United Arab Emirates — map and facts

About the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates located on the southeastern Arabian Peninsula, bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman. Its population is approximately 9.9 million, though expatriate workers constitute around 88 percent of residents, making the UAE one of the world's highest proportions of foreign nationals relative to citizens. Abu Dhabi is the capital and the largest emirate by area, while Dubai is the most populous city and the country's commercial and tourism hub. The UAE is a constitutional monarchy governed by the Federal Supreme Council, composed of the seven rulers of the emirates, with Abu Dhabi's ruler serving as president and Dubai's ruler as prime minister. The economy has diversified significantly since oil was first discovered in 1958 and commercial extraction began in 1962, with Dubai in particular developing major financial services, logistics, real estate, and tourism sectors. The currency is the UAE dirham, and Arabic is the official language, though English is widely used in commerce. Islam is the state religion.

Geography and Landscape

The United Arab Emirates covers approximately 83,600 square kilometres of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula. The country's landscape is predominantly desert, dominated by the vast Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) sand desert extending from Saudi Arabia and the flat to gently undulating gravel plains that characterise much of the interior. The Hajar Mountains run along the east and northeast of the country, parallel to the Omani border, rising to around 1,900 metres at Jebel Jais, the UAE's highest peak. The western and southern regions are dominated by extensive sand dunes, including the spectacular star dunes of the Liwa Oasis area. The coastline stretches approximately 1,318 kilometres along the Persian Gulf to the west and the Gulf of Oman to the northeast. The climate is arid and hot, with summer temperatures regularly exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, minimal rainfall concentrated in brief winter periods, and high humidity along the coastal zones. The emirate of Fujairah sits entirely on the Gulf of Oman coast.

History

The coastal areas of the UAE have been settled for thousands of years, with evidence of trade and settlement from the third millennium BCE. The region was important in ancient maritime trade routes connecting Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Persian Gulf. Islam spread to the region in the seventh century CE. From the seventeenth century, European maritime powers, particularly the Portuguese and later the British, sought influence over Gulf trade routes. Raids by local seafarers on British-allied shipping led Britain to conduct punitive expeditions and establish the Trucial States through a series of peace treaties beginning in 1820, with a perpetual maritime truce in 1853. Britain maintained treaty relationships with the Trucial States until 1971. Following British withdrawal east of Suez, six emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah — formed the United Arab Emirates on 2 December 1971. Ras Al Khaimah joined in February 1972. The oil era transformed the country's infrastructure and economy over subsequent decades.