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.

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: 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: 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 km² (1993 est.)

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

Population: 2,303,088 (July 1998 est.)
Note: includes 1,561,840 non-nationals (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.78% (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)

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

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

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/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 3.06 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.25 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

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

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/1000 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.)

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.)

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

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

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): ead 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

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
In the us chancery: Suite 700, 1255 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 955-7,999
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador David C. LITT
From the us embassy: Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 4,009, Abu Dhabi; American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-6,010 (pouch); note_work week is Saturday through Wednesday
From the us telephone: [971] (2) 436,691, 436,692
From the us fax: [971] (2) 434,771
From the us consulates 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 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.

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $24,000 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3%
Industry: 55%
Services: 42% (1996 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: 6.1% (1995 est.)

Labor force
Total: 1.05 million (1996 est.)
By occupation services: 65%
By occupation industry and commerce: 30%
By occupation 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.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: total value:$33.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodoties: 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.)
Commodoties: 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.)

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

Electricity
Capacity: 5.29 million kW (1995)
Production: 18 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 6,155 kWh (1995)

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

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.59 billion (1994)
Percent of gdp: 4.3% (1994)

Airports: 40 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 22
With paved runways over 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 18
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1997 est.)

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

Railways: 0 km

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.)

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