nd the Persian Gulf,
between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:

24 00 N, 54 00 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 83,600 sq km
land: 83,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries:

total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline:

1,318 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Terrain:

flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast
desert wasteland; mountains in east

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas

Land use:

arable land: 0.77%
permanent crops: 2.27%
other: 96.96% (2005)

Irrigated land:

760 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.2 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 2.3 cu km/yr (23%/9%/68%)
per capita: 511 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

frequent sand and dust storms

Environment - current issues:

lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination
plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a
vital transit point for world crude oil

People
United Arab Emirates

Population:

4,621,399
note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that
included a significantly higher estimate of net inmigration of
non-citizens than previous estimates (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 20.5% (male 484,102/female 462,405)
15-64 years: 78.6% (male 2,663,702/female 970,672)
65 years and over: 0.9% (male 26,244/female 14,274)
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 30.1 years
male: 32 years
female: 24.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.833% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

16.06 births/1,000 population (2008 est.