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United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates Facts Videos Map
Photo: United Arab Emirates
Dubayy (Dubai) is the chief port of the United Arab Emirates—a federation of seven Arabian Peninsula sheikhdoms. Oil provides a healthy GDP similar to that of prosperous western European nations.
Photograph by Neil Emmerson/Getty Images
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United Arab Emirates Information and History

Seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula combined to form a federation after Britain pulled out of this barren coastal region in 1971. The United Arab Emirates comprises Abu Dhabi, seat of the federal government and the oil capital; Dubayy (Dubai), the main port and commercial industrial hub; Ajman; Umm al Qaywayn; Ras al Khaymah; Al Fujayrah; and Sharjah. Oil, discovered in 1958, is the major income earner. Oil wealth brought foreign workers, who now make up about three-quarters of the population. A favorite destination for tourists, the country has a liberal attitude toward other cultures and beliefs.

ECONOMY

Industry: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials.
Agriculture: dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry; fish.
Exports: crude oil, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates.

Text source: National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition, 2004
United Arab Emirates Flag and Fast Facts
Flag of United Arab Emirates
Population
4,618,000
Capital
Abu Dhabi; 475,000
Area
77,700 square kilometers
(30,000 square miles)
Language
Arabic, Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Religion
Sunni and Shiite Muslim, Christian, Hindu,
Currency
Emirati dirham
Life Expectancy
74
GDP per Capita
U.S. $22,100
Literacy Percent
78
Cities in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates Features
Photo: Dubai waterfront
Discover how this port city transformed from a drowsy fishing village to a tax-fee business haven, attracting more tourists than the whole of India.
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum has led the transformation of his realm from a drowsy fishing village to a tax-free business haven and world capital of glittering excess.
Photo: Dubai
See how much you know about all the cities featured in Places of a Lifetime with these interactive quizzes. Challenge yourself and friends, learn interesting facts, and have some fun!
Map: United Arab Emirates
Country: United Arab Emirates
Continent: Asia
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