is uniquely distinct from the other. Mushrif park showcases different houses around the world. A visitor can check out the architectural features of the outside as well as the inside of each house.

Ski Dubai is a large indoor skiing facility at Mall of the Emirates, offering snowboarding, ski lessons, a children's play area and a cafe. It opened in November 2005 and houses the world's largest indoor snow park. It is operated by Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment.

Architecture

Dubai has a rich collection of buildings and structures of various architectural styles. Many modern interpretations of Islamic architecture can be found here, due to a boom in construction and architectural innovation in the Arab World in general, and in Dubai in particular, supported not only by top Arab or international architectural and engineering design firms such as Al Hashemi and Aedas, but also by top firms of New York and Chicago. As a result of this boom, modern Islamic - and world - architecture has literally been taken to new levels in skyscraper building design and technology. Dubai now has more completed or topped-out skyscrapers higher than km (2,200 ft), km (1,100 ft), or km (820 ft) than any other city. A culmination point was reached in 2010 with the completion of the Burj Khalifa (Khalifa Tower), now by far the world's tallest building at 829.8 m (2,722 ft). The Burj Khalifa's design is derived from the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, with the triple-lobed footprint of the building based on an abstracted version of the desert flower hymenocallis which is native to the Dubai region. The completion of the Khalifa Tower, following the construction boom that began in the 1980s, accelerated in the 1990s, and took on a rapid pace of construction unparalleled in modern human history during the decade of the 2000s, leaves Dubai with the world's tallest skyline as of 4 January 2010. At the Top, Burj Khalifa, the world's highest observatory deck with an outdoor terrace is one of Dubai's most popular tourist attractions, with over 1.87 million visitors in 2013.

Burj Al Arab

The Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب, Tower of the Arabs), a luxury hotel, is frequently described as "the world's only 7-star", though its management has said it has never made that claim. A Jumeirah Group spokesperson is quoted as saying: "There's not a lot we can do to stop it. We're not encouraging the use of the term. We've never used it in our advertising."

Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa known as the Burj Dubai before its inauguration is an 828 metres (2,717 ft) high skyscraper in Dubai, and the tallest building in the world. The tower was inspired by the structure of the desert flower Hymenocallis. It was constructed by more than 30 contracting companies around the world with 100 nationalities of workers. It is a building icon.The building was opened in 2010.

Artificial Islands

Dubai is home to several man-made islands, most of which were created in the 2000s and 2010s.

Palm Jumeirah

Dubai Miracle Garden

On 14 February 2013, the Dubai Miracle Garden, a 72,000-metre (236,000-foot) flower garden, opened in Dubailand. It is the world's largest flower garden. The garden has a total of 45 million flowers with re-use of waste water through drip irrigation. During the summer seasons from late May to September when the climate can get extremely hot with an average high of about 40 °C (104 °F), the garden stays closed.

Transportation

Transport in Dubai is controlled by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), an agency of the government of Dubai, formed by royal decree in 2005. The public transport network has in the past faced congestion and reliability issues which a large investment programme has addressed, including over AED 70 billion of improvements planned for completion by 2020, when the population of the city is projected to exceed 3.5 million. In 2009, according to Dubai Municipality statistics, there were an estimated 1,021,880 cars in Dubai. In January 2010, the number of Dubai residents who use public transport stood at 6%.

Five main routes - E 11 (Sheikh Zayed Road), E 311 (Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road), E 44 (Dubai-Hatta Highway), E 77 (Dubai-Al Habab Road) and E 66 (Oud Metha Road) - run through Dubai, connecting the city to other towns and emirates. Additionally, several important intra-city routes, such as D 89 (Al Maktoum Road/Airport Road), D 85 (Baniyas Road), D 75 (Sheikh Rashid Road), D 73 (Al Dhiyafa Road now named as 2 December street), D 94 (Jumeirah Road) and D 92 (Al Khaleej/Al Wasl Road) connect the various localities in the city. The eastern and western sections of the city are connected by Al Maktoum Bridge, Al Garhoud Bridge, Al Shindagha Tunnel, Business Bay Crossing and Floating Bridge.

The Public Bus Transport system in Dubai is run by the RTA. The bus system services 140 routes and transported over 109 million people in 2008. By the end of 2010, there will be 2,100 buses in service across the city. In 2006, the Transport authority announced the construction of 500 air-conditioned (A/C ) Passenger Bus Shelters, and planned for 1,000 more across the emirates in a move to encourage the use of public buses.

All taxi services are licensed by the RTA. Dubai licensed taxis are easily identifiable by their cream bodywork colour and varied roof colours identifying the operator. Dubai Taxi Corporation, a division of the RTA, is the largest operator and has taxis with red roofs. There are five private operators: Metro Taxis (orange roofs); Network Taxis (yellow roofs); Cars Taxis (blue roofs); Arabia Taxis (green roofs); and City Taxis (purple roof). In addition, Dubai Taxi Corporation has a Ladies Taxi service, with pink roofs, which caters exclusively for female passengers, using female drivers. The Dubai International Airport taxi concession is operated by Dubai Taxi Corporation. There are more than 3000 taxis operating within the emirate making an average of 192,000 trips every day, carrying about 385,000 persons. In 2009 taxi trips exceeded 70 million trips serving around 140.45 million passengers.

The development of Al Maktoum International Airport ( IATA: DWC) was announced in 2004. The first phase of the airport, featuring one A380 capable runway, 64 remote stands, one cargo terminal with annual capacity for 250,000 tonnes of cargo and a passenger terminal building designed to accommodate five million passengers per year, has been opened. When completed, Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International will be the largest airport in the world with five runways, four terminal buildings and capacity for 160 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo.

The $3.89 billion Dubai Metro project is operational. It consists of two lines (Red line and Green line) which run through the financial and residential areas of the city. The Metro system was partially opened on September 2009. UK-based international service company Serco is responsible for operating the metro. The metro comprises the Green Line, which has 20 stations (8 underground, 12 elevated) and runs from the Etisalat Station to the Creek Station and the Red Line, the major back bone line, which has 29 stations (4 underground, 24 elevated and 1 at ground level) and runs from Rashidiya Station to UAE Xchange Station Jebel Ali. In July 2016 a contract was awarded to add a branch to the Red Line running to the EXPO 2020 site; this extension is due to open in April 2020. A Blue and a Purple Line have also been planned. The Dubai Metro (Green and Blue Lines) will have 70 km (43.5 mi) of track and 43 stations, 37 above ground and ten underground. The Dubai Metro is the first urban train network in the Arabian Peninsula. All the trains run without a driver and are based on automatic navigation.

Palm Jumeirah Monorail

The Palm Jumeirah Monorail is a monorail line on the Palm Jumeirah. It connects the Palm Jumeirah to the mainland, with a planned further extension to the Red Line of the Dubai Metro. The line opened on 30 April 2009. It is the first monorail in the Middle East. Two tram systems are expected to be built in Dubai by 2011. The first is the Downtown Burj Khalifa Tram System and the second is the Al Sufouh Tram. The Downtown Burj Khalifa Tram System is a 4.6 km (2.9 mi) tram service that is planned to service the area around the Burj Khalifa, and the second tram will run 14.5 km (9.0 mi) along Al Sufouh Road from Dubai Marina to the Burj Al Arab and the Mall of the Emirates.

A tramway located in Al Sufouh, Dubai, will run for 14.5 kilometres (9.0 miles) along Al Sufouh Road from Dubai Marina to the Burj Al Arab and the Mall of the Emirates with two interchanges with Dubai Metro's Red Line. The first section, a 10.6-kilometer (6.6 mi) long tram line which serves 11 stations, was opened on 11 November 2014, by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, The Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the line opening to the public at 6 am on 12 November 2014.

High speed rail

Dubai has announced it will complete a link of the UAE high-speed rail system which will eventually hook up with the whole GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council, also known as Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) and then possibly Europe. The High Speed Rail will serve passengers and cargo.

There are two major commercial ports in Dubai, Port Rashid and Port Jebel Ali. Port Jebel Ali is the world's largest man-made harbour, the biggest port in the Middle East, and the 7th-busiest port in the world. One of the more traditional methods of getting across Bur Dubai to Deira is by abras, small boats that ferry passengers across the Dubai Creek, between abra stations in Bastakiya and Baniyas Road. The Marine Transport Agency has also implemented the Dubai Water Bus System. Water bus is a fully air conditioned boat service across selected destinations across the creek. One can also avail oneself of the tourist water bus facility in Dubai. Latest addition to the water transport system is the Water Taxi.

The UAE culture mainly revolves around the religion of Islam and traditional Arab culture. The influence of Islamic and Arab culture on its architecture, music, attire, cuisine and lifestyle are very prominent as well. Five times every day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques which are scattered around the country. Since 2006, the weekend has been Friday-Saturday, as a compromise between Friday's holiness to Muslims and the Western weekend of Saturday-Sunday. Prior to 2006, the weekend was Thursday-Friday.

The city's cultural imprint as a small, ethnically homogeneous pearling community was changed with the arrival of other ethnic groups and nationals-first by the Iranians in the early 1900s, and later by Indians and Pakistanis in the 1960s. In 2005, 84% of the population of metropolitan Dubai was foreign-born, about half of them from India.

Due to the touristic approach of many Dubaites in the entrepreneurial sector and the high standard of living, Dubai's culture has gradually evolved towards one of luxury, opulence and lavishness with a high regard for leisure-related extravagance. Annual entertainment events such as the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) attract over 4 million visitors from across the region and generate revenues in excess of $2.7 billion.

The International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA), the world's leading events trade association, has crowned Dubai as IFEA World Festival and Event City, 2012 in the cities category with a population of more than one million. Large shopping malls in the city, such as Deira City Centre, Mirdiff City Centre, BurJuman, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall (the world's largest) and Ibn Battuta Mall as well as traditional Dubai Gold Souk and other souks attract shoppers from the region.

Arabic food is very popular and is available everywhere in the city, from the small diners in Deira and Al Karama to the restaurants in Dubai's hotels. Fast food, South Asian, and Chinese cuisines are also very popular and are widely available. The sale and consumption of pork, though legal, is regulated and is sold only to non-Muslims, in designated areas of supermarkets and airports. Similarly, the sale of alcoholic beverages is regulated. A liquor permit is required to purchase alcohol; however, alcohol is available in bars and restaurants within hotels. Shisha and boutiques are also popular in Dubai. Dubai is known for its nightlife. Clubs and bars are found mostly in hotels due to the liquor laws. The New York Times described Dubai as "the kind of city where you might run into Michael Jordan at the Buddha Bar or stumble across Naomi Campbell celebrating her birthday with a multiday bash".

Biryani is also a popular cuisine across Dubai with being the most popular among Indians and Pakistanis present in Dubai.

Dubai Food Festival

The inaugural Dubai Food Festival was held between 21 February to 15 March 2014. According to Vision magazine, the event was aimed at enhancing and celebrating Dubai's position as the gastronomic capital of the region. The festival was designed to showcase the variety of flavours and cuisines on offer in Dubai featuring the cuisines of over 200 nationalities at the festival. The next food festival was held between 23 February 2017 to 11 March 2017.

Football and cricket are the most popular sports in Dubai. Five teams ( Al Wasl FC, Al-Ahli Dubai, Al Nasr SC, Al Shabab Al Arabi Club and Dubai Club) represent Dubai in UAE Pro-League. Al-Wasl have the second-most number of championships in the UAE League, after Al Ain. Dubai also hosts both the annual Dubai Tennis Championships and The Legends Rock Dubai tennis tournaments, as well as the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament and the Dubai World Championship, all of which attract sports stars from around the world. The Dubai World Cup, a thoroughbred horse race, is held annually at the Meydan Racecourse. Dubai also hosts the traditional rugby union tournament Dubai Sevens, part of the Sevens World Series Event pictures of Rugby 7 Dubai 2015. In 2009, Dubai hosted the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Auto racing is also a big sport in Dubai, the Dubai Autodrome is home to many auto racing events throughout the year. It also features a state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor Kartdrome, popular among racing enthusiasts and recreational riders.

The Emirati attire is typical of several countries in the Arabian peninsula. Women usually wear the "Abaya", a long black robe with a hijab (the head-scarf which covers the neck and part of the head). Some women may add a niqab which cover the mouth and nose and only leaves the eyes exposed. Men wear the "Kandurah" also referred to as "dishdasha" or even "thawb" (long white robe) and the headscarf (Ghotrah). The UAE traditional Ghotrah is white and is held in place by an accessory called "Egal", which resembles a black cord. The younger Emiratis prefer to wear red and white Ghotras and tie it round their head like a turban.

The above dress code is never compulsory and many people wear western or other eastern clothing without any problems; but prohibitions on wearing "indecent clothing" or revealing too much skin are aspects of the UAE to which Dubai's visitors are expected to conform, and are encoded in Dubai's criminal law. The UAE has enforced decency regulations in most public places, aside from waterparks, beaches, clubs, and bars.

Images for kids

In Spanish: Dubái (ciudad) para niños

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https://kids.kiddle.co/Phoenix,_Arizona

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Phoenix is the capital of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is one of the largest cities in the United States. It lies on the Salt River within the Sonoran Desert. Mountains surround the city. Its warm, sunny climate has made it a popular vacation spot.

Many people in Phoenix work for the government. Many others work in tourism, health care, or other service industries. Factories in and around Phoenix make spacecraft, aircraft, electronics, and computer parts.

Phoenix lies in a dry area. The city developed as people were able to bring water there. In ancient times a Native American people called the Hohokam lived in the area. They dug canals from the Salt River to carry water to their crops.

In modern times there were no towns in the Phoenix area until the late 1800s. In 1867 a businessman named Jack Swilling built new water canals in the area. New farms were soon established there. Phoenix grew near the farms.

The capital of the Arizona Territory was moved to Phoenix in 1889. In 1912 Arizona became a U.S. state with Phoenix as its capital.

Roosevelt Dam was built on the Salt River in 1911. The dam allowed much more water to be brought to Phoenix. The city grew very quickly after that. Population (2020) 1,608,139.

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Phoenix is the capital of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is one of the largest cities in the United States. It lies on the Salt River within the Sonoran Desert. Mountains...

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https://kids.kiddle.co/Kuwait

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The tiny desert country of Kuwait has some of the world's largest petroleum reserves. Of all the oil-producing Arab countries of the Middle East, Kuwait was the first whose citizens came to benefit from its oil wealth. The government continues to provide a generous social welfare program to Kuwaitis. The capital of Kuwait is Kuwait city.

Kuwait drew international attention in 1990 when it was invaded and annexed by its much larger northern neighbor, Iraq. This act of aggression was met with military force by a United Nations (UN) coalition led by the United States. The Persian Gulf War freed Kuwait from Iraqi control in early 1991. Area 6,880 square miles (17,818 square kilometers). Population (2024 est.) 5,184,000.

Kuwait lies at the northeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, on the shore of the Persian Gulf. It has borders with Iraq on the north and west and Saudi Arabia on the south. A number of small offshore islands, including Faylakah, Bubiyan, and Warbah, belong to Kuwait. Kuwait Bay extends 30 miles (48 kilometers) inland from the gulf.

Kuwait is largely desert, except for Al-Jahra Oasis, at the western end of Kuwait Bay, and a few fertile patches in the southeast and along the coast. The land is a gently sloping plain rising westward from the Persian Gulf and reaching an elevation of 951 feet (290 meters) at Al-Shiqaya (or Ash-Shaqaya) peak, near the western border. The Al-Zawr Escarpment, rising to 475 feet (145 meters), extends along the northwestern shore of Kuwait Bay.

Kuwait has no lakes or rivers that flow year-round. Seasonal streams called wadis flow after winter rains. Throughout the northern, western, and central sections of the country there are desert basins, which sometimes fill with rainwater. Historically, these basins formed important watering places-refuges for the camel herds of the Bedouin.

Kuwait has a harsh desert climate. Daytime temperatures in summer ordinarily reach 111 °F (44 °C) and sometimes approach 130 °F (54 °C). There are occasional dust storms, some accompanied by thunder and rain. Along the Persian Gulf, the humidity is high, making the summer months very unpleasant. Kuwait's average annual rainfall of 1 to 7 inches (2.5 to 18 centimeters) occurs almost entirely between October and April.

Very little soil exists naturally in Kuwait. Most of the country's plant life consists of scrub and low bushes. Halophytes (salt-loving plants) grow on the marshy stretches along the coast. If there is enough rainfall, however, the desert turns green with grass from mid-March to the end of April.

Kuwait's harsh climate limits mammals to the occasional gazelle, fox, or civet and rodents such as gerbils and jerboas. Native reptiles include venomous cobras and vipers, as well as gecko, monitor, and vegetarian dab lizards.

Kuwait is an Arab country. Many Kuwaitis can trace their origins to such Arab tribes as the ʿAnizah, Ajman, Utaibah, Awazim, and Dawasir. However, Kuwaitis-Arabs who are citizens of Kuwait-make up less than a third of the country's population. The majority of the people are foreigners who do not have citizenship status. The number of foreigners grew steadily after World War II as people migrated to Kuwait to work. Today more than a third of the population is Asian, mainly of Iranian, Indian, or Pakistani ancestry. Most of the rest of the foreigners are Arabs from elsewhere in the Middle East. There is also a small African population. Arabic is the official language, but English is also widely spoken and is taught in the public schools.

Almost all Kuwaitis practice Islam, the official religion. The majority are Sunni, but about a third are Shiʿite. There is a significant minority of Christians among the foreign population.

Kuwait is one of the world's most urbanized countries. Most of the people live in the capital, Kuwait city. In the early 1950s the capital was a fortified town surrounded by a mud wall for protection against raiding tribes. Today it is a modern metropolis with high-rise office towers, hotels, and apartment buildings. The nomadic Bedouin of Kuwait have virtually disappeared since the early 1960s because of housing built by the government for the rural population. Kuwait, therefore, no longer officially has a Bedouin population, but rather a growing suburban populace composed largely of former nomad s.

Kuwait's citizens receive government-subsidized housing, health services, and education. Education is free and compulsory for native Kuwaitis between the ages of 6 and 14. Non-Kuwaiti students typically attend private schools. Kuwait University, founded in 1964, serves mostly Kuwaiti students. The American University of Kuwait was established in 2003 and is based on the U.S. model of higher education. Almost all of Kuwait's people are literate.

Kuwait's economy is based on petroleum. Despite its small size, Kuwait has some of the largest oil reserves in the world. Crude petroleum and petroleum products account for more than 90 percent of both the country's exports and its government revenue. Kuwait also has considerable natural gas reserves, almost all of which is produced together with crude oil.

The Kuwaiti government owns all of the country's petroleum, natural gas, and related industries, but this was not always the case. The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) was established in 1934 by British and American firms. Oil was struck in 1938, but World War II delayed development until 1946. In the 1950s petroleum was discovered in the Neutral Zone shared with Saudi Arabia and in northern Kuwait. In the early 1960s a Japanese company started producing petroleum off Kuwait's shores in the Persian Gulf. In the 1970s the Kuwaiti government began acquiring shares of KOC from foreign oil firms, and by the end of 1975 the company was wholly owned by the government. In 1980 the government founded the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) to oversee every aspect of its oil operations, including exploration, production, processing, and distribution.

The government's efforts to reduce the economy's dependence on oil have had little success. The dominant manufacturing activities are petroleum refining and the production of petrochemicals. Other industries include the production of cement and other building materials, shipbuilding, and food processing.

The service sector is the leading source of employment in Kuwait. About four-fifths of the labor force works in services. Most Kuwaitis work for the government, largely in education, while foreign workers fill most jobs in finance, real estate, and other fields in the private sector. Tourism plays only a small role in the country's economy, though the government has begun to promote that industry in its attempts to diversify the economy.

Agriculture is a marginal economic activity in Kuwait. The small tracts of fertile land are irrigated using recycled wastewater or brackish groundwater to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, dates, cauliflower, broccoli, and eggplants. The main livestock are sheep, goats, cattle, and chickens.

Before the discovery of oil, fishing was an important part of Kuwait's economy. Today fishing takes place on a much smaller scale. Much of the shrimp catch is frozen for export. Pearling, a world-renowned Kuwaiti industry before the oil era, has almost disappeared.

Kuwait has a modern road system linking it with its neighbors. A large international airport, Kuwait International Airport, is located just south of the capital. The largest of the country's several ports is Shuwaikh, west of the capital on Kuwait Bay. There are no railways, though plans for construction of a national rail system are under way.

Regular telephone service was established in Kuwait only in the 1950s. Since that time the country has made significant progress in telephone, cable, wireless communication, and Internet service. In 2015 more than 82 percent of the population were Internet users, up from only 7 percent in 2000.

Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy ruled by the Sabah family (also known as Al Sabah). The ruler, called the emir, appoints the prime minister and the members of the cabinet, known as the Council of Ministers. The single legislative body, the National Assembly, has 50 elected members and another 15 seats filled by cabinet ministers chosen by the emir. For decades the right to vote was limited to adult males born in Kuwait, but suffrage was extended to women in 2005. In 2009 women were elected to the National Assembly for the first time. Political parties are not permitted, though there are quasi-political organizations with representatives in the legislature. The Kuwaiti court system is based on a combination of civil and Islamic law.

Archaeological evidence, particularly on Faylakah island in Kuwait Bay, suggests that Kuwait was part of an early civilization contemporary with Sumer and the Indus Valley civilization (3rd millennium bc). Having close connections with the cities of Mesopotamia and the trading center of Dilmun (widely regarded as the modern Bahrain), the Faylakah island civilization flourished until approximately 1200 bc, when it disappeared from the historical record. Greek colonists arrived on the island during the time of Alexander the Great (about 323 bc) and built a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. The island passed to the Seleucid kingdom but declined during Roman times.

The modern history of Kuwait is usually said to begin at the beginning of the 18th century ad. It was then that the ʿAnizah tribe of central Arabia began an eastward search for better pasture and water and founded Kuwait city. (The traditional founding date is 1710.) The establishment of the sheikhdom dates from 1756, when the settlers appointed ʿAbd Rahim of the Sabah family as sheikh. The Sabah family continues to rule Kuwait.

During the 19th century Kuwait developed as a thriving independent trading community. Toward the end of that century, however, the Ottoman Turks threatened to annex Kuwait to their empire. In the same period, Germany sought to extend its Berlin-Baghdad railway to the port of Kuwait. To thwart both Ottoman and German influences, Britain and Kuwait concluded an agreement in 1899 by which Kuwait gave Britain control over its foreign affairs in return for British protection. Kuwait officially became a British protectorate following the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

In 1922 Britain negotiated the border between Kuwait and Najd (now Saudi Arabia) in the Treaty of Al Uqayr, which created the compromise Neutral Zone. The northern frontier with Iraq was agreed upon in 1923.

On June 19, 1961, the British government recognized Kuwait as a fully independent country. Days later, however, Iraq renewed an earlier claim that all of Kuwait was Iraqi territory. The British and then the Arab League sent troops to defend Kuwait against a possible invasion. Kuwait was admitted to the Arab League on July 20, 1961. It was not until October 1963 that a new Iraqi regime formally recognized Kuwait's independence.

Kuwait typically followed a neutral and mediatory policy among Arab states. The war that began in 1980 between Iran and Iraq, however, seriously threatened Kuwait's security. Fearing Iranian dominance in the region, Kuwait sided with Iraq, providing loans and allowing military supplies to pass through Kuwait. Iran attacked a Kuwaiti oil refinery in 1981 and targeted Kuwaiti tankers in the Persian Gulf. During the war, Kuwait joined with five of its gulf neighbors to form the Gulf Cooperation Council in order to develop closer cooperation on security and economic issues.

With the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988, relations between Kuwait and Iraq began to deteriorate. In July 1990 Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing petroleum from a disputed oil field and of producing too much petroleum; Iraqi forces then massed along the border. On August 2, after talks between the two countries broke down, Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait, beginning the Persian Gulf War. Less than a week later Iraq annexed Kuwait and closed the borders of both countries.

The United States and its allies rushed troops to the Saudi Arabia-Iraq border. The coalition began an air campaign against Iraq on January 16, 1991, and launched a ground assault five weeks later. Iraqi troops withdrew by the end of February. Although liberated, the country had sustained heavy damage-more than 700 of its oil wells had been set ablaze-and the Iraqis had stolen nearly everything of value. Much of Kuwait city was destroyed, and thousands of citizens had been killed or taken hostage. Kuwait's leaders returned from exile in Saudi Arabia in March. Martial law was imposed until October 1992, when elections for the National Assembly were held.

Problems arose again with Iraq in late 1994 when that country ordered thousands of Iraqi troops to the Kuwaiti border. Fear of another invasion brought the swift deployment of U.S. troops to Kuwait, forcing Iraq to withdraw its forces. Tense relations between Iraq and Kuwait continued until early 2003, when U.S.-led coalition forces launched an invasion of Iraq-largely from inside Kuwait. The fall of Saddam Hussein's government during the Iraq War was greeted with great relief in Kuwait.

In the early 21st century Kuwait experienced years of political conflict resulting from tensions between the royal family and its opponents in the National Assembly. Political crises led to frequent legislative elections, sometimes with less than a year between them. In late 2011 allegations of government corruption sparked protests by youth activists and members of the opposition, which led to the removal of Kuwait's prime minister and the dissolution of the legislature. A new parliament dominated by the opposition clashed frequently with cabinet ministers before it was dissolved just months later by the Constitutional Court. The emir then introduced new voting rules that were widely seen as a way to guarantee a National Assembly that would support his government. The move led to renewed protests, which the police broke up with tear gas and stun grenades. The opposition boycotted elections in late 2012 and 2013, resulting in the election of a progovernment legislature.

In June 2015 Kuwait experienced its worst-ever act of terrorism when a suicide bomber struck a Shiʿite mosque in Kuwait city, killing 27 people and wounding more than 200. A group affiliated with the extremist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sheila A. Scoville

Ed.

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The tiny desert country of Kuwait has some of the world's largest petroleum reserves. Of all the oil-producing Arab countries of the Middle East, Kuwait was the first whose...