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The United Arab Emirates is a constitutional federation of seven emirates; Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. The federation was formally established on 2 December 1971.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) occupies an area of 83,000 sq km along the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar lies to the west, Saudi Arabia to the south and west, and Oman to the north and east. The capital and the largest city of the federation, Abu Dhabi, is located in the emirate of the same name.
Four-fifths of the UAE is desert, yet it is a country of contrasting landscapes, from awe-inspiring dunes to rich oases, precipitous rocky mountains to fertile plains.
The United Arab Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations, has all the right ingredients for an unforgettable holiday, sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants, an intriguing traditional culture, and a safe and welcoming environment.
| Country Name |
Conventional
Long Form: United Arab Emirates
Local Long
Form (Arabic): Dawlat Al Imarat Al Arabiyya Al
Muttahidah
Local Short Form (Arabic): Al
Imarat
Abbreviation: UAE
Arabic Words:
دولة الإمارات
العربية المتحدة |
| Emirates |
Abu Dhabi,
Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras Al
Khaimah and Fujairah |
| Capital |
Abu
Dhabi |
| National Day |
Independence
Day (from UK), 2 December (1971) |
| President |
HH Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (3 November
2004) |
| Vice-President &
Prime Minister |
HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (5 January
2006) |
| Political
System |
A federation
with specific areas of authority
constitutionally assigned to the UAE Federal
Government and other powers reserved for member
emirates |
| Constitution |
Adopted
provisionally on 2 December 1971, made permanent
in 1996. |
| Area |
82,880 square
kilometers |
| Time |
UAE Standard Time is 4 hours ahead
of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+4) |
| Daylight Saving
Time |
UAE Time does
not operate Daylight-Saving Time |
| International Dialing
Code |
+971 |
| Currency |
Emirati
Dirham (Dh or AED), divided into 100
Fils |
| Exchange Rate |
US$ 1 = AED
3.6725
The UAE Dirham has been officially
pegged to the US dollar since February
2002. |
| Language |
The official
language is Arabic. English is widely understood
and ranks alongside Arabic as the language of
commerce |
| Religion |
Islam.
Practice of all religious beliefs is
allowed |
| Population |
4.106 million
(Census. 2005) |
| GDP |
AED 485.5
billion (2005, Current Prices) |
| Real GDP
Growth |
8.2%
(2005) |
| Non-Oil Sector
Contribution to Nominal GDP |
64%
(2005) |
| Foreign Direct
Investment |
US$10 billion
(2005) |
| Industries |
Oil &
Gas, Aluminum, Cement, Fertilizers, Commercial
Ship Repair, Petrochemicals,
Construction
Materials, Pharmaceuticals, Tourism |
| Oil Production |
2.8 million
barrels per day |
| Oil Proven
Reserves |
98.1 billion
barrels |
| Natural Gas
Production |
65 billion
cubic meters |
| Natural Gas Proven
Reserves |
6 trillion
cubic meters |
| Fiscal Year |
1 January to
31 December |
| Weekend |
Friday and
Saturday for government institutions. Many
private companies operate a six-day week (with
Friday as an off day) |
| Exports |
AED 424
billion (2005) |
| Free-Zone
Exports |
AED 63.9
billion (2005) |
| Re-Exports |
AED 139.5
billion (2005) |
| Imports |
AED 261.2
billion (2005) |
| Cultivated
Areas |
260,000
hectares, 3.1% of total territory |
| Number of Date
Palms |
Over 40
million |
| Agriculture &
Fisheries Products |
Dates, Green
Fodder, Vegetables and Fruit; Livestock,
Poultry, Eggs, Dairy Products; Fish |
| Estimated Fisheries
Catch |
97,574
tons |
| Flag |
Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side
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