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
|
|
