United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

Dubai Expo 2020

Oil pipelines cross desert regions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The oil industry provides jobs for thousands of people from the UAE and from several neighbouring Arab countries.

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the capital of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The city is mod­ern, but it retains many of its traditions.

Facts in brief about the United Arab Emirates

Capital: Abu Dhabi.

Official language: Arabic.

Area: 83,600 km². Greatest distances— north-south, 402 km; east-west, 563 km. Coastline—111 km.

Elevation: Highest— Jabal Yibir, 1,527 m above sea level. Lowest — Salamiyah, a salt flat slightly below sea level.

Population: Estimated 1996population—1,820,000; density, 22 people per km²; distribution, 78 per cent urban, 22 per cent rural. 1980 census— 1,043,225.

Estimated 2001 population— 2,007,000.

Chief products: Agriculture— dates, melons, tomatoes. Fishing —fish, shrimp. Mining— petroleum, natural gas.

Flag: The flag has a vertical red stripe and horizontal stripes of green, white, and black. It was adopted in 1971. See Flag (pic­ture: Flags of Asia and the Pacific).

Money: Currency unit— UAE dirham. One dirham = 100 fils.

United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven inde­pendent Arab states in southwestern Asia. These states lie along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, at the south end of the Persian Gulf. From west to east, they are Abu Dhabi, Dubayy (also spelled Dubai), Ash Shariqah, Ajman, Umm al Qaywayn, Ras al Khaymah, and Al Fujayrah. The capital city of each state has the same name as the states.

Most people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are Arab Muslims. About four-fifths of them live in urban areas. The city of Abu Dhabi is the federation's capital and second largest city. Dubayy, the largest city, is an important port and commercial centre.

Beginning in the mid-1800's, Great Britain began to protect the states from attack by outsiders. By the early 1900's, Britain had taken control of the states' foreign af­fairs and guaranteed their independence. Known as the Trucial States, the states remained under British protec­tion until 1971, when they gained full independence. That year, six of the states joined together and formed the United Arab Emirates. Ras al Khaymah joined the union in 1972.

Before the mid-1900’s, the region that is now the UAE was one of the most underdeveloped in the world. Most of the people earned a living by fishing and pearl fish­ing, herding camels, trading, or date farming. The dis­covery of oil during the late 1950's brought sudden wealth to the region and led to the development of modern industries and cities. Many people left their tra­ditional ways of life and took jobs in the oil industry and other modern fields. By the 1970’s, the United Arab Emir­ates had one of the world's highest per capita (per per­son) incomes.

Government. Each of the seven states of the UAE is called an emirate and is ruled by an emir (prince). Each emir controls his state's internal political and economic affairs. The federal government controls the UAE's foreign affairs and defence and plays a large role in the federation’s economic and social development.

The seven emirs form the Supreme Council of the UAE. The council appoints a president, who serves as chief executive and head of state of the UAE. It also appoints a prime minister. The prime minister heads a Council of Ministers, which has about 25 members who supervise various federal government departments.

Each emir appoints representatives to the federal legislature, called the Federal National Council.

People. Most of the people of the UAE are Arabs. They belong to tribes that have lived in the region for hundreds of years. Each tribe has its own traditions. Rivalries among the various tribes have made it difficult to establish a unified nation.

Since the 1960's, thousands of people from neighbouring Arab countries and from India, Iran, and Pakistan have come to the UAE to work in the oil and construction industries and in commerce. The rapid release in population has caused housing shortages and other problems. But money from the oil industry and other economic activities has enabled the UAE to build apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, and roads to meet the needs of the growing population.

Most city-dwellers in the UAE live in modern houses apartment buildings. But in rural areas and on the outskirts of the cities, many people live in small thatched huts, much as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. Some of the people wear Western clothing, but most pr<5fer^traditional Arab garments. Arabic is the official language^ the UAE. About half of all the people 15 years of age or older can read and write. Today, about three-quarters of all school-age children attend primary school.

Land and climate. The UAE covers 83,600 square kilometres, including some islands in the Persian Gulf. Swamps and salt marshes line much of the northern coast. A desert occupies most of the inland area. Water wells and oases dot the desert. The largest oasis, Al Buraymi, is located in both the UAE and in Oman, the country's neighbour to the east. Hills and mountains cover much of the eastern part of the UAE.

The United Arab Emirates has a hot climate with little rainfall. The humidity is often high along the coast, but the inland desert regions are dry. The mountainous areas are generally cooler and receive more rainfall than the rest of the country. Summer temperatures in the UAE average more than 32° C and often reach 49° C. In winter, temperatures in the UAE seldom drop below 16° C. The country receives an average of less than 13 centimetres of rain a year.

Economy of the United Arab Emirates depends largely on the production and export of petroleum.

Most of this oil production takes place in the states of Abu Dhabi, Dubayy, and Ash Shariqah. The rulers of these emirates earn large profits from the sale of oil to foreign countries. Much of the petroleum is exported in crude form. But the UAE also has refineries that process some of the crude oil. The UAE is a member of the Or­ganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The production of natural gas, and trading and banking ac­tivities also bring income to the UAE.

Less than 1 per cent of the land of the UAE is suitable for growing crops. Farmers in the desert oases and the hilly regions of the eastern UAE grow dates, melons, to­matoes, and other crops. Desert nomads tend herds of camels, goats, and sheep. People who live in the coastal areas catch fish, shrimp, and other seafoods.

Dubayy, Abu Dhabi, and Ash Shariqah are the chief ports of the UAE. In addition to oil, the country exports natural gas and small amounts of dates and fish. Leading imports include building supplies, clothing, food prod­ucts, household goods, and machinery.

Roads link the major cities and towns of the United Arab Emirates. The country has four international air­ports. Several of the states operate radio stations, and Abu Dhabi and Dubayy have television stations.

History. People have lived in what is now the UAE for thousands of years. The chiefs of Arab tribes gradually gained control of the region. The tribes adopted Islam, the Muslim religion, by the A.D. 600's.

The Persian Gulf region lay on a major world trade route. Beginning in the 150ffs, various European nations established trading posts in the area. Great Britain be­came the strongest European power in the Persian Gulf region. During the 1700's, the Arab states that now make up the UAE began to develop. At first, Ras al Khaymah and Ash Shariqah were the strongest states. Their strength came from their naval power, and from the wealth they obtained from such activities as pearl fish­ing and trading.

In the late 1700's and early 1800's, Ras al Khaymah and Ash Shariqah fought many wars with other gulf states for control of the region's trade. The British aided the ri­vals of Ras al Khaymah and Ash Shariqah. In 1820, after destroying the city of Ras al Khaymah, the British forced all the states in the region to sign a truce forbidding warfare at sea. Other truces were signed in the 1800's, and the region became known as the Trucial States be­cause of the truces. By the early 1900's, Abu Dhabi and Dubayy had become the leading states. But Britain had taken control of the states' foreign affairs and had guar­anteed them protection from attack by outsiders. The states' rulers continued to handle internal matters. Until the mid-1900's, traditional rivalries over boundaries, pearl fishing rights, and other disputes led to wars among the states.

In the mid-1900's, foreign oil companies began to drill for oil in the Trucial States. In 1958, oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi, and the state began to export crude oil in 1962. Large oil deposits were found in Dubayy in 1966. Oil production began in Ash Shariqah in 1974. Money Irom oil production enabled Abu Dhabi, Dubayy, and Ash Shariqah to begin to develop into modern states. Other states later began to produce some oil. But they continued relied on agriculture and fishing as the basis of their economies.

In 1971, the Trucial States gained full independence from Britain. In spite of traditional rivalries, all the states except Ras al Khaymah joined together and formed the United Arab Emirates on Dec. 2,1971. That same year, the UAE became a member of the UAE  became a member of Arab League and the United Nations. Ras al Khaymah joined the UAE in Febru­ary 1972.

Under the Provisional Constitution adopted by the UAE in 1971, each emir continued to handle the internal affairs of his state. But the rulers agreed to share their resources and work for the economic development of all the states. The UAE's economy boomed in the 1970's and production increased. In addition, natural gas deposits were discovered in Ash Shariqah. But in the 1980’s, worldwide oil prices fell, causing difficulties for He LAE's economy.

In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. In early 1991, the EAE and other GCC members took part in the allied air arc ground offensive that liberated Kuwait. See Persian Gulf War. See also Abu Dhabi; Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

United Arab Republic (U.A.R.) was a union of two independent Middle Eastern countries, Egypt and Syria. President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Shukri al- Kuwatly of Syria proclaimed the union on Feb. 1,1958. Syrian rebels ended it on Sept. 29,1961, setting up an independent government for Syria. Egypt continued to use the name United Arab Republic until 1971, when it changed its official name to the Arab Republic of Egypt, In April 1963, Egypt, Syria, and Iraq agreed to form a new U.A.R. But because of political differences among the countries, the agreement was not carried out.

Government. The U.A.R. of 1958 had a centralized government, with Cairo as the capital. Egypt and Syria became provinces, with provincial capitals at Cairo for Egypt and Damascus for Syria.

Soon after the merger, the people adopted a provincial constitution and chose Nasser as president. He appointed all members of the National Assembly, selecting half from Egypt and half from Syria. The assembly supposedly exercised legislative power, but Nasser made many decisions without consulting it.

History. Before World War I (1914-1918), most of the Middle East was part of the Ottoman Empire. However, Great Britain had gained control of Egypt in the 1880's, and kept it until Egypt became independent in 1922. After World War I, the Middle East was carved into a number of political divisions. Syria, along with Lebanon, became a League of Nations mandate of France, which controlled them until after World War II (1939-1945).

Following World War II, many Arabs wanted to be united under a single government. Nasser came into power in Egypt during the 1950s, and became the leader of the Arab unity movement. Many Arab leaders suspected the West and turned to the Soviet Union for assistance. Nasser accepted Soviet aid, although he sup­pressed Communism within Egypt. The Communists also gained great power in Syria. The desire for Arab unity, the fear of Communist influence in Syria, and Nas­ser's ambition all contributed to the formation of the United Arab Republic.

Nasser regarded the union of Egypt and Syria as the first step toward uniting all Arab states. On March 8, 1958, Yemen agreed to form a federation with the U.A.R. The union was called the United Arab States, and had Hodeida (now Al Hudaydah), Yemen, as its permanent seat. The United Arab States was not a true federation. Yemen maintained its own membership in the United Nations and separate relations with other countries. Nasser dissolved the United Arab States in December 1961.

Nasser made clear that the U.A.R. would be neutral in world affairs. In 1959, he accused the Soviet Union of trying to interfere with the internal affairs of the repub­lic. He also improved relations with the West.

The government introduced many reforms in both provinces. But many Syrians began to feel that Nasser was raising the level of living in Egypt only by lowering it in Syria. Finally, late in 1961, Syrian officers in the U.A.R. army carried out an almost bloodless revolt and proclaimed an independent Syria. The Baath Party, the ruling party in Syria and Iraq, blocked a new federation attempt in 1963. The party opposed Nasser's attempt to control the new U.A.R. See also Egypt; Iraq; Nasser, Gamal Abdel; Syria; Yemen.