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The
United Arab Emirates (UAE), sometimes simply called the Emirates, is a country in
Western Asia located at the eastern end of the
Arabian Peninsula. It borders
Oman and
Saudi Arabia, and has maritime borders in the
Persian Gulf with
Qatar and
Iran.
One of the Persian Gulf States, the
United Arab Emirates is a desert country in the southeast of the
Arabian Peninsula with a coastline on the Persian Gulf (Arab Gulf) and the Gulf of Oman. The UAE has maritime borders with
Iran. There is a disputed region in the west of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi; therefore it is unclear if the UAE actually has a border with
Qatar.
The coastal region of today UAE was known for a long time as the Pirate Coast. The seafaring inhabitants made a living by pirating trade vessels in the area. The loose federation of sheikdoms came under British administration in the mid 19th century, then known as the Trucial States until 1971, with the independence from the
UK.
The UAE came into existence in
December 1971 when six emirates formed a federation:
Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, and
Fujairah;
Ras Al Khaimah joined the alliance in
1972.
With an
area of 83,600 km², the United Arab Emirates is about the size of
Austria, or slightly smaller than the US State of
Maine. The country consists mostly of barren landscape with gravel plains and desert dunes, interspersed with some oases (the best known is Liwa Oasis, north of the Rub' al Khali, the Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert in the world). Along the coast stretches a strip of marshes (sabkha;) low-lying saline flats, lagoons, intertidal mudflats, and mangrove swamps. There is a
mountainous region in the
northeast;
Jabal Yibir (1,527 m) the countries highest point is situated there.
The UAE is an
elective monarchy formed from a
federation of seven emirates, consisting of
Abu Dhabi (which serves as the capital),
Ajman,
Dubai,
Fujairah,
Ras Al Khaimah,
Sharjah and
Umm Al Quwain. Each emirate is governed by a
Sheikh and, together, they form the
Federal Supreme Council; one of them serves as
President of the United Arab Emirates. In 2013, the UAE's population was
9.2 million, of which 1.4 million were
Emirati citizens and
7.8 million were expatriates; the estimated population in 2020 was 9.89 million.
The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates, their capitals have the same name as the emirate:
(1) Abu Dhabi
(2) Ajman: 1 exclave
(3) Dubai: 1 exclave
(4) Fujairah: 2 exclaves
(5) Ras al-Khaimah: 1 exclave
(6) Sharjah: 3 exclaves
(7) Umm al-Quwain
Areas under joint control:
(8) Fujairah and Sharjah
(9) Oman and Ajman
Disputed Areas:
The islands of Lesser Tunb, Greater Tunb, and Abu Musa are under Iranian administration but claimed by UAE.
Islam is the
official religion and
Arabic is the official language. The
UAE's oil and natural gas reserves are the
sixth- and
seventh-largest in the world, respectively.
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the country's
first president, oversaw the development of the Emirates by
investing oil revenues into
healthcare, education, and
infrastructure. The UAE's economy is the most diversified of all the members of the
Gulf Cooperation Council, while its most populous city,
Dubai, is a
global city and international hub. The country has become less reliant on oil and gas, and is
economically focusing on tourism and business. The UAE government does
not levy income tax, although there is a
corporate tax in place and a
5% value-added tax was established in 2018.
The UAE is recognised as a regional and a
middle power. The UAE is a member of the
United Nations, the
Arab League, the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,
OPEC, the
Non-Aligned Movement, and the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
