United Arab Emirates
Country Guide

Explore United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates with its capital Abu Dhabi is located in Asia (Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf). It covers some 83,601 square kilometers (slightly larger than South Carolina) with 6,072,480 citizens. Arabic, Persian, English, Hindi and Urdu are the common languages used in United Arab Emirates (consider regional differences). Interesting info is sharing borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates on the eastern side of the Arabian peninsula, at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. It has coastlines on the Persian Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, with Saudi Arabia to the west and southwest, and Oman to the southeast and also on the eastern tip of the Musandam Peninsula as well as an Omani enclave within its borders. It is a country rich in history and culture and an easy starting point for travels in the Middle East.

Popular Destinations in United Arab Emirates

Administrative regions of United Arab Emirates

• Abu Zaby
• Ajman
• Al Fujayrah
• Ash Shariqah
• Dubai
• Ra's al Khaymah
• Umm al Qaywayn

About the country

The landscape is flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert and mountains in east. The average density of population is about 73 per km². The climate in United Arab Emirates can be described as desert with cooler in eastern mountains. Potential threats by nature are frequent sand and dust storms.

To reach someone United Arab Emirates dial +971 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".ae". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: G). The sign for the locally used currency Dirham is AED.

Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four Pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), petroleum resources (black), and unity (red); red was the traditional color incorporated into all flags of the emirates before their unification.

The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. However, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE essentially avoided the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East in 2010-11 and in an effort to stem potential unrest, the government announced a multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates and aggressively pursued advocates of political reform. The UAE in recent years has played a vital role in regional affairs. In addition to donating billions of dollars in economic aid to help stabilize Egypt, the UAE is a member of a US-led global coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and a coalition partner in a Saudi-led military campaign to restore the government of Yemen.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 116)	83,600	sq km
Land (World Rank: 112)	83,600	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 170)	3.60	%
Comparative	slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine
Coastline
1318
Landborder
1066
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 144)	1,527	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 211)	4.60	%
Arable (World Rank: 208)	0.50	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 149)	0.50	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 170)	3.60	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 102)	923	sq km
Map reference
Middle East
Environment
Issues	- beach pollution from oil spills - desertification - lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants
Agreement party	- Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Hazardous Wastes - Marine Dumping - Ozone Layer Protection
Agreement signed	Law of the Sea
Hazzards	frequent sand and dust storms
Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Climate
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 110)	6,072,480
Deathrate (World Rank: 222)	0.19	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 127)	1.51	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 29)	2.37	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 9)	1.05	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 87)	2.32	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 93)	32.10
Female (World Rank: 158)	25.00
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 113)	652,718
0 14 female (World Rank: 113)	622,850
15 24 male (World Rank: 111)	487,558
15 24 female (World Rank: 120)	332,829
25 54 male (World Rank: 66)	2,828,730
25 54 female (World Rank: 124)	884,233
55 64 male (World Rank: 129)	147,429
55 64 female (World Rank: 151)	51,097
65 x male (World Rank: 151)	40,226
65 x female (World Rank: 164)	24,804
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 133)	1.00	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 67)	78	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 70)	80	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 68)	75	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 91)	1.56
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 145)	1.10
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 52)	97.60	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 20)	31.70	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 54)	99.60	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 31)	119,700,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 31)	110,600,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 32)	99.50	%
Source renew (World Rank: 144)	0.50	%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 8)	3,106,000	bbl / day
Exports (World Rank: 4)	2,684,000	bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 7)	97,800,000,000	bbl
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 32)	479,400	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 24)	901,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 25)	334,900	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 21)	413,700	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 14)	60,180,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 7)	186,000,000,000	m³
Export (World Rank: 20)	11,080,000,000	m³
Import (World Rank: 78)	0	m³
Carbon footprint
245000000

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Nation

Budget
Military (World Rank: 6)	6	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 169)	4	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 180)	-7	% of GDP
National symbol
golden falcon
National colours
white
Adjective
Emirati
Noun
Emirati(s)
Background
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. However, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE essentially avoided the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East in 2010-11 and in an effort to stem potential unrest, the government announced a multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates and aggressively pursued advocates of political reform. The UAE in recent years has played a vital role in regional affairs. In addition to donating billions of dollars in economic aid to help stabilize Egypt, the UAE is a member of a US-led global coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and a coalition partner in a Saudi-led military campaign to restore the government of Yemen.
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four Pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), petroleum resources (black), and unity (red); red was the traditional color incorporated into all flags of the emirates before their unification

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 32)	671,100,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 96)	3.00	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 14)	68,100	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 202)	0.80	%
Source industry (World Rank: 25)	39.50	%
Source service (World Rank: 208)	40.10	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 78)	5,242,000
In poverty (World Rank: 112)	19.50	%
Products
Industries	- aluminum - cement - commercial ship repair - construction materials - fertilizer - fishing - handicrafts - petrochemicals - petroleum - textiles
Agriculture	- dairy products - dates - eggs - fish - poultry - vegetables - watermelons
Exports	- crude oil - dates - dried fish - natural gas - reexports
Imports	- chemicals - food - machinery - transport equipment

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 54)	2,285,810
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 39)	39.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 1)	336
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 73)	5,370,300
Population (World Rank: 21)	90.60	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 68)	25.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 112)	18.00
Heliports (World Rank: 38)	5.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 157)	4,080
Paved length (World Rank: 107)	4,080

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