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United Arab Emirates Profile |
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Quick Facts About United Arab Emirates
Capital
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name: Abu Dhabi
geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Country Name
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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 Oman, Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE
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Dependency Status
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*
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Type of Government
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federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates
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Background
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The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, "Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra"s al Khaymah. The UAE"s per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE"s economy, however, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard.
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Branches
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United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force and Air Defense, National Coast Guard (2008)
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 20.4% (male 518,838/female 495,409)
15-64 years: 78.7% (male 2,870,826/female 1,045,463)
65 years and over: 0.9% (male 28,993/female 16,064)
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2010 est.)
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Languages
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Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
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Population
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4,975,593
note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that included a significantly higher estimate of net immigration of non-citizens than previous estimates (July 2010 est.)
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Religions
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Muslim 96% (Shia 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4%
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Internet Users
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2.922 million (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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slightly smaller than Maine
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Area
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total: 83,600 sq km
land: 83,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Terrain
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flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
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Climate
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desert; cooler in eastern mountains
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Natural Hazards
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frequent sand and dust storms
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| United Arab Emirates |
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Source:
CIA World Factbook |
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