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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 37 usable: 34 with permanent-surface runways: 20 with runways over 3,659 m: 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 5

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,197,306 GRT/2,153,673 DWT; includes 15 cargo, 8 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off, 23 oil tanker, 4 bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 liquified gas, 1 chemical tanker

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

modern system consisting of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; satellite 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 radio relay to Saudi Arabia; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,008,076; fit for military service 550,965; reach military age (18) annually 15,499 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues $4.3 billion; expenditures $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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]

6,090,000 kW capacity; 17,850 million kWh produced, 6,718 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$21.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: crude oil 66%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates partners: Japan 39%, Singapore 5%, Korea 4%, Iran 4%, India

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$11 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$13.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: capital goods, consumer goods, food partners: Japan 15%, US 10%, UK 9%, Germany 7%, Korea 4%

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

growth rate 30% (1990 est.); accounts for 56% of GDP, including petroleum

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1% (1990 est.)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $34.9 billion (1992)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$13,800 (1992)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

NA%

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, 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)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 75,581 km2 land area: 75,581 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine

Climate [time series]

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Coastline [time series]

1,318 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final; 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); in 1992, the dispute over Abu Musa and the Tumb islands became more acute when Iran unilaterally tried to control the entry of third country nationals into the UAE portion of Abu Musa island, Tehran subsequently backed off in the face of significant diplomatic support for the UAE in the region

Irrigated land [time series]

50 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 867 km, Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 0% other: 98%

Location [time series]

Middle East, along the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Map references [time series]

Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

continental shelf: defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm assumed for most of country, 12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah)

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, 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

Government

Abbreviation [time series]

UAE

Administrative divisions [time series]

7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

Capital [time series]

Abu Dhabi

Constitution [time series]

2 December 1971 (provisional)

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn Al SHAALI chancery: Suite 740, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: (202) 338-6500

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

none

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, deputy 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)

Judicial branch [time series]

Union Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President 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 emirates; Islamic law remains influential

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad)

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: United Arab Emirates conventional short form: none local long form: Al Imarata al Arabiyah al Muttahidah local short form: none former: Trucial States

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 2 December (1971)

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

a few small clandestine groups may be 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

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador William RUGH embassy: Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi telephone: [971] (2) 336691, afterhours 338730 FAX: [971] (2) 318441 consulate general: Dubayy (Dubai)

People

Birth rate [time series]

28.4 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

3.07 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Emirian 19%, other Arab 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982) note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

22.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72 years male: 69.91 years female: 74.2 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 10 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 68% male: 70% female: 63%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Emirian(s) adjective: Emirian

Net migration rate [time series]

25.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

2,657,013 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

5.06% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.67 children born/woman (1993 est.)