Islamic countries

Islamic countries

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
AL IMARAT AL ARABIYAH AL MUTTAHIDAH

General Information

Total Land Area:	83,600 km²
Land boundaries:	867 km
Coastline:	1,318 km
Capital:	Abu Dhabi
Other Large Cities:	Dubai, Sharjah, Al-Ayn
Official Language:	Arabic
National Currency Unit:	Emirate Dirham (AED)
National Day:	December 2

Location and Geography

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven independent states lying along the West central coast of the Arabian Gulf. It is bordered by the Arabian Gulf in the North, Oman in the East, and Saudi-Arabia in the West. Apart from a mountain range in the North and the scattered oases, much of the country’s territory is made up of a sandy desert and salt marshes. The terrain is flat and barren. The coastal plain that merges into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland lies to the East. Only two percent of the land is arable. The climate is desert where the Eastern mountains are somewhat cooler. It is hot and humid along the coast and drier in the inland. Rainfall is low, however coastal humidity is high. Due to the climate, vegetation is scarce only with low shrubs that offer forage to nomadic herds.

Demography

Population:	3.75 million (2002)
Crude Birth Rate:	17 per thousand people (2002)
Crude Death Rate:	4 per thousand people (2002)
Infant Mortality Rate:	8 per thousand (2002)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 74 years, Female: 79 years (2002)
Urban Population:	76.2 percent (2001)
Adult Literacy:	78.00 percent (2001)

Economy

The UAE has an open economy with one of the world’s highest per capita income and a sizeable trade surplus. The economic activity is dominated by oil extraction and the manufacturing industry is concentrated in hydrocarbon-related activities. The main natural resources are pearls, fish and petroleum. The country re-exports textiles, consumer electronics, cameras, watches, gold, motors, scooters and perfumes. In recent years, UAE has expanded its agricultural production through subsidies. The government is encouraging livestock and poultry production and commercial fishing. Dates are the major crop.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	71721 million US$ (2002)
Per Capita GDP:	19126 US$ (2002)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	4.0% Agriculture, 56.0% Industry, 40.0% Services, (2001)
Total Exports:	37648 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	49503 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Crude oil, natural gas, dried fish and dates
Major Imports Items:	Manufactured goods, chemicals, machinery and transportation equipment
Major Trading Partners:	Japan, Iran, India and China