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

top of page


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.


top of page


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 reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 82,880 km²
Land: 82,880 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries
Total: 867 km
Border countries: (2) Oman 410 km; , Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline: 1318 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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: petroleum natural gas

Land use
Arable land: 0.6%
Permanent crops: 2.25%
Other: 97.15% (2001)

Irrigated land: 720 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms

Geography
Note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz a vital transit point for world crude oil


top of page


Population
Note: includes an estimated 1,606,079 non-nationals; the 17 December 1995 census presents a total population figure of 2,377,453, and there are estimates of 3.44 million for 2002 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 1.57% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Emirati
Adjective: Emirati

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: 25.9% (male 333,661; female 320,368)
15-64 years: 70.9% (male 1,103,385; female 685,281)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 58,862; female 22,358) (2002 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 27.7 years
Male: 35.7 years
Female: 22.4 years (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.57% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 18.65 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 4.14 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.03 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.61 male/female
65 years and over: 2.63 male/female
Total population: 1.46 male/female (2002 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.06 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 17.71 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.29 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.99 years
Male: 72.51 years
Female: 77.6 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.02 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.18% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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 can read and write
Total population: 77.9%
Male: 76.1%
Female: 81.7% (2002 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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 Oman, Trucial States
Abbreviation: UAE

Government type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal 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 Ash Shariqah (Sharjah) Dubayy (Dubai) Ra's al Khaymah Umm al Qaywayn

Dependent areas

Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 2 December (1971)

Constitution: 2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)

Legal system: federal court system introduced in 1971; applies to all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah which are not fully integrated into the federal system; all emirates have secular courts to adjudicate criminal civil and commercial matters and Islamic courts to review family and religious disputes

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Sheikh KHALIFA bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2002), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2002) 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); Deputy Prime Minister HAMDAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2002)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
Elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC (composed of rulers of the seven emirates) for five-year terms; election last held 3 November 2002 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next to be held 2009); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: KHALIFA bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum unanimously reaffirmed vice president

Legislative branch
Elections: none
Note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ABEDA AFESD AMF FAO G-77 GCC IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt (signatory) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OIC OPCW OPEC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Asri Said Ahmad al-DHAHIRI
In the us chancery: 3,522 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 243-2,400
In the us fax: [1] (202) 243-2,432
In the us note: also a consulate or representative office in New York, NY
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michele SISON
From the us embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 4,009, Abu Dhabi
From the us telephone: [971] (2) 414-2,200
From the us fax: [971] (2) 414-2,469
From the us consulates general: Dubai

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and 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 more than 100 years. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private sector involvement.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.2% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4%
Industry: 58.5%
Services: 37.5% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: dates vegetables watermelons; poultry eggs dairy products; fish

Industries: petroleum fishing petrochemicals construction materials some boat building handicrafts pearling

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2000)

Labor force
Note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2002)
By occupation agriculture: 7%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 78% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.4% (2001)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $17.35 billion
Expenditures: $23.85 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.4 billion (2002 est.)

Public debt: 18.1% of GDP (2002)

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance: $12.47 billion (2002)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.2% (2002 est.)

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: $12.47 billion (2002)

Exports: $56.73 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: crude oil 45% natural gas reexports dried fish dates
Partners: Japan 26.2% South Korea 10.5% Iran 3.8% (2002)

Imports: $37.16 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment chemicals food
Partners: China 10% Japan 7.2% Germany 7.2% US 7% France 6.9% UK 5.9% Italy 4.4% South Korea 4.4% India 4.1% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $20.71 billion (2002 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.67 (2002) 3.6725 (2002) 3.6725 (2001) 3.6725 (2000) 3.6725 (1999)


top of page


Electricity access

Electricity production: 37.74 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity consumption: 35.1 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 44.94 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 37.86 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 7.08 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proved reserves: 5.892 trillion m³ (1 January 2002)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: 2,972,300 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
International: country code - 971; 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

Broadcast media

Internet country code: .ae

Internet users: 1,110,200 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.6 billion (FY00)
Percent of gdp: 3.1% (FY00)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 35 (2002 est.)
With paved runways total: 22
With paved runways over 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (2002 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 4 (2002 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 22
Over 3047 m: 8
2438 to 3047 m: 3
15-24 to 2437 m: 4
914 to 1523 m: 4
Under 914 m: 3 (2002 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 13
Over 3047 m: 1
2438 to 3047 m: 2
15-24 to 2437 m: 3
914 to 1523 m: 3
Under 914 m: 4 (2002 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2002 est.)

Pipelines: condensate 469 km; gas 2,655 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil 2,936 km; oil/gas/water 5 km (2002)

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 578,477 GRT/739,823 DWT
By type: cargo 12, chemical tanker 5, container 7, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 21, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 4, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: because the treaties have not been made public the exact alignment of the boundary with Saudi Arabia is still unknown and labeled approximate; boundary agreement signed and ratified with Oman in 2002 for entire border including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves; UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Lesser and Greater Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to southwest Asian drug producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving