United Arab Emirates
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Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

United Arab Emirates
Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between
Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 54 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total: 82,880 sq km
land: 82,880 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Areacomparative: slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline: 1,318 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert
wasteland; mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 2%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 98% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
Environmentcurrent issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination
plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environmentinternational agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Geographynote: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a
vital transit point for world crude oil
People
Population: 2,303,088 (July 1998 est.)
note: includes 1,561,840 non-nationals (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 372,413; female 356,834)
15-64 years: 66% (male 995,798; female 535,014)
65 years and over: 2% (male 29,169; female 13,860) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.78% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 18.61 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 3.06 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.86 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.1 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.77 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.93 years
male: 73.5 years
female: 76.44 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.56 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Emirian(s)
adjective: Emirian
Ethnic groups: Emiri 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates
(includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literacy not available
total population: 79.2%
male: 78.9%
female: 79.8% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE
Data code: TC
Government type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government
and other powers reserved to member emirates
National capital: Abu Dhabi
Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singularimarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman,
Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm
al Qaywayn
Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971)
Constitution: 2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)
Legal system: federal court system introduced in 1971; all emirates except Dubayy
(Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah have joined the federal system; all emirates have
secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler
of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin
Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai)
head of government: Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler
of Dubayy (Dubai); Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since
20 November 1990)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) which is composed of the
seven emirate rulers; the council is the highest constitutional authority
in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation,
Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power;
meets four times a year
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC (a group of seven electors)
for five-year terms; election last held NA October 1996 (next to be held NA
2001); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan reelected president; percent of FSC vote
- NA, but believed to be unanimous; MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum elected vice
president; percent of FSC voteNA, but believed to be unanimous
Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40
seats; members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states to serve
two-year terms)
elections: none
note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto
Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn al-SHAALI
chancery: Suite 700, 1255 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: 1 (202) 955-7999
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David C. LITT
embassy: Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi
mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi; American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of
State, Washington, DC 20521-6010 (pouch); notework week is Saturday through
Wednesday
telephone: 971 (2) 436691, 436692
FAX: 971 (2) 434771
consulate(s) general: Dubai
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a
thicker vertical red band on the hoist side
Economy
Economyoverview: The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest per capita
incomes and with a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil
and gas output (about 33% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate
with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a
profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities
to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production,
oil and gas reserves should last for over 100 years. The UAE Government is
encouraging increased privatization within the economy, and industrial development
is expected to pick up in 1997-98.
GDP: purchasing power parity$54.2 billion (1997 est.)
GDPreal growth rate: 5% (1997 est.)
GDPper capita: purchasing power parity$24,000 (1997 est.)
GDPcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 55%
services: 42% (1996 est.)
Inflation rateconsumer price index: 3.6% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 1.05 million (1996 est.)
by occupation: services 65%, industry and commerce 30%, agriculture 5% (1996 est.)
note: 75% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998
est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $5.1 billion
expenditures: $5.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $294 million (1997 est.)
Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat
building, handicrafts, pearling
Industrial production growth rate: 6.1% (1995 est.)
Electricitycapacity: 5.29 million kW (1995)
Electricityproduction: 18 billion kWh (1995)
Electricityconsumption per capita: 6,155 kWh (1995)
Agricultureproducts: dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
Exports:
total value: $33.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: crude oil 66%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
partners: Japan 38%, South Korea 7%, Singapore 7%, India 6%, Oman 4%, Iran 3%
(1996)
Imports:
total value: $23.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
partners: US 10%, Japan 9%, UK 8%, Italy 6%, South Korea 6%, India 6% (1996)
Debtexternal: $14 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$13.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 677,793 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable;
key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
international: satellite earth stations3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian
Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan;
tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 3, shortwave 0
Radios: 545,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 12
Televisions: 170,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 4,835 km
paved: 4,835 km
unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Ports and harbors: 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina'
Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn
Merchant marine:
total: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 945,320 GRT/1,592,164 DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 18, chemical tanker 3, container 7, liquefied gas tanker
1, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 27, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off
cargo 6 (1997 est.)
Airports: 40 (1997 est.)
Airportswith paved runways:
total: 22
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (1997 est.)
Airportswith unpaved runways:
total: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1997 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)
Military manpowermilitary age: 18 years of age
Military manpoweravailability:
males age 15-49: 791,770 (1998 est.)
note: includes non-nationals
Military manpowerfit for military service:
males: 425,373 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerreaching military age annually:
males: 22,040 (1998 est.)
Military expendituresdollar figure: $1.59 billion (1994)
Military expenditurespercent of GDP: 4.3% (1994)
Transnational Issues
Disputesinternational: location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final, de facto
boundary reflects 1974 agreement; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but
Administrative Line in far north; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied
by Iran: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye
Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in
Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); claims island
in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (called Abu Musa in Arabic
by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran)over which Iran has taken
steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions
and a military build-up on the island; the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic
support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions
Illicit drugs: growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center due
to its proximity to southwest Asian producing countries and the bustling free
trade zone in Dubai
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