United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

area:	83,600sq km (32,278 sq mi)
population:	2,411,041
capital (population):	Abu Dhabi (942,463)

Federation of the seven independent sheikhdoms of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah, Fujairah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Qaiwain. It is bordered by the Persian Gulf (n), Oman (e), Saudi Arabia (w and s), and Qatar (nw). The terrain is flat, consisting mainly of desert. Abu Dhabi is more than six times the size of the other states put together, has the largest population, is the biggest oil producer, and provides the federal capital, the city of Abu Dhabi. The other significant populations are Dubai and Sharjah. The population is almost exclusively Muslim (mostly Sunni), although the great majority of inhabitants are expatriate workers. Formerly known as the Trucial States, the area was a British Protectorate from 1892. After World War 2, the Sheikhdoms gained autonomy. In 1971, British troops withdrew from the Arabian Gulf and the United Arab Emirates was formed. Crude oil and natural-gas production dominate the economy, accounting for about 50% of its GDP. Oil was first discovered in Abu Dhabi in the early 1960s, and the 1973 rise in oil prices transformed a relatively impoverished region into one of the world's wealthiest (2000 GDP per capita, US$22,800). Sheikh Zahid succeeded his brother as ruler in 1966. The UAE was part of the coalition against Iraq in the Gulf War (1991).

Political map

Physical map

Websites

http://www.uae.gov.ae