1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Coastline
1,448 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Maine
Continental shelf
defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line
Disputes
boundary with Qatar is unresolved; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; 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,)
Environment
frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
83,600 km2
Land boundaries
1,016 km total; Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 586 km, Qatar 20 km
Land use
arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 98%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Natural resources
crude oil and natural gas
Note
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Terrain
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert waste- land; mountains in east
Territorial sea
3 nm (assumed), 12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah)
Total area
83,600 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
3 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
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
23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
580,000 (1986 est.); industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 5%; 80% of labor force is foreign
Languages
Arabic (official); Persian and English widely spoken in major cities; Hindi, Urdu
Life expectancy at birth
70 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Literacy
68% (male 70%, female 63%) age 10 and over but definition of literacy not available (1980)
Nationality
noun - Emirian(s), adjective - Emirian
Net migration rate
27 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
trade unions are illegal
Population
2,522,315 (July 1992), growth rate 5.4% (1992)
Religions
Muslim 96% (Shi`a 16%); Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Total fertility rate
4.7 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), `Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Capital
Abu Dhabi
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
Constitution
2 December 1971 (provisional)
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn Al SHAALI; 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, afterhours 338730; FAX [971] (2) 318441; there is a US Consulate General in Dubayy (Dubai)
Elections
none
Executive branch
president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
Flag
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side
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)
Independence
2 December 1971 (from UK; formerly Trucial States)
Judicial branch
Union Supreme Court
Legal system
secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several member shaykhdoms; Islamic law remains influential
Legislative branch
unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad)
Long-form name
United Arab Emirates (no short-form name); abbreviated UAE
Member of
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
National Day, 2 December (1971)
Other political or pressure groups
a few small clandestine groups may be active
Political parties and leaders
none
Suffrage
none
Type
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Economy
Agriculture
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
revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Currency
Emirian dirham (plural - dirhams); 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Economic aid
donor - pledged $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89)
Electricity
5,800,000 kW capacity; 17,000 million kWh produced, 7,115 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate)
Exports
$21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: crude oil 65%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates partners: Japan 35%, Singapore 6%, US 4%, Korea 3%
External debt
$11.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $33.7 billion, per capita $14,100 (1990); real growth rate 11% (1989)
Imports
$11.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: food, consumer and capital goods partners: Japan 14%, UK 10%, US 9%, Germany 9%
Industrial production
NA
Industries
petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.5% (1990 est.)
Overview
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
NEGL (1988)
Communications
Airports
37 total, 34 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
10 major transport aircraft
Highways
2,000 km total; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth
Merchant marine
55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,033,866 GRT/1,772,646 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 8 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off, 20 petroleum tanker, 4 bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier
Pipelines
crude oil 830 km, natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Ports
Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal `Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid
Telecommunications
adequate system of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; broadcast 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; microwave to Saudi Arabia
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 974,288; 533,673 fit for military service