Showing posts with label English trave around-world-travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label English trave around-world-travel. Show all posts
Dubai Home
Dubai is to the Middle East what Hong Kong is to Asia: a capitalist boom town buzzing with activity. Most visitors to the region stop here for at least a day to browse the shops, eat in the restaurants and soak up the atmosphere of a city that oozes wealth and a general air of self-satisfied confidence. Nestled between the languid Southern Gulf waters and sweeping desert, cosmopolitan Dubai is blessed by a superb year-round climate, and with its numerous opulent hotels, towering attractions, peerless shopping, stunning entertainment and commercial opportunities, makes Dubai an ideal destination for the traveller enjoying a luxury vacation or business trip.Dubai's cityscape is undergoing dramatic redevelopment, with a number of record-breaking projects - including the planet's tallest five-star deluxe hotel (the Burj al-Arab), largest man-made marina (Dubai Marina) and largest man-made island (Palm Islands) - in progress. The Dubai Waterfront project is set to add 500 miles of man-made waterfront filled with canals and hotel-rich islands: a development the size of Manhattan! Vast investment in luxury golf and entertainment resorts - such as Dubailand and Dubai Golf City - means the city is set for even more dramatic growth as a prestige destination, and Dubai's strategic Middle East location has made it popular as an international convention city.Recognised as one of Asia's premier shopping cities, Dubai's tax-free shopping attracts visitors with its range of quality goods, notably gold and jewelry, electrical items and stylish fashions from Europe. The city's fine department stores, malls, boutiques and souks are complemented by a first-rate airport shopping centre and even retail festivals - adding a dash more entertainment to an already heady retail scene. Dubai is a world-class venue for many top sporting events: the Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament, the Dubai Tennis Championships, Sevens Rugby Union tournament, Emirates off-shore Power Boat Grand Prix, and the UAE Desert Motorsport Challenge amongst them. Perhaps the city's blue riband sporting event is the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup - a thrilling night time spectacle contested at the Nad Al Sheba track that attracts the finest thoroughbreds from around the globe. Amongst Dubai's foremost outdoor attractions are its breathtaking golf courses: layouts such as Creek Golf & Yacht Club and the Emirates Golf Club set a memorable challenge. Take a desert safari or try the unusual desert pastime of ice skating at the rink in the Galleria shopping mall.With its surfeit of great restaurants, bars, live music venues and nightclubs, Dubai offers full-on evening entertainment, after which you can retire to truly luxurious accommodation. Dubai offers over 400 luxury hotels, meeting the needs of the most discerning guests. Many of the world's most prominent hotel chains operate star-class hotels in the Emirates, among them being the seven-star Burj Al Arab. Even the standard facilities are exceptional with swimming pools, tennis courts and fully equipped health centres coming as standard. Top hotels generally offer a choice of fine restaurants, with several waterfront hotels having excellent beaches and extensive watersports facilities
Overview Iran (Islamic Republic Of)
Iran is located in the Middle East, bounded by Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, Iraq and Turkey. The centre and east of the country is largely barren desert with mountainous regions in the west. Tehran, the capital, is essentially a busy and modern city, but the best of the old has been preserved.As one of the first countries to be occupied by the early Islamic armies which came out of Arabia in the seventh century, Iran has a rich and detailed history. The antique sights of Persia, one of the greatest empires of the ancient world, can be witnessed alongside bustling metropolises and vast mountain ranges. Several bazaars are just as old and Iran is the destination for those in search of the most expensive rugs and carpets in the world. Iran has maintained a distinct cultural identity within the Islamic world by retaining its own language and adhering to the Shi'a interpretation of Islam. As a unique Islamic Republic, Iran is ruled by both supreme leaders and elected presidents.
Irpedia (Tourism Industry Association of Iran)Unit 9, 27 Khansari Alley, Somayyeh Street, Tehran, IranTel: (21) 8834 5269.Website: http://www.irpedia.com/Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the UK16 Prince's Gate, London SW7 1PT, UK Tel: (020) 7225 3000. Website: http://www.iran-embassy.org.uk/ Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.Iranian Consulate in the UK50 Kensington Court, Kensington High Street, London W8 5DB, UK Tel: (020) 7937 5225. Website: http://www.iran-embassy.org.uk/ Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1230.Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations622 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: (212) 687 2020. Website: www.un.int/iranInterests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the USAc/o The Embassy of Pakistan, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA Tel: (202) 965 4990. Website: http://www.daftar.org/
LocationMiddle East.TimeGMT + 3.5.Area1,648,043 sq km (636,313 sq miles).Population65.4 million (CIA estimate 2007).Population Density39.7 per sq km.CapitalTehran. Population: 7.2 million (UN estimate 2003).GeographyIran is located in the Middle East, bordered to the north by Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea, the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and the west by Iraq and Turkey. The centre and east of the country are largely barren undulating desert, punctured by qanats (irrigation canals) and green oases, but there are mountainous regions in the west along the Turkish and Iraqi borders and in the north where the Elburz Mountains rise steeply from a fertile belt around the Caspian Sea.GovernmentIslamic Republic since 1979.Head of StateSupreme Leader (Rahbar-e Moazam) Ayatollah Ali Khameni since 1989.Head of GovernmentPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad since June 2005.Recent HistoryPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was Tehran's ultra-conservative mayor before winning a run-off vote in elections in June 2005, becoming Iran's first non-cleric president for 24 years. The conservatives also won decisively in the general election of March 2008.Despite promising an administration of ‘peace and moderation', Iran has continued its nuclear programme. The president caused controversy early into his presidency over his comments that Israel should be ‘wiped off the map' and that the Holocaust was a ‘myth'.US president George W Bush declared Iran part of the ‘axis of evil' in 2002. Washington has accused Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons and to sabotage US efforts in Iraq. Iran is building its first atomic power station with Russian help but it maintains that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.LanguagePersian (Farsi) and Persian dialects are the most widely spoken language, used by 58% of the population. Turkic and Turkic dialects and Kurdish are also used. Arabic is spoken by 1% in Khuzestan in the southwest, and Turkish in the northwest around Tabriz. English, French and (to a lesser extent) German are spoken by many businesspeople and officials.ReligionOf the 98% Muslim population, 89% are Shi'a and 9% are Sunni. The remaining 2% consists of Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and Baha'i faiths.Electricity230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type.Social ConventionsFeelings about certain countries (such as the USA and the UK) run high, so the visitor should avoid contentious subjects. The Westernisation of the Iranian way of life has been arrested since the fall of the Shah, and Koranic law exercises a much more traditional influence over much of the populace. In general, Western influences are now discouraged. Handshaking is customary, but not with members of the opposite sex. It must be remembered that intimate relations between non-Muslim men and Muslim women is illegal, and may incur imprisonment. Visitors should address hosts by their surname or title. Iranians are very hospitable and like to entertain. It is also customary to be offered tea, and guests are expected to accept such offers of hospitality. Because of Islamic customs, dress should be conservative and discreet, especially women’s. This has been especially enforced of late; women should cover their heads when in the public sphere, wear loose-fitted clothing, and ensure that their arms and legs are also concealed. Businesspeople are expected to wear a suit and more formal attire is also needed in smart dining rooms and for important social functions. During Ramadan, smoking, eating and drinking in public are prohibited between sunrise and sunset; however, facilities are always available in major hotels.
Irpedia (Tourism Industry Association of Iran)Unit 9, 27 Khansari Alley, Somayyeh Street, Tehran, IranTel: (21) 8834 5269.Website: http://www.irpedia.com/Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the UK16 Prince's Gate, London SW7 1PT, UK Tel: (020) 7225 3000. Website: http://www.iran-embassy.org.uk/ Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.Iranian Consulate in the UK50 Kensington Court, Kensington High Street, London W8 5DB, UK Tel: (020) 7937 5225. Website: http://www.iran-embassy.org.uk/ Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1230.Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations622 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: (212) 687 2020. Website: www.un.int/iranInterests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the USAc/o The Embassy of Pakistan, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA Tel: (202) 965 4990. Website: http://www.daftar.org/
LocationMiddle East.TimeGMT + 3.5.Area1,648,043 sq km (636,313 sq miles).Population65.4 million (CIA estimate 2007).Population Density39.7 per sq km.CapitalTehran. Population: 7.2 million (UN estimate 2003).GeographyIran is located in the Middle East, bordered to the north by Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea, the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and the west by Iraq and Turkey. The centre and east of the country are largely barren undulating desert, punctured by qanats (irrigation canals) and green oases, but there are mountainous regions in the west along the Turkish and Iraqi borders and in the north where the Elburz Mountains rise steeply from a fertile belt around the Caspian Sea.GovernmentIslamic Republic since 1979.Head of StateSupreme Leader (Rahbar-e Moazam) Ayatollah Ali Khameni since 1989.Head of GovernmentPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad since June 2005.Recent HistoryPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was Tehran's ultra-conservative mayor before winning a run-off vote in elections in June 2005, becoming Iran's first non-cleric president for 24 years. The conservatives also won decisively in the general election of March 2008.Despite promising an administration of ‘peace and moderation', Iran has continued its nuclear programme. The president caused controversy early into his presidency over his comments that Israel should be ‘wiped off the map' and that the Holocaust was a ‘myth'.US president George W Bush declared Iran part of the ‘axis of evil' in 2002. Washington has accused Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons and to sabotage US efforts in Iraq. Iran is building its first atomic power station with Russian help but it maintains that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.LanguagePersian (Farsi) and Persian dialects are the most widely spoken language, used by 58% of the population. Turkic and Turkic dialects and Kurdish are also used. Arabic is spoken by 1% in Khuzestan in the southwest, and Turkish in the northwest around Tabriz. English, French and (to a lesser extent) German are spoken by many businesspeople and officials.ReligionOf the 98% Muslim population, 89% are Shi'a and 9% are Sunni. The remaining 2% consists of Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and Baha'i faiths.Electricity230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type.Social ConventionsFeelings about certain countries (such as the USA and the UK) run high, so the visitor should avoid contentious subjects. The Westernisation of the Iranian way of life has been arrested since the fall of the Shah, and Koranic law exercises a much more traditional influence over much of the populace. In general, Western influences are now discouraged. Handshaking is customary, but not with members of the opposite sex. It must be remembered that intimate relations between non-Muslim men and Muslim women is illegal, and may incur imprisonment. Visitors should address hosts by their surname or title. Iranians are very hospitable and like to entertain. It is also customary to be offered tea, and guests are expected to accept such offers of hospitality. Because of Islamic customs, dress should be conservative and discreet, especially women’s. This has been especially enforced of late; women should cover their heads when in the public sphere, wear loose-fitted clothing, and ensure that their arms and legs are also concealed. Businesspeople are expected to wear a suit and more formal attire is also needed in smart dining rooms and for important social functions. During Ramadan, smoking, eating and drinking in public are prohibited between sunrise and sunset; however, facilities are always available in major hotels.
