Map of United Arab Emirates | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971 six of these states - Abu Zaby 'Ajman Al Fujayrah Ash Shariqah Dubayy and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.


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Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 75,581 km²
Land: 75,581 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries: Total 867 km, 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
Extremes highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 2%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 98%

Irrigated land: 50 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Emirian(s)
Adjective: Emirian

Ethnic groups:
Note: Less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Current issues Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
International agreements: party to_Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified_Biodiversity, Biodiversity, Law of the sea
International agreements note: Strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.99 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.74 years (1996 est.), 72.51 years 91,995 est.)
Male: 70.64 years (1996 est.), 70.42 years (1995 est.)
Female: 74.94 years (1996 est.), 74.71 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write but definition of literary not available (1995 est.)
Total population: 79.2%
Male: 78.9%
Female: 79.8%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
Conventional short form: none
Local long form: Al Imarata al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
Local short form: none
Former: Trucial States Abbreviation:UAE

Government type: Federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and other powers reserved to member emirates

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular_imarah; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Dubai, Ra's al Khaymah, Sharjah, Umm al Qaywayn

Dependent areas

Independence: 2 December 1971 (from U.K.)

National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971)

Constitution: 2 December 1971 (provisional)

Legal system: Secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several member emirates; Islamic law remains influential

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: None

Executive branch
Chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Dhabi; Vice President Shaykh MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy
Head of government: Prime Minister Shaykh MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy; Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) Supreme Council of Rulers:Composed of the seven emirate rulers, the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Dhabi and Dubayy rulers have veto power; council meets four times a year
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: Unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad; no elections

Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per capita 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, crude oil reserves should last for over 100 years. Although much stronger economically than most Gulf states, the UAE faces similar problems with weak international oil prices and the pressures for cuts in OPEC oil production quotas. The UAE Government is encouraging increased privatization within the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate -1.1% (1994 est.), 1.7% (1992 est.), accounts for 55% of GDP, including petroleum

Labor force: 794,400 (1993 est.)
By occupation Industry and commerce: 56%
By occupation Agriculture: 6%
By occupation Services: 38% (1990 est.)
By occupation note: 80% of labor force is foreign (est.)

Unemployment rate: NEGL% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $4.6 billion (1995 est.), $4.3 billion (1993 est.)
Expenditures: $4.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.), $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1993 est)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: total value. $25.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports: total value:$21.7 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $11.6 billion (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1_3.6710 (fixed rate)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 16.5 billion kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 5,796 kWh (1993)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 677,793 telephones (1993 est.); modern system consisting of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave and coaxial cable
International: 3 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.59 billion, 4.3% of GDP (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 36
With paved runways over 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 10

Airports with paved runways
Over 3047 m: 9
2438 to 3047 m: 3
15-24 to 2437 m: 2
914 to 1523 m: 7 (1995 est.)
Under 914 m: 10

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: Crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,068,980 GRT/1,876,504 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 17, chemical tanker 2, container 7, liquefied gas tanker 1, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3 (1995 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: Growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center