he Persian Gulf occupied by Iran
(Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa, Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg
or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb)

Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains

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

Natural resources: crude oil and natural gas

Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 2% meadows and
pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 98% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Environment: frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural
freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification

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

- People
Population: 2,253,624 (July 1990), growth rate 6.0% (1990)

Birth rate: 31 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 3 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 33 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 73 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Emirian(s), adjective--Emirian

Ethnic divisions: 19% Emirian, 23% other Arab, 50% South Asian
(fluctuating), 8% other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians); less
than 20% of the population are UAE citizens (1982)

Religion: 96% Muslim (16% Shia); 4% Christian, Hindu, and other

Language: Arabic (official); Farsi and English widely spoken in major
cities; Hindi, Urdu

Literacy: 68%

Labor force: 580,000 (1986 est.); 85% industry and commerce,
5% agriculture, 5% services, 5% government; 80% of labor force is foreign

Organized labor: trade unions are illegal

- Government
Long-form name: United Arab Emirates (no short-form name); abbreviated UAE

Type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central
government and other powers reserved to member shaykhdoms

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular--imarah);
Abu Zaby, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy,
Ras al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK; formerly Trucial States)

Constitution: 2 December 1971 (provisional)

Legal system: secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and
in several member shaykhdoms; Islamic law remains influential

National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971