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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
Area—comparative: 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
Environment—current issues: lack of
natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination
plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environment—international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Geography—note: strategic location
along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit
point for world crude oil
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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.)
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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, singular—imarah); 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
vote—NA, 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); note—work 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
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Economy—overview: 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.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5% (1997
est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power
parity—$24,000 (1997 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 55%
services: 42% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate—consumer 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.)
Electricity—capacity: 5.29 million
kW (1995)
Electricity—production: 18 billion
kWh (1995)
Electricity—consumption per capita:
6,155 kWh (1995)
Agriculture—products: 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)
Debt—external: $14 billion (1996
est.)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100
fils
Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh)
per US$1—3.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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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 stations—3 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.)
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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.)
Airports—with 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.)
Airports—with 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.)
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Military branches: Army, Navy, Air
Force, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)
Military manpower—military age: 18
years of age
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 791,770 (1998 est.)
note: includes non-nationals
Military manpower—fit for military
service:
males: 425,373 (1998 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age
annually:
males: 22,040 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure:
$1.59 billion (1994)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP:
4.3% (1994)
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Disputes—international: 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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Information on the United Arab Emirates