United Arab Emirates

federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and other powers reserved to member shaykhdomsIndependence 2 December 1971 (from UK

United Arab Emirates as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAbu Dhabi

Area83,600 km2

1990

Every edition of United Arab Emirates

Populationas each edition published it

2.25 million July 1990 · 10.09m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 5.06% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 27.6 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 72 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.9 children per woman 1990 · 1.6 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

24 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 4.9 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $13,800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1% in 1994

Geography

14 fields

Total area

83,600km2

land area: 83,600 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine

Coastline

1,448km

Territorial sea: 3 nm

Land boundaries

1,016km total

Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 586 km, Qatar 20 km

Continental shelf

defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line

Disputes

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)

Terrain

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

Land use

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

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

People

14 fields

Population

2,253,624

(July 1990), growth rate 6.0% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

31Death

3Net migration

Ethnic divisions(1982)

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)

Labor force

580,000

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

Literacy

68%

Religion

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

Language

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

Government

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

19 fields

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 shaykhdoms

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

2 December 1971 (from UK; formerly Trucial States)

Legal system

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

Executive branch

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

Judicial branch

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)

Other political or pressure groups

a few small clandestine groups are active

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

Diplomatic representation

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

Flag

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

Economy

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

16 fields

Unemployment rate

1988

NEGL ( · )

External debt

$11.0billion

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$3.5 billionExpenditures

$4.0 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Overview

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.

GNP

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5-6% (1988 est.)

Exports

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

Imports

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

Industrial production

growth rate - 9.3% (1986)

Electricity

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

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

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

Communications

7 fields

Merchant marine, 47 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 14container 7roll-on/roll-off cargo 2petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 20bulk 447 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 728,332 GRT/1,181,566 DWT

Airports, 40 total, 34 usable

permanent-surface runways

19runways over 3,659 m

8runways 2,440-3,659 m

5runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

2,000Pipelines

830

Highways: ; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth · Pipelines: ; 870 km natural gas, including natural gas liquids

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