e 25,869; female 12,972) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.79% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 18.46 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 3.01 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 1.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.56 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population : 74.64 years
male: 73.18 years
female : 76.17 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.62 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Emiri(s)
adjective: Emiri

Ethnic groups: Emiri 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%,
other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%

Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of
literacy not available
total population: 79.2%
male : 78.9%
female: 79.8% (1995 est.)

@United Arab Emirates:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial States
abbreviation : UAE

Data code: TC

Government type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE
federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates

National capital: Abu Dhabi

Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu
Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy
(Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971)

Constitution: 2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)

Legal system: federal court system introduced in 1971; all emirates
except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ras al Khaymah have joined the federal
system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal,
and high courts

Suffrage: none

Executive branch:
chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2
December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966)
and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October