Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/247.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 9.6 KB | 362 lines

@node Geography (United Arab Emirates)
@section Geography (United Arab Emirates)

@display

Location:
  Middle East, along the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Map references:
  Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  75,581 km2
 land area:
  75,581 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
  total 867 km, Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline:
  1,318 km
Maritime claims:
 continental shelf:
  defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  3 nm assumed for most of country,
  12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah)
International disputes:
  location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final; no defined
  boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims two
  islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or
  Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); claims island in
  the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu
  Musa); in 1992, the dispute over Abu Musa and the Tumb islands became more
  acute when Iran unilaterally tried to control the entry of third country
  nationals into the UAE portion of Abu Musa island, Tehran subsequently
  backed off in the face of significant diplomatic support for the UAE in the
  region
Climate:
  desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain:
  flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert
  wasteland; mountains in east
Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas
Land use:
 arable land:
  0%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  2%
 forest and woodland:
  0%
 other:
  98%
Irrigated land:
  50 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural freshwater resources being
  overcome by desalination plants; desertification



@end display

@node Geography (United Arab Emirates 2. usage)
@section Geography (United Arab Emirates 2. usage)

@display

Note:
  strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital
  transit point for world crude oil



@end display

@node People (United Arab Emirates)
@section People (United Arab Emirates)

@display

Population:
  2,657,013 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  5.06% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  28.4 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  3.07 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  25.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  22.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  72 years
 male:
  69.91 years
 female:
  74.2 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  4.67 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Emirian(s)  adjective:
  Emirian
Ethnic divisions:
  Emirian 19%, other Arab 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes
  Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
 note:
  less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions:
  Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Languages:
  Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
  age 10 and over can read and write (1980)
 total population:
  68%
 male:
  70%
 female:
  63%
Labor force:
  580,000 (1986 est.)
 by occupation:
  industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 5%
 note:
  80% of labor force is foreign



@end display

@node Government (United Arab Emirates)
@section Government (United Arab Emirates)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  United Arab Emirates
 conventional short form:
  none
 local long form:
  Al Imarata al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
 local short form:
  none
 former:
  Trucial States
Abbreviation:
  UAE
Digraph:
  TC
Type:
  federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and
  other powers reserved to member emirates
Capital:
  Abu Dhabi
Administrative divisions:
  7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al
  Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Independence:
  2 December 1971 (from UK)
Constitution:   2 December 1971 (provisional)
Legal system:
  secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several
  member emirates; Islamic law remains influential
National holiday:
  National Day, 2 December (1971)
Political parties and leaders:
  none
Other political or pressure groups:
  a few small clandestine groups may be active
Suffrage:
  none
Elections:
  none
Executive branch:
  president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, deputy
  prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad)
Judicial branch:
  Union Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Zayid bin Sultan Al NUHAYYAN, (since 2 December 1971), ruler of
  Abu Dhabi; Vice President Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since 8
  October 1990), ruler of Dubayy
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since 8 October 1990),
  ruler of Dubayy; Deputy Prime Minister Sultan bin Zayid Al NUHAYYAN (since
  20 November 1990)



@end display

@node Government (United Arab Emirates 2. usage)
@section Government (United Arab Emirates 2. usage)

@display

Member of:
  ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn Al SHAALI
 chancery:
  Suite 740, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
 telephone:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador William RUGH
 embassy:
  Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi
 mailing address:
  P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
 telephone:
  [971] (2) 336691, afterhours 338730  FAX:
  [971] (2) 318441
 consulate general:
  Dubayy (Dubai)
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker
  vertical red band on the hoist side



@end display

@node Economy (United Arab Emirates)
@section Economy (United Arab Emirates)

@display

Overview:
  The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per
  capita outside the OECD nations. This wealth is based on oil and gas, and
  the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities.
  Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an
  impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a
  high standard of living. At present levels of production, crude oil reserves
  should last for over 100 years.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $34.9 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
  NA%
National product per capita:
  $13,800 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NEGL% (1988)
Budget:
  revenues $4.3 billion; expenditures $4.8 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1993)
Exports:
  $21.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  crude oil 66%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
 partners:
  Japan 39%, Singapore 5%, Korea 4%, Iran 4%, India
Imports:
  $13.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  capital goods, consumer goods, food
 partners:
  Japan 15%, US 10%, UK 9%, Germany 7%, Korea 4%
External debt:
  $11 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 30% (1990 est.); accounts for 56% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity:
  6,090,000 kW capacity; 17,850 million kWh produced, 6,718 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat
  building, handicrafts, pearling
Agriculture:   accounts for 2% of GDP and 5% of labor force; cash crop - dates; food
  products - vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25%
  self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
  donor - pledged $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries
  (1979-89)
Currency:
  1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Exchange rates:
  Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (United Arab Emirates)
@section Communications (United Arab Emirates)

@display

Highways:
  2,000 km total; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth
Pipelines:
  crude oil 830 km, natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Ports:
  Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid,
  Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid
Merchant marine:
  56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,197,306 GRT/2,153,673 DWT; includes
  15 cargo, 8 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off, 23 oil tanker, 4 bulk, 1
  refrigerated cargo, 1 liquified gas, 1 chemical tanker
Airports:
 total:
  37
 usable:
  34
 with permanent-surface runways:
  20
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  7
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  5
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  5
Telecommunications:
  modern system consisting of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu
  Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; satellite ground stations - 1 Atlantic
  Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to
  Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
  microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 3 FM, 12
  TV



@end display

@node Defense Forces (United Arab Emirates)
@section Defense Forces (United Arab Emirates)

@display

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force
Manpower availability:   males age 15-49 1,008,076; fit for military service 550,965; reach military
  age (18) annually 15,499 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)



@end display