1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

Qatar; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; no defined boundary with most of Oman, Administrative Line in far north; claims three islands occupied by Iran in Strait of Hormuz

Climate

hot, dry desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Coastline

1,448 km

Comparative area

about the size of Maine

Continental shelf

defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line

Environment

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

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

1,094 km total

Land use

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

Special notes

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 wasteland; mountains in east

Territorial sea

3 nm

Total area

125km Persian Gulf pa‘e a Knaymah’ Ash Shiriqah # Ajman: + Dubayy, . + ABU OHABI + n03 ° Ve os a %. eit Boundary representation 1s not necessarily authoritative

83,600 km?; land area: 83,600 km?

Ethnic divisions

19% Emirian, 23% other Arab, 50% South Asian (fluctuating), 8% other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians); fewer than 20% of the population are UAE citizens (1982)

Infant mortality rate

44/1,000 (1983)

Labor force

580,000 (1985 est.); 85% industry and commerce, 5% agriculture, 5% services, 5% government; 80% of labor force is foreign

Language

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

Life expectancy

men 68, women 73

Literacy

68%

Nationality

noun—Emirian(s), adjective— Emirian

Population

1,846,373 July 1987), average annual growth rate 7.47%

Religion

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

Branches

executive—Supreme Council of Rulers (seven members), from which a President and Vice President are elected; Prime Minister and Council of Ministers; unicameral legislature—Federal National Council; judicial—Union Supreme Court

Capital

Abu Dhabi

Elections

none

Government leaders

Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al NUHAYYAN of Abu Dhabi, President (since December 1971); Shaykh Rashid ibn Sa‘id Al MAKTUM of Dubayy, Vice President (since 1971) and Prime Minister (since April 1979)

Legal system

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

Member of

Arab League, 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

Member states

Abu Dhabi, ‘Ajman, Dubayy, Al Fujayrah, Ra’s al Khaymah, Ash Shariqah, Umm al Qaywayn

National holiday

2 December

Official name

United Arab Emirates

Political or pressure groups

none; a few small clandestine groups are active

Suffrage

none

Type

federation; constitution signed December 1971, which delegated specified powers to the UAE central government and reserved other powers to member shaykhdoms

Agriculture

food imported; some dates, alfalfa, vegetables, fruit, tobacco raised

Budget

current expenditures, $3.5 billion; development, $0.14 billion; revenue, $3.1 billion (1985)

Electric power

5,158,000 kW capacity; 16,440 million kWh produced, 12,400 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$9.8 billion (f.0.b., 1986); $8.3 billion in crude oil, $1.45 billion consisting mostly of gas, reexports, dried fish, dates

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$24.0 billion, $18,900 per capita; real growth - 3.0% (1986 est.)

Imports

$6.6 billion (f.0.b., 1986); food, consumer and capital goods

Major trade partners

Japan, EC, US

Monetary conversion rate

3.67 UAE dirhams=US$1 (October 1986)

Natural resources

oil and natural gas; oil production 1.38 million b/d (1986)

Airfields

39 total, 31 usable; 17 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways over 3,659 m, 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 6 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Civil air

5 major transport aircraft

Highways

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

Pipelines

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

Ports

7 major, 25 minor

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

adequate system of radio-relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 319,000 telephones (24.1 per 100 popl.); 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV stations; 1 Atlantic and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT stations; 1 ARABSAT satellite station; submarine cable to Qatar and Bahrain; planned submarine cables to India and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio-relay to Saudi Arabia

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Central Military Command, Federal Police Force

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1985, $1.385 billion; 42% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 793,000; 441,000 fit for military service