United Arab Emirates Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 25, 2020

United Arab Emirates, state of the Arabian Peninsula; 77,700 km², 9,6 million residents (2019).The country includes the seven emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujayra, Ras al-Khayma, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaywayn. The United Arab Emirates is located at the southern end of the Gulf of Persia and has a land border with Oman in the east and northeast; in the south, the country borders on Saudi Arabia. The capital is Abu Dhabi (975 700 residents, 2013).

Country facts

Ittiḥād al-Imārāt al-˙Arabiyya / United Arab Emirates
Country abbreviation: AE
Area: 77 700 km²
Population (2019): 9.6 million residents
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Main languages: Arabic
State: Monarchy
Head of State: Khalifa ibn Zayid al-Nahyan (President)
Head of Government: Muhammad Rashid al-Maktum
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 43,005
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 41,010
Currency unit: 1 dirham = 100 fils
Currency code: AED
Country number (telephony): 971
Internet Domain Name: ae
Time difference compared to Sweden: +3
National Day: December 2 (Independence Day, 1971)

Nature

Land use: forest (2%), agricultural land (0.5%), other (97.5%)
Highest mountain: Jabal Yibir (1,527 m asl)

Population

Population density (2019): 122 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): 1.0%; birth number 11 ‰, death number 1 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (14%), 15-64 (85%), 65- (1%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 77 years, women 79 years
Infant mortality (2019): 6 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 10 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.863 (place 34 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 87%
Most populous city (2013): Abu Dhabi (975,700 residents)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (1%), industry (50%), service (49%)
Exports (2017): US $ 308,500 million
Main export products: oil, natural gas
Main exporting countries: India, Iran, Japan
Imports (2017): US $ 229,200 million
Main import products: machinery and means of transport, chemicals
Main importing countries: China, USA, India
Railway network: nothing in operation

The coastal plain of the United Arab Emirates has a warm and dry climate and several salt marshes; further in from the coast takes a dry and barren desert steppe. Only at the eastern edge are higher altitudes. Due to the dry climate, the vegetation is very sparse and is limited to oases and dry river valleys.

According to the constitution, the highest political federal body is the Supreme Council, which consists of the rulers of the seven emirates. Every five years, the Supreme Council elects a president from among its members, who in turn appoints a prime minister and a federal ministerial council / government. In addition, there is an advisory federal national council with 40 members, half of whom are appointed in electoral colleges appointed by the state power. Political parties or political elections in the Western sense do not exist.

Since 1962, when oil began to be exported, the United Arab Emirates has developed into one of the world’s richest countries. In order to reduce oil dependence, the country has been striving to broaden its economic base ever since independence in 1971; inter alia a large service sector has been built up with many foreign banks and a stock exchange. Each emirate controls its own oil production, but to keep the federation together, the oil money is redistributed from rich to poor emirates.