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Ajman  is one of the seven emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With an area of just 260 square kilometres, Ajman is the smallest emirate by area. Its seat of government is Ajm?n, which is surrounded to its north, south, and east by Sharjah.

Located along the Persian Gulf, Ajman also controls Masfut and Manama, two small, inland enclaves that are primarily agricultural. Approximately 95% of the population of the emirate resides in the city of Ajman. The population was only 36,100 in 1980 but grew considerably in recent years, due to an influx of people from the neighbouring emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, and other countries. Ajman is ruled by Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi of the Al Nuaimi tribe. The Crown Prince of the Emirate is Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi. Ajm?n has experienced massive development and a construction boom in recent years .

::History

On 8 January 1820, Sheikh Rashid ibn Humayd Al Nuaimi signed the General Maritime Treaty with Britain, accepting a protectorate to keep the Ottoman Turks out. Like four of Ajm?n's neighbors, Sharjah, Dubai, Ras al-Khaimah and Umm al-Qaiwain, its position on the route to India made it important enough to be recognized as a salute state (albeit of the lowest class: 3 guns).

On 2 December 1971, Sheikh Rashid ibn Humayd Al Nuaimi joined the United Arab Emirates.

Its rulers were:

• 17.. – 17.. Sheikh Rashid ibn Hamid Al Nuaimi
• 17.. – 1816 Sheikh Humayd ibn Rashid Al Nuaimi
• 1816 – 1838 Sheikh Rashid II ibn Humayd Al Nuaimi (d. 1838)
• 1838 – 1841 Sheikh Humayd II ibn Rashid Al Nuaimi (1st time) (d. 1873)
• 1841 – 1848 Sheikh `Abd al–`Aziz I ibn Rashid Al Nuaimi (d. 1848)
• 1848 – 1873 Sheikh Humayd II ibn Rashid Al Nuaimi (2nd time)
• 1873 – April 1891 Sheikh Rashid III ibn Humaid Al Nuaimi (d. 1891)
• April 1891 – 8 July 1900 Sheikh Humaid III ibn Rashid Al Nuaimi (d. 1900)
• 8 July 1900 – February 1910 Sheikh `Abd al–`Aziz II ibn Humayd Al Nuaimi (b. 18.. – d. 1910)
• February 1910 – January 1928 Sheikh Humayd IV ibn `Abd al–`Aziz Al Nuaimi
• January 1928 – 6 September 1981 Sheikh Rashid IV ibn Humayd Al Nuaimi (b. 1904 – d. 1981)
• 6 September 1981 – 20.. Sheikh Humayd V ibn Rashid Al Nuaimi (b. 1931)

::Ajman development boom

After the success of freehold property in Dubai, Ajman was the second emirate to offer freehold property. Ajman is currently the only emirate in the UAE offering investors of any nationality fully transparent true 100% freehold ownership on real estate, which in turn has attracted a huge number of investors (local and international) to this emirate. This in turn has prompted the Ajman government to initiate a number of development projects.

New Ajman is the name given to the area being developed outside of the current Ajman city, located by the Emirates Road. New Ajman will consist of many new developments & projects envisioned by Chief of Municipality Sheikh Rashid Al Nuaimi. One of the first developments of New Ajman is called "The Emirates City", a brand new city located directly on the Emirates Road to be built from scratch consisting of more than 100 mid- and high-rise buildings. A number of shopping malls, hotels and residential villas are also planned to eventually extend all the way to the 'Al Zoura' area, where beachside developments are planned .

Ajman International Airport hosting about two million passengers per year has also been announced, and construction will start in the second half of 2008 in the Al Manama area of the Ajman, and airport operations are set to start by 2011