Airports [time series]

40 total, 34 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

8 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

2,000 km total; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth

Merchant marine [time series]

47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 728,332 GRT/1,181,566 DWT; includes 14 cargo, 7 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Jabal Ali, Mina Khalid, Mina Rashid, Mina Saqr, Mina Zayid

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

adequate system of radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; stations--8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay to Saudi Arabia

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Central Military Command, Federal Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$1.59 billion (1987)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 904,690; 498,082 fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 1% of GNP and 5% of labor force; cash crop--dates; food products--vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-sufficient in food

Aid [time series]

donor--pledged $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89)

Budget [time series]

revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $4.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Emirian dirham (plural--dirhams); 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils

Electricity [time series]

5,590,000 kW capacity; 15,000 million kWh produced, 7,090 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1--3.6710 (fixed rate)

Exports [time series]

$10.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--crude oil 75%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates; partners--US, EC, Japan

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$11.0 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GNP [time series]

$23.3 billion, per capita $11,680; real growth rate - 2.1% (1988)

Imports [time series]

$8.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--food, consumer and capital goods; partners--EC, Japan, US

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 9.3% (1986)

Industries [time series]

petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5-6% (1988 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's higher levels of income per capita. 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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NEGL (1988)

Climate [time series]

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Coastline [time series]

1,448 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Maine

Continental shelf [time series]

defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

boundary with Qatar is in dispute; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims three islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa, Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

1,016 km total; Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 586 km, Qatar 20 km

Land use [time series]

NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 2% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 98% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

crude oil and natural gas

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

3 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

83,600 km2; land area: 83,600 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

7 emirates (imarat, singular--imarah); Abu Zaby, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, Ras al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

Capital [time series]

Abu Dhabi

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

NA

Constitution [time series]

2 December 1971 (provisional)

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Abdullah bin Zayed AL-NAHAYYAN; 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; there is a US Consulate General in Dubai

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

none

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

2 December 1971 (from UK; formerly Trucial States)

Judicial branch [time series]

Union Supreme Court Chief of State--President Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al NUHAYYAN of Abu Dhabi (since 2 December 1971); Vice President Shaykh Rashid bin Said Al MAKTUM of Dubayy (since 2 December 1971; Head of Government--Prime Minister Shaykh Rashid bin Said Al MAKTUM of Dubayy (Prime Minister since 30 April 1979); Deputy Prime Minister Maktum bin Rashid al MAKTUM (since 2 December 1971)

Legal system [time series]

secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several member shaykhdoms; Islamic law remains influential

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Federal National Council

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

United Arab Emirates (no short-form name); abbreviated UAE

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 2 December (1971)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

a few small clandestine groups are active

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

none

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and other powers reserved to member shaykhdoms

Birth rate [time series]

31 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

3 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

19% Emirian, 23% other Arab, 50% South Asian (fluctuating), 8% other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians); less than 20% of the population are UAE citizens (1982)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

24 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

580,000 (1986 est.); 85% industry and commerce, 5% agriculture, 5% services, 5% government; 80% of labor force is foreign

Languages (Language) [time series]

Arabic (official); Farsi and English widely spoken in major cities; Hindi, Urdu

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

69 years male, 73 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

68%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Emirian(s), adjective--Emirian

Net migration rate [time series]

33 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

trade unions are illegal

Population [time series]

2,253,624 (July 1990), growth rate 6.0% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

96% Muslim (16% Shia); 4% Christian, Hindu, and other

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.9 children born/woman (1990)