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Home > About UAE
About UAE
United Arab Emirates,
federation of emirates (1995 est. pop. 2,925,000), 30,000 sq mi
(77,700 sq km), SW Asia, on the E Arabian Peninsula, bordered by the
Persian Gulf (N), the Gulf of Oman (E), Oman (S), Saudi Arabia (S,
W), and Qatar (NW). It comprises the emirates (in fact, sheikhdoms)
of Abu Dhabi (with 80% of the area), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah,
Sharjah, and Umm al-Qaiwain. The city of Abu Dhabi is the capital.
The land is largely hot, dry desert; in the east is a portion of the
Jabal al Akhdar Mts. Oil, first exploited in the 1960s, is critical
to the economy; oil exports rank among the world's largest, and oil
revenues have made the per capita income one of the world's highest.
There are also rich natural-gas deposits, but banking and financial
services, regional corporate headquarters, and tourism are
increasingly important. Fishing and pearling are traditional
occupations. The indigenous population, Sunni Muslim Arabs, is
outnumbered by foreign-born workers, mostly from Asia, originally
attracted by the petroleum boom. The official language is Arabic,
but Farsi and English are widely used. Overall governmental
authority is invested in the Supreme Council, which consists of the
seven sheikhs; a majority of five (including both Abu Dhabi and
Dubai) must agree to any action.
The UAE's seven Emirates:
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