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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $1.59 billion, 4.3% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,102,080 males fit for military service: 599,439 males reach military age (18) annually: 21,250 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 8, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

545,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

677,793 (1993 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

Televisions [time series]

170,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish

Budget [time series]

revenues: $4.6 billion expenditures: $4.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils

Economic aid [time series]

$NA

Economic overview [time series]

The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per capita and with 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, crude oil reserves should last for over 100 years. Although much stronger economically than most Gulf states, the UAE faces similar problems with weak international oil prices and the pressures for cuts in OPEC oil production quotas. The UAE Government is encouraging increased privatization within the economy.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 4,760,000 kW production: 16.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,796 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$25.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: crude oil 66%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates partners: Japan 45%, India 6%, Oman 6%, South Korea 5%, Iran 5% (1994)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$11.6 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $70.1 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 2% industry: 55% services: 43% (1994 est.)

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

$24,000 (1995 est.)

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

3.3% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center

Imports [time series]

$21.7 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, food partners: Japan 11%, UK 8%, Germany 8%, US 8%, Italy 7% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-1.1% (1994 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.6% (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

794,400 (1993 est.) by occupation: industry and commerce 56%, services 38%, agriculture 6% (1990 est.) note: 80% of labor force is foreign (est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NEGL% (1988)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 75,581 sq km land area: 75,581 sq km 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]

current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates [time series]

24 00 N, 54 00 E

Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final, defacto 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); in 1992, the dispute over Abu Musa and the Tunb 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 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 867 km border countries: 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, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Map references [time series]

Middle East

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, natural gas

Terrain [time series]

flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Abu Dhabi

Constitution [time series]

2 December 1971 (provisional)

Data code [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn al-SHAALI chancery: Suite 600, 3000 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 338-6500

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since NA 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai) were elected by the Supreme Council of Rulers head of government: Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai) and Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) were appointed by the president

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

[971] (2) 434771 consulate(s) general: Dubai

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)

International organization participation [time series]

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch [time series]

Union Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad); no elections; reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

Country name (Name of country) [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 abbreviation: UAE

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 2 December (1971)

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

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

none

Suffrage [time series]

none

Legislative branch (Supreme Council of Rulers) [time series]

composed of the seven emirate rulers, the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power; council meets four times a year cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president

Government type (Type of government) [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 David C. LITT embassy: Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi; American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6010 (pouch) telephone: [971] (2) 436691, 436692

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 35% (male 542,848; female 519,952) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,277,829; female 683,282) 65 years and over: 1% (male 22,246; female 11,180) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

26.43 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

3.03 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Emiri 19%, other Arab and Iranian 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]

20.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72.74 years male: 70.64 years female: 74.94 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literacy not available (1995 est.) total population: 79.2% male: 78.9% female: 79.8%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Emiri(s) adjective: Emiri

Net migration rate [time series]

19.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

3,057,337 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

4.33% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.99 male(s)/female all ages: 1.52 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.46 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 36 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 9 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 10 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 7 (1995 est.)

Heliports [time series]

2 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 3,000 km paved: 3,000 km unpaved: 0 km (1993 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,068,980 GRT/1,876,504 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 17, chemical tanker 2, container 7, liquefied gas tanker 1, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3 (1995 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn

Railways [time series]

0 km