:United Arab Emirates Geography Total area: 83,600 km2 Land area: 83,600 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine Land boundaries: 1,016 km total; Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 586 km, Qatar 20 km Coastline: 1,448 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 3 nm (assumed), 12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah) Disputes: boundary with Qatar is unresolved; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa,) Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert waste- land; mountains in east Natural resources: crude oil and natural gas Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 98%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification Note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil :United Arab Emirates People Population: 2,522,315 (July 1992), growth rate 5.4% (1992) Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 3 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 27 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 74 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Emirian(s), adjective - Emirian Ethnic divisions: Emirian 19%, other Arab 23%, South Asian (fluctuating) 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8%; less than 20% of the population are UAE citizens (1982) Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi`a 16%); Christian, Hindu, and other 4% Languages: Arabic (official); Persian and English widely spoken in major cities; Hindi, Urdu Literacy: 68% (male 70%, female 63%) age 10 and over but definition of literacy not available (1980) Labor force: 580,000 (1986 est.); industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 5%; 80% of labor force is foreign Organized labor: trade unions are illegal :United Arab Emirates Government Long-form name: United Arab Emirates (no short-form name); abbreviated UAE 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, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK; formerly Trucial States) Constitution: 2 December 1971 (provisional) Legal system: secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several member shaykhdoms; Islamic law remains influential National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971) Executive branch: president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad) Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: President Shaykh 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) Political parties and leaders: none Suffrage: none Elections: none Other political or pressure groups: a few small clandestine groups may be active Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn Al SHAALI; Chancery at Suite 740, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 338-6500 US: Ambassador Edward S. WALKER, Jr.; Embassy at Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi (mailing address is P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi); telephone [971] (2) 336691, afterhours 338730; FAX [971] (2) 318441; there is a US Consulate General in Dubayy (Dubai) Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side :United Arab Emirates Economy Overview: The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per capita outside the OECD nations. This wealth is based on oil and gas, and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, when petroleum prices shot up, 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. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $33.7 billion, per capita $14,100 (1990); real growth rate 11% (1989) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1990 est.) Unemployment rate: NEGL (1988) Budget: revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.) Exports: $21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: crude oil 65%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates partners: Japan 35%, Singapore 6%, US 4%, Korea 3% Imports: $11.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: food, consumer and capital goods partners: Japan 14%, UK 10%, US 9%, Germany 9% External debt: $11.0 billion (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: NA Electricity: 5,800,000 kW capacity; 17,000 million kWh produced, 7,115 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP and 5% of labor force; cash crop - dates; food products - vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-sufficient in food Economic aid: donor - pledged $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89) Currency: Emirian dirham (plural - dirhams); 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate) Fiscal year: calendar year :United Arab Emirates Communications Highways: 2,000 km total; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth Pipelines: crude oil 830 km, natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km Ports: Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal `Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid Merchant marine: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,033,866 GRT/1,772,646 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 8 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off, 20 petroleum tanker, 4 bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft Airports: 37 total, 34 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; 7 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: adequate system of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV; satellite communications ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave to Saudi Arabia :United Arab Emirates Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 974,288; 533,673 fit for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)