Airports [time series]

38 total, 35 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

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]

57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 925,424 GRT/1,543,716 DWT; includes 22 cargo, 8 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 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 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; radio relay to Saudi Arabia

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$1.59 billion, 6.8% of GDP (1988)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 940,130; 516,218 fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 2% of GNP and 5% of labor force; cash crop--dates; food products--vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-sufficient in food

Budget [time series]

revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

5,773,000 kW capacity; 15,400 million kWh produced, 6,830 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$15.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--crude oil 65%, 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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$27.3 billion, per capita $12,100; real growth rate 10% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$9.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 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]

3-4% (1989 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NEGL (1988)

Climate [time series]

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Coastline [time series]

1,448 km 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)

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Maine

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

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

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

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

7 emirates (imarat, singular--imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 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 Zayid Al NUHAYYAN; 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 Dubayy (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, (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)

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 (Majlis Watani Itihad)

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

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

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

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 emirates

Birth rate [time series]

30 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

3 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages (Language) [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

69 years male, 74 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

68% (male 70%, female 63%) age 10 and over but definition of literacy not available (1980)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

30 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

trade unions are illegal

Population [time series]

2,389,759 (July 1991), growth rate 5.7% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.9 children born/woman (1991)