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United Arab Emirates
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 UAE. They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is not far below the GDPs of the leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed it to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.
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:
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maine Land boundaries:
Coastline: 1,318 km Maritime claims:
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:
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas Land use:
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:
Geography - note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Population:
2,369,153
Age structure:
Population growth rate: 1.61% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 3.68 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 1.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 17.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 3.29 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups:
Emiri 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4% Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: TC 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:
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)
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, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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 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 over 100 years. Despite higher oil revenues in 1999, the government has not drawn back from the economic reforms implemented during the 1998 oil price depression. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private-sector involvement. GDP: purchasing power parity - $41.5 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,700 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1999 est.) Labor force:
1.38 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 60%, industry 32%, agriculture 8% (1996 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget:
Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling Industrial production growth rate: 0% (1997 est.) Electricity - production: 20.11 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 18.702 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish Exports: $34 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Exports - commodities: crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates Exports - partners: Japan 30%, South Korea 10%, India 6%, Singapore 4.5%, Oman 3%, Iran (1998) Imports: $27.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food Imports - partners: US 10%, Japan 9%, UK 9%, Germany 6%, South Korea 5%, Italy (1998) Debt - external: $15.5 billion (1998 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $NA Currency: 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - central bank mid-point rate: 3.6725 (from 1998); 3.6711 (1997), 3.6710 (1995-96) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 915,223 (1998) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1 million (1999) Telephone system:
modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 7, shortwave 2 (1998) Radios: 820,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 15 (1997) Televisions: 310,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
Railways: 0 km Highways:
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:
Airports: 40 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Heliports: 2 (1999 est.)
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force) Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2.1 billion (FY99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.8% (FY99)
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 Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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